My life has been overtaken with research projects. I currently have two on-going, one for my textiles-based art history course, and another for surface design. I'm loving both classes, although they're both challenging for different reasons.
All of the research I've been doing this term has me almost starting to enjoy the process, which is rather frightening! I've never been the kind of person to find research interesting and enjoyable, unless it's for something completely unrelated to school. (Like my obsession with Sailor Moon as a teen, which shall never be mentioned again.) But I'm realising how much I'm learning through all of this, and I do love to learn. And apparently ancient Chinese silk trade can actually be rather fascinating. Did you know they used to use it as currency? To the point where the government would forbid the use of metal coin so that people would be forced to use silk.
I am now full of (even more) useless information.
In other news, I've finished two tapestries in my tapestry class. It's a very labour-intensive process, taking sometimes up to an hour to do an inch of weaving. It also takes a lot of focus; you have to keep making decisions as to colour or problem-solving all of the technical issues that invariable pop up. I find it to be really meditative and soothing. I can't think or worry about anything else when I sit down at my loom. There is just me and my tapestry and the wonderful process of creation.
The first two projects for this class are technical experiments. Trying out different ways of working and seeing what works best for us. It was fun to play around with the technique before settling down and deciding on a more committed and serious project. I've decided to work on a piece based on one of my favourite fairy stories, the Six Swans (also sometimes the Thirteen Swans or the Three Ravens). It goes along with my current theme of transformation, and those stuck between worlds. I don't have any image of what it looks like just now - I've barely started - but I'll certainly snap some photos as I continue to work on it. I'm really excited to see what it'll be like when it's finished.
