Fresh Friday and random thoughts following Art in Action

There is a new feeling in the air around here. A fresh new perspective about art, my art, any art in a way which the Wordpress weekly photo challenge has asked for.These are the days of Art in Action; a four day event where artists and artisans get together and share freely their knowledge, their tools, their inspiration and form friendships and bonds.I'm feeling overwhelmed but ever so happy. Time to link with Nancy and tell you my random thoughts.This sculpture is by Juliet Walters and is titled "Containment".I'm really taken by this form within a form and it has me thinking about my own containment. How I rely on the same painting or sculpting techniques. Why is it I'm so scared to try new techniques, new art forms? Am I scared, or is it the fear of failure, of criticism?I suppose it's just like this photo I took of an oil painter's palette. The oil just builds up and up with time.So I thought that perhaps it's time to try new techniques, new mediums, new avenues. Get my hands dirty with a few practical classes.I'll tell you what I did: I learned to enamel and enamelled a necklace, I learned to batik and hand dyed a small prayer flag, I learned to use a press to emboss a card, I chipped away at a piece of stone till I got some sort of a small sculpture, and I threw two clay pots on a potter's wheel.Whew, that feels so much better. What's next? Lino cuts and printing I think and, maybe ultimately, I'll learn how to spin straw into gold. :)