Creative Arts Looking for a few teachers - please take a look-see

We are trying to shake the tree and find a few teachers to spice up our offerings in creative arts, please let me know if you know anyone who would be interested:

Applying makeup with airbrushing
Food airbrushing
(Ps we got an airbrush setup first class Jan 16th)
Sewing machine basics
Embroidery machine basics
Serger basics
Painting basics (watercolor, acrylic)
Vinyl figuring altering (dunny/munny)

There are 2 of us that can do the sewing machine basics. We need some input on projects

Along with machine basics, would folks want either basic sewing, hems, seam repair and such, maybe even replace a zipper
Or a simple project like pillow or pillowcase (pillows in my house are doggie toys)

Or ?

On the serger, any interest in something like a stocking hat or beret type hat in polar fleece?

I can teach embroidery machine basics periodically if needed.

How can I sign up for the airbrush class? I donā€™t see it on the events list ā€¦

Thanks.
Chris

Great we need to talk about getting a class set-up, class outline, etc. Iā€™ll PM you and Nicole so we can work out details.

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Air Brush Class was submitted yesterday with a tentative date-Time of Saturday, January 16th from 10:00 to 12:00. Fred Gardner will be the instructor. Youā€™ve probably seen may of the wonderful wood wroking and stained projects he works on out in the workshop ā€¦ showing airbrush just isnā€™t for painting pictures.

We are also looking for instructors for airbrushing Food Colors and Make-Up. Once we get instructors for these topics weā€™ll get dedicated airbrushes for each of these media.

Soooo if any one out there would like to share some of their knowledge and skills ā€¦ please step forward!

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Nicole and I were thinking that sewing would be a series of classes, cab be with various instructors (thatā€™s a hint for those with some skill so step up and teach a class).

  • Basic Machine Operation
  • Basic Sewing: Hemming, simple repairs, etc.
  • Intermediate: Making simple projects
  • Intermediate: Making items from patterns
  • Advanced: TBD

Cairenn, if you want to teach a class(es) contact Nicole and I on PM and we can work out the details.

Thanks,

Beth is also willing to teach, she is not on talk. We both mentioned be willing to teach on The FB page.

I sort of hate to admit, but I have no idea to PM someone from talk

Click their avatar (or whatever talk calls the name & picture which accompanies their posts) and when the link loads with their info it will include a ā€œmessageā€ link/button. Clicking on that will load the PM interface. It looks much like the regular board interface for posting but is setup more like a ā€œmeetingā€ with your target as the invitee.

A word of caution for anyone reading this: you canā€™t use email to converse via PM; they end up posted publicly (as far as I know). Also be careful that the two interfaces look very similar, so try to be sure whether it is private or public and address accordingly (but seriously, donā€™t say anything in PM you wouldnā€™t say publicly).

While you did not ask it seems pertinent to mention how you retrieve your own PMs: click your own avatar at the top of the page and select ā€œmessagesā€ from the menu.
How do you know if you have new messages? You get a little green circle with a number in it on the left side of your avatar, not unlike the little blue circle on the right of your avatar which notifies you of new public responses.
Hopefully helpful to someoneā€¦ :smiley:

I use PM primarily to take discussions offline that really donā€™t need to be in Talk Forum; e.g. Looking for teachers and classes is a forum item, the discussing particulars with an instructor is better served in a PM as it keeps the forum less ā€œclutteredā€.

But as @jast points out I might add, youā€™ll see a an envelope, click on that.

I posted an uber-detailed handout full of pictures detailing how to use the embroidery machine on the wiki. It can also be found through the Crafts section of the tools link on the wiki.

Thatā€™s typically the outline and content I follow when I teach, unless someone has other suggestions.

@Nick and I have taught together in the past; his professional experience has been invaluable.

Chris

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Bless you and House for many generations. Thanks
@uglyknees

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I paint in both water colors and acrylics so I could teach a class in either. I have taught graphic arts (Photoshop and Flash) in the past and I currently consult as an Agile software development trainer and coach. Iā€™m not sure what to use for teaching materials so if anyone has any suggestions Iā€™m open.

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Yes, We have all the Acrylics and Water colors and assorted supplies you might need - we actually have small portable kits that could also be used. Your talents and willingness to teach a class would be greatly appreciated ā€¦ our materials cry out for use!

Please contact Nicole @uglyknees the other CA Co-Chair - she is much more the artist than I am will be able to answer your questions.

Classes wouldnā€™t have to be limited to painting on canvas/paper, we have someone @ceramicCAP that may be teaching how to make things out of Sculpey, these would benefit from knowing how to work the paints. Heā€™s was working on some Roses that looked great - just need the final touch of painting.

Thanks for letting us know - look forward to you contributing your talents and knowledge.

A Photoshop class on the basics of touching of photos would be great - then more advanced lessons. These would go great for folks that want to use the large format printers for all the holiday printing pics they took.

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So WHAT I HEAR is: David & Nicole, how soon can I teach the classes using the embroidery machine?
@John_Marlow As soon as you are able. I would ask you come in and run a test piece on the machine to verify it is not in need of adjustments or supplies. If so, let Nicole and I know and weā€™ll get it serviced.

This past week when Nicole and I were looking at the next year - we want to get sewing arts off and running. @axeonos just donated us another basic sewing machine. We think there is interest in sewing at various group levels and want to get classes at various levels. If there is enough interest, in the embroidery machine to help finish-off projects on customize them, given enough interest we could look to acquiring an even more capable machine with larger hoops, multi color, etc. But we need to see the interest and getting classes started is the beginning.

@Nick ā€¦ I didnā€™t forget your name was mentioned ā€¦ laying low, you dawg.

As far as ā€œmaterialsā€, I was referring to teaching materials. In the past I taught college classes so I selected an appropriate textbook, the students bought them and I just taught them what the book said. Sounds kinda silly when I write it out that way since they COULD have done it all themselves with the book. But hey, thatā€™s why teachers and coaches exist! :wink: Any idea what people would want taught? Do I assume they already know/understand color theory? Or just assume they donā€™t know, donā€™t care and just wanna make purdy pictures? Or do I approach it the same as those wine and paint classes? Those have the motto ā€œThis ainā€™t fine art, itā€™s fun art!ā€ I open to teach whatever people want to learn. :blush: Heck, itā€™ll force me to paint some more!

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Your class - your assumptions - your approach. I would think the textbook is suited for something that has a semesters worth of classes/hours. Some of us understand color theory: I know more of the theory for mixing light (photography) where all colors make white, the opposite of paint (solid colors as I call them) where it makes black (or some mess close to it).

Iā€™d be happy to help you with producing any class materials. Many basic ideas, such as color wheels, could be found on-line, YouTube, etc. and could be added as links to review prior to the class. My experience in classes are the levels of knowledge are quite varied.

I, and I believe Nicole, as Co-Chairs think of ourselves as enablers for the doers ā€¦ I feel Iā€™m a Maker supporting Makers make Makers. At least most of the time.

So how can I help? Maybe it is several classes: Color 100, Basic Color theory, then painting in the various medias as 101, 102, etc. My background is primarily aerospace manufacturing. I think processes, planning, program management, equipment, training, certification, etc.My career was building other peopleā€™s designs ā€¦ making sure they are built as designed. As I said, Iā€™m now an enabler, at least for the moment.

I would not be surprised if you have some folks of both types. I know some basics, enough that I have sold some small paintings, but I am self taught. Composition is always useful. techniques would be. I fought with learning how to gesso a Masonite board. ! Still donā€™t know if do it right.

I have friends that are proud of what they paint at a ā€˜paint and sipā€™ and pay good money for it

David, I may have confused the issue. Iā€™m not begging to hurry up and teach an embroidery class. Iā€™m volunteering to teach if/when itā€™s useful.

I used the Embroidery machine on 12/12 and it was working fine. Any reason to believe things have changed since then?

If we wanted to enhance our embroidery capabilities, I would suggest we get a magnetic clamping hoop and possibly some kind of a ā€œhoopā€ thing that would enable stitching on things like ball caps. Right now the hooping is the biggest challenge of the embroidery machine. I donā€™t recommend that we get bigger or more elaborate because, at least right now, the usage doesnā€™t seem to warrant that. Itā€™s not like people are in there using it and saying, WOW! I could do so much more if I had a bigger hoop. Unless youā€™re hearing those kinds of comments. And the multi-needle machine, while itā€™s a nice convenience to speed things up, isnā€™t really a big deal unless youā€™re in a production mode.

Also, the Babylock seems to be the nicest sewing machine we have so it gets used for a lot more than just embroidery - but itā€™s the only one that does embroidery so itā€™s a little frustrating to have it in use for general purpose sewing when you want to embroider. As the sewing interest grows, perhaps another solution might be to buy another general purpose sewing machine in order to dedicate the Babylock solely to embroidery.

The other limitation is the ability for people to ā€œprogramā€ their own designs. I am not suggesting that we buy a $$K software package (which is what the good stuff costs), but right now SewArt64 isnā€™t running on any of our computers. Itā€™s rudimentary but people have been able to use it successfully to program their own designs. I submitted a ticket.

@Nick, please weigh in on this.

We need to meet some time - your knowledge is deeper than mine, I just need educating on what you recommend.

Like most anything that is CNC ā€¦ actual running the machine seems to be the easiest part.

Iā€™ll send you and @nick a PM tomorrow so we can arrange a meet time. Thanks for your efforts and contributions!