North BC Artists : Silk Painting Challenge

90-day Creative Survival Challenge in Silk Painting

 - From Zero To Hero in 90 Days?

12 women - one sponsor - 90 days: silk painting for income generation (part 2)

North BC Artists : Silk Painting Challenge - This 12- week training is sponsored by South Peace MacKenzie Trust, also known as spmtrust or spm-trust which is dedicated to supporting economic growth in the Peace MacKenzie Region of British Columbia - Canada.

North BC Artists : Silk Painting Challenge - THE HEROES OF THIS CHALLENGE

Everyone knows the emotional rollercoaster when a new idea sparks, and then the work calls for adjustment turning the well-known daily routines upside down.

Important to realize, when seeking a sponsor, that the beginning of this 12-week challenge began with proving to the sponsor that there are people who will commit to 12 weeks of learning. Clearly, this creative survival challenge is not just a silk painting workshop, but the goal is to learn silk painting for income generation. Now, after the six weeks of learning are completed, we honestly can say those participants, who are all women with family and work commitments, are proving their dedication. There is even homework to complete every week in order to get the certification of completion, which is the prerequisite to next-level training.

In the words of the participants: 
Lorna Penner - North BC - Peace Region

As I begin each day and look out the window, I feel so grateful to be living this beautiful life in the north. It is these moments that I want to capture and share through my creative process. The "90-Day Creative Challenge" is an opportunity to learn something new, meet new people and create in a new medium. There are many challenges living in the north, some being the difficulty of access to supplies, instruction and exposure to other processes. This can make a person be even more creative! I absolutely love where I live, and I am so thankful for this gift of learning and meeting other artists from all over our vast region. I look forward to continuing on this art journey and sharing with others the things I've learned from this experience. What a great community we live in!

by  Lorna Penner - Montney , BC

Six Weeks and North BC Silk Painting Course Still Going Strong

As a matter of fact, we are six weeks and still going strong. When speaking of the North BC Artists silk painting challenge, it is all about the participants.

Let's meet three of the first three creative heroes and see samples of their exercise pieces on silk. Lorna Penner-Penner's Patch, Linda Dufresne - Silk Artistry, Crafty Creations & more and Shahab Fatima - Artist/owner @ Henna Designs by Shahab.

In the words of the participants: Linda Dufresne - Silk Artistry, Crafty Creations & more

I love to create beautiful items for myself and others in many different mediums..

by Linda Dufresne - Taylor, BC

SILK PAINTING - FUN FOR EVERYONE

Even-though silk painting can be tricky; the beginning can be very playful. And so it is in this 90-day creative survival training. Therefore, to meet the condition of learning silk painting for income generations without previous experience or a special talent, the first six weeks focused on learning the material and the behaviours of silk and paint.

Therefore the students learned three folding techniques derived from the Shibori. Those kinds of silk painting workshops have been taught here in Tumbler Ridge for all ages now, from elementary students to senior groups now, for more than a decade.

In the words of the participants: Shahab Fatima - Artist/owner at Henna Designs by Shahab

The beauty of the colors and how they show up on the silk inspires me to be creative. For creation, sky is the limit and I love that. So excited to continue this journey.

by Shahab Fatima - Fort St. John

What's Next?

In the next four weeks, these North BC artists - aspiring silk stars will begin creating their Christmas Collections. The paints and the silk are already on the way to their studios. After learning the basics, the participants are ready to experiment with embellishment on different types of silk using outlining paints based on water-based Gutta. Seeing their progress as they set up their personal studios will be interesting. The last two weeks of the training is the time of action testing what the clients say. Twelve women are bringing the silk painting to their communities of Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Taylor and Montney.

The Path to success: 12 women - one sponsor - 90 days - silk painting for income generation - from zero to hero - the challenge (coming up: part 3)

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

by Albert Schweitzer

In colclusion, silk painting success begins with the first step and will reward all who persist with dedication enjoying the creations that come through their hands to delight at the end both, the recipients and the creators.

North BC Artists : Silk Painting Challenge

 90-day journey of 12 women going through the creative survival training in silk painting from zero to hero.