Serendipity Studio Newsletter: December 2016
Seven Steps for a Creative 2017
1 January is just two weeks away. It's a great time to review your accomplishments in 2016 (small and large) and to set intention for the new year ahead. In this newsletter, I share seven steps for a creative 2017:
 Take a walk- Start a journal or sketchbook
- Take an art excursion
- Take a class - learn something new!
- Join a group
- Start making - you are welcome to join my Weekly Art Project!
- Share your art - online and in real life
THANK YOU! to everyone who has signed up to my newsletter; attended one of my classes or curator floor talks; visited my blog; stopped by on Facebook or Instagram; reached out by e-mail or said hello in person. I appreciate your support and friendship and value being part of a vibrant creative community.
Wishing you a creative 2017!
Step 1: Take a walk
Regular exercise is not only beneficial to your physical health but it promotes creativity too.
A Stanford Study found that walking boosts creative inspiration and the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (affiliate link) examines how many artists and other exceptional thinkers set aside time for a daily walk. Most days, I take my camera with me on my walk. Photos provide an inspiration bank for my artwork but thinking time is useful too. Here are some hydrangea photos from my walk this morning.
Step 2: Start a journal or sketchbook
 A simple notebook is an invaluable tool for any artist to develop design ideas and experiment.
Use it as a collection point for inspirational photos, clippings and fabric swatches; keep notes on processes and materials; capture doodles, sketches and word play and expand on the possibilities.
In addition to paper-based journals, digital devices can be sketchbooks too. I like to sketch on my iPad to identify the main lines from my own photos and to simplify the design. (Read my blog for more details about the apps I use. ) Step 3: Plan an art excursion!
Visit an art gallery or a quilt show. The internet is a wonderful thing but it is no substitute for viewing art in real life. Study the work on display and jot down some notes on the pieces that most appeal to you. The DAIJ (Description- Analysis-Interpretation-Judgement) Method provides a useful framework for you to evaluate what you are viewing.
a matter of time: 2017 program
a matter of time opened this week at Millicent Gallery in Millicent, South Australia and the exhibition continues until 31 January 2017.
The exhibition tours next to:
- Gosford Regional Gallery, Gosford, New South Wales, Australia 18 February -23 March 2017. Opening at 6.30pm on Friday, 17 February 2017.
- Coalface Art Gallery, Moranbah, 1-31 May 2017.
- Dysart Library Artspace, Dysart, Queensland: 1-30 June 2017
- Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK 10-13 August 2017.
- New Zealand National Quilt Symposium: 5-10 October 2017.
See my artwork in the Ozquilt Network members' exhibition Australia Wide Five at Naracoorte Art Gallery, South Australia: 10 January – 19 February 2017.
Step 4: Take a class - learn something new!
Consider what new skills you need to develop or where there are gaps in your knowledge. Learning from an expert introduces you to processes and techniques that will allow your own artistic vision to flourish. In 2017, the NZ National Quilt Symposium offers an exciting line up of tutors and workshops.
Serendipity Workshops at the NZ National Quilt Symposium
Bookings are now open for at the NZ National Quilt Symposium in Christchurch, 6-10 October 2017. I will be presenting a lecture on The Art of Curating and five one-day workshops:
Register for Symposium now so as to secure the lowest possible registration number and to optimise your chances of being allocated your preferred classes and events. The closing date for priority workshop bookings is 28 February 2017 with classes confirmed at the end of May.
Other places you will find me in 2017 include:
Download my Serendipity Patchwork & Quilting Workshops Brochure.
Step 5: Join a group
Whether you meet in person or belong to an online group, being part of a creative community enables you to share ideas, encouragement and enthusiasm. I value my memberships of the following groups:
 Ozquilt Network Inc -the Australian-based organisation supports art quilters and fosters the recognition of art quilts as an art medium. Art Quilt Australia, the premier exhibition administered by OZQN with over $6000 in prize money, will take place in September 2017 at the Queen Victoria Art Gallery in Launceston. Join Ozquilt Network now - the membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
- Studio Art Quilt Associates offers many exhibition, networking and mentoring opportunities for its members (see my report on the mentorshop program below). If you’ve been thinking about joining SAQA, add the discount code “WKS ” to the application form (and add my name Brenda Gael Smith) to receive a 10% discount on the membership fee.
 Modern Quilt Guild - there is no local chapter convenient to my home but my individual membership with the overarching guild gives me access to a variety of interesting online resources. It also allows me to enter exhibitions such as the Modern Quilt Show Australia and QuiltCon.
Step 6: Start Making!
There is power in doing. With practice, comes creative confidence and greater self expression as you develop your own artistic voice.
Weekly Art Project
Back in September, I embarked upon a self-guided project. Each week I complete a 6x6inch textile work in abstract form reflecting my surroundings here at Copacabana. Here are the 13 textile sketches from my Copacabana Abstraction series that I have made so far:
13 weeks equals a quarter of a year. I plan on completing a full cycle of 52 weeks. If you would like to join me in this creative endeavour, here’s the framework. New participants are welcome at any time!
 Make a pledge to participate – you can do this privately but there is power in a public declaration.- Define the parameters of YOUR own weekly project.* Write it down somewhere!
- Record your results.
- Share a photo via the link up that I will post on my blog h Wednesday. (The link up for each week will stay open for 14 days.)
Your project can be whatever you want it to be. If you would like to try working in a 6x6in format, download my Weekly Art Project Design Sheet to to help you visualise this scale.
Step 7: Share your art - online or in real life
Social media provides many places for you to share your work online. Having your own website is also fantastic way to record and showcase your artwork. If setting up a website is on your to-do list for 2017, I can help! Contact me to discuss your website needs. Here are some websites I have worked on.
Exhibition Opportunities
Here are the closing dates for a selection of exhibition opportunities in 2017:
Bonus Tip: be S-M-A-R-T!
Make your creative goals for 2017 SMART - specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-sensitive. Set dates to check back in with them and evaluate your progress. Refine as required.
Serendipity Spotlight: SAQA Mentorship Program
Over the past 18 months, I have been participating in the Studio Art Quilt Associates Mentorship Program as a one-on-one mentor for a developing textile artist on the other side of the world - Maryte Collard in Lithuania. I have found the experience very rewarding. Providing thoughtful feedback and advice to a fellow artist has challenged me to review my own creative practice; consider other ways of doing things; brush up on my critique vocabulary; and appreciate anew the power of a growth mindset - the belief that you can always improve.
Maryte is fascinated by the versatility of improvisational log cabin blocks and is currently working on her Squared World series:
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