After finishing University I remember feeling this huge void. The void being not having stimulating lectures or tutorials or feedback to keep me excited and motivated about my work. I started to hunt around the internet for a void- filler and I found it with art blogs, art/ craft clubs and magazines!
I don't know about you but I love having something to follow and catch up on and that's why I found magazines stimulating. I love looking forward to the beginning of each month because I know my 3 favourite magazines are due to hit the shelves.
The magazines I collect are:
Last April I joined a Knitter Knatter group (hereby called Knitting Club) with the intention of learning to crochet. I learnt how to knit during my first year of University, so as a result everybody for Christmas that year received a nattily knitted scarf. (I knit my Nan a very nice pink scarf -in my opinion- and later in the year, when she was gutting out her wardrobe, I was given it back with a pile of her old clothes...hmmm...) Anyway, I never really got excited about knitting. In my eyes I found it very limiting with basically only 2 stitches to create other stitches...it just didn't get me bouncing off the walls. So when I joined Knitting Club I wanted to learn to crochet. And I did! And I've been hooked (ahhh the bad puns have begun) ever since!!
I will post some pictures of the crocheted items I have made so far soon.
So when I found a crochet magazine (!!) dear lord was I excited and immediately started completing pattern after pattern.
I highly recommend Inside Crochet, not just for the patterns but for the articles aswell. I read it from cover to cover when I get it; and eventhough it's £4.99 a month I feel it is well worth it because of the amount of enjoyment that I get from this craft!
Continuing on with the theme of clubs I also attend an art club every first Wednesday of the month called Art Circle. Now, yes it is attended mainly by old gentlemen and ladies (it seems that youngsters aren't interested in art where I come from- shame) and I am the youngest member but it is well worth the £20 a year membership fee because we have lecturing artists and demonstrators. This club fulfills my lecture addiction that I developed from University and introduces me to new techniques and ideas. It's loads of fun and through this club I found out about a pop- up gallery that is being set up in my local shopping center; which I am going to be exhibiting at in the middle of May.
I will post pictures of this pop- up gallery when it happens.
So the main outlook I gained from this art club is The Artist magazine. I've always known there were artist magazines out there (and quite afew of them too) but I hadn't picked up this particular one before, but once I did it became another cover- to- cover read for me for the month and I always look forward to the mass of information it contains. A plus for me, about this magazine, is that it advertises art fairs and days out and more importantly exhibition and competition opportunities.
Ever since I was a little girl I've always loved cross- stitching and stitching in general. I learnt to cross- stitch in First School and it has always stuck with; it's found it's way into my artwork many times.
I absolutely love the process of stitching and creating something one thread at a time; I find it very therapeutic. Recently stitching has shimmied it's way back into my art practice, which I love, but sometimes I just want to, as I call it, mindlessly stitch. This comes in the form of already premeditated cross- stitch patterns so I can just follow somebody else's pattern instead of making my own. This way I am still being creatively productive but can switch off and watch a film at the same time.
I am always disappointed when I go to Hobbycraft because some of the cross- stitch kits they have in there are so gorgeous but soooooo expensive... sad times. So when I found Cross- Stitcher I was happy to find an affordable way to create quirky cross- stitch patterns. A big bonus with this magazine is that you get a free gift with each issue! With this issue (which is the latest one) I got a free butterfly clasp purse pattern which my sister has her eye on for her birthday...win/ win!
If I start collecting any other magazines I will be sure to make a post about them but for now I am very happy with my stock of creative void fillers :D
Kim xx
Magazines
I don't know about you but I love having something to follow and catch up on and that's why I found magazines stimulating. I love looking forward to the beginning of each month because I know my 3 favourite magazines are due to hit the shelves.
The magazines I collect are:
Inside Crochet
Last April I joined a Knitter Knatter group (hereby called Knitting Club) with the intention of learning to crochet. I learnt how to knit during my first year of University, so as a result everybody for Christmas that year received a nattily knitted scarf. (I knit my Nan a very nice pink scarf -in my opinion- and later in the year, when she was gutting out her wardrobe, I was given it back with a pile of her old clothes...hmmm...) Anyway, I never really got excited about knitting. In my eyes I found it very limiting with basically only 2 stitches to create other stitches...it just didn't get me bouncing off the walls. So when I joined Knitting Club I wanted to learn to crochet. And I did! And I've been hooked (ahhh the bad puns have begun) ever since!!I will post some pictures of the crocheted items I have made so far soon.
So when I found a crochet magazine (!!) dear lord was I excited and immediately started completing pattern after pattern.
I highly recommend Inside Crochet, not just for the patterns but for the articles aswell. I read it from cover to cover when I get it; and eventhough it's £4.99 a month I feel it is well worth it because of the amount of enjoyment that I get from this craft!
The Artist
I will post pictures of this pop- up gallery when it happens.
So the main outlook I gained from this art club is The Artist magazine. I've always known there were artist magazines out there (and quite afew of them too) but I hadn't picked up this particular one before, but once I did it became another cover- to- cover read for me for the month and I always look forward to the mass of information it contains. A plus for me, about this magazine, is that it advertises art fairs and days out and more importantly exhibition and competition opportunities.
Cross- Stitcher
Ever since I was a little girl I've always loved cross- stitching and stitching in general. I learnt to cross- stitch in First School and it has always stuck with; it's found it's way into my artwork many times.
I absolutely love the process of stitching and creating something one thread at a time; I find it very therapeutic. Recently stitching has shimmied it's way back into my art practice, which I love, but sometimes I just want to, as I call it, mindlessly stitch. This comes in the form of already premeditated cross- stitch patterns so I can just follow somebody else's pattern instead of making my own. This way I am still being creatively productive but can switch off and watch a film at the same time.I am always disappointed when I go to Hobbycraft because some of the cross- stitch kits they have in there are so gorgeous but soooooo expensive... sad times. So when I found Cross- Stitcher I was happy to find an affordable way to create quirky cross- stitch patterns. A big bonus with this magazine is that you get a free gift with each issue! With this issue (which is the latest one) I got a free butterfly clasp purse pattern which my sister has her eye on for her birthday...win/ win!
If I start collecting any other magazines I will be sure to make a post about them but for now I am very happy with my stock of creative void fillers :D
Kim xx
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