Studio snapshots

Libby Mills, an American polymer clay artist, is featuring snapshots of studios from all over the world in her blog. It's been so wonderful to see how others have set up their studios and to gather a helpful tip here and there. This week, she's featuring mine! What a lovely surprise to come home to...
http://libzoid.net/blog/2008/04/28/studio-snapshot-melanie-dilday/
Do check out her other blog entries...she writes a very interesting, useful and eye catching blog.
I've been away teaching in Queensland this week (was an absolute pleasure to teach this gorgeous group of women) so I'm just resting now for a day or two before I get back in my studio. Hope to have something new to show you soon.

Grafton Artfest Autumn 2008

Well! Can you tell I've been busy? I normally always get some window of time to write on the blog but it's been a little crazy these last few weeks. Crazy but loads of fun and so fulfilling. I've just had a week teaching at my first Grafton Artfest, a fabulous event held in Grafton NSW, bringing artists and students together from all over Australia to learn all manner of incredible arts.
I had the most amazing week teaching both polymer and silver claying to a keen bunch of students. This is what I love most about teaching. Watching the joy on their faces when they see the results of their efforts. Look at their happy faces! What a week! Jam packed full of all kinds of techniques. I love the shot of them heads down diligently searching for their silver pieces amoungst the steel shot just after the polishing. For you teachers out there, an easier way for students to find their own pieces amoungst the others is to press them in polymer first so that they have a template of their own pieces to match up against. Saves a lot of time and prevents squabbling over pieces!
The shot with the pussycat is amazing in itself. Apparantly this cat lives at the school and is looked after by a big hearted maintenence guy who says that cat rarely goes near people...and yet she graced us with her presence all day, even curling up to sleep in one of my boxes. A room full of lovely women must have lured her in eh!
And have a look at the work these girls accomplished. If you click on the picture you'll get a bigger shot which you can also zoom in on. I made sure I took very high res shots so those who want a good look, can! And to think most of them had never even opened a pack of clay before.
All in all, a truly fulfilling and fun time for all of us. Thanks so much to everyone who made it possible. Special thanks to Suzanne and Janice from Aussiepolyclayers for your support and friendship and to Sylvia and Myra and the'mystery woman' for buying the pieces I put in the auction to raise funds to help make Artfest possible.