Too Much of a Good Thing

Here's how my desk looks this morning: 

And it's a reasonable indication of how I'm feeling. There are things piled up from last term's classes, pieces of fabric earmarked for future projects; invitations to interesting lectures and various other good things all in a heap. They need sorting. I need more space. And I need more time to take advantage of the opportunities around me. After a semester of my Textile Art course and a couple of weeks of so-called-holiday I'm still feeling overloaded. I'm looking at the possibility of taking some time off or taking fewer subjects next term. Unfortunately the week before classes start up again is also annual leave week for the teaching staff's, so there's no-one I can discuss it with until next week.  

Drawing Things

We have two new subjects at TAFE: history and drawing. And we have a couple of weeks holiday coming up. The two subjects are organised very differently. For history we have half a dozen different assignments with dates and facts and details to be researched and absorbed. When I asked the drawing teacher what we should do for homework her answer was very simple, "just draw". So far I've had a go at a few reels of cotton on a bench in my studio and last night, a little vase. If I need a bigger challenge later on I thought I might have a go at this: My mandolin has been sitting in its case neglected since my first flush of enthusiasm last year. I still have hopes of learning to play it, but meanwhile I could see how I go with a pencil and paper.