Showing My Homework

As mentioned, I have been studying the work of several collage/mixed media artists, and spent a good two hours watching all of Jane Davies' video demos on Youtube. Determined to learn new-to-me techniques, I paid close attention to one video in particular, Study in Pattern with the results of my efforts shown here.
I would say that I learned a lot, mostly how to paint stuff that looks like Jane did it. And that it doesn't look like my work. But that's what you get when you are a student. It was freeing and fun, and messy and easy. All good things. But it reminds me of when I spent a big bunch of money buying all of Sherrill Kahn's stamps.
Using them resulted in a lot of work that looked like Sherrill's art. Hmm. So now that I have learned this stuff, I guess it's up to me to incorporate it into my sensibilities and produce stuff that looks like I did it.

Pitiful.
Pitiful.
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On Thursday I decided to get my needles clicking and started a third version of my fave pattern, Driftwood. Since I've made it twice before, I didn't pay as much attention to the directions as I should and found I had made a big mistake. On Saturday I ripped out about four hours worth of work and reknit the thing correctly. Duh. Determined to fix it, I turned on Netflix and enjoyed three episodes of Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren while I knit it the right way. It was such a lovely way to spend a rainy day.

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When I mentioned my goldfish last week, I got several suggestions that I should make a quilt with a goldfish theme. I have done one already, quite some time ago. It's called Waterfront Property. 
That's about as goldfishy as I intend to get.
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On Sunday I was invited to a birthday party for my girlfriends, all of us born in late December and January. The gals that work at the LYS Three Black Sheep are all the January one's and I am the one straggler born in December.
It was a dark and stormy night, so the plan to stay and watch Downton Abbey together didn't materialize, but we had champagne and pizza and lots of laughs. I made it back home three minutes before Downtown started, safe and sound. Thank Heaven.