Category Archives: Online courses

New Online Course: Contemplative Figure -A Unique Felt Sculpture

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 Molly Williams online course felt sculpture

My New Online Course begins

NEXT WEEK

Wednesday 22nd April 2020

CONTEMPLATIVE FIGURE – A UNIQUE FELT SCULPTURE

£250.00

… A quick look at the course:

Learn how to make a large contemplative sculpture using a wet felt method of sculpting.

The sculptures are inspired by the work of modern sculptors, such as Barbara Hepworth and Sir Henry Moore and others. You will have the opportunity to explore the work of these sculptors and, through a series of drawing exercises, create your own shapes.

The finished figure will measure about 12″/30cm – 18″/45cm in height, dependent on the shape and position.

This is a very energetic process that involves manual shaping and felting, plus a sander and steamer to finish.

There are just a few places left on this small teacher led course

What my students say…..

‘ Thank you soooo much for providing this wonderful opportunity to follow your tutorial!!! Your videos, hand outs, and personal connection has been outstanding! ‘ Tina

 

‘I took a course with you and it was absolutely fantastic to learn these unique new techniques. I am a wet felter and the way that Molly has innovated wet felting techniques to create more sculptural forms (rather than using needle felting) is really interesting and opened up a whole new arena of possibilities for me for creating strong shapes – this is so innovative and exciting, thank you so much for sharing your way of working’   Mia Hartgroves

 

‘I loved the workshop. I am so glad we had the time to start to get to know each other. You have totally inspired me.’  Amy

 

 

Please contact me for more information:

Chemistry in the Kitchen! How to make soap

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Making soap at home is easy and a lot of fun!

I have been making soap for years and it is a wonderful, mild, moisturising product – and you can make it too! – especially as we are all washing our hands a lot these days!

Hand made soap

This recipe is designed for the kitchen cabinet – it needs just 3 ingredients:

  • 2 oils – light olive oil and coconut nut oil –  both easy to find in your supermarket
  • Caustic soda  –  find this at a good hardware store.

The materials and equipment are probably already in your kitchen cupboard:

  • Apron
  • Washing up gloves
  • Eye protection
  • A bottle of vinegar
  • Digital scales
  • Stainless steel saucepan
  • 2 plastic jugs – 500ml minimum
  • small glass
  • stainless steel spoons
  • A plastic spatula
  • Stick blender
  • Plastic box with lid

A note of caution

Caustic soda will corrode many materials so it is important to make sure that your utensils and equipment are either plastic and stainless steel.

For your safety wear an apron, gloves and eye protection.

 

The recipe

  • 500g light olive oil
  • 300g solid coconut oil
  • 117g caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)
  • 250ml cold water

Please watch the video that will take you step-by-step through the process. It is ‘a must watch’ before you start!

If you have enjoyed the video and would like to learn more about soap making you can join my online course here:

Chemistry in the Kitchen £15.00

Topics covered are:

  • Saponification – the chemistry of soap
  • Choosing oils and fats
  • Essential oils
  • Colouring soap
  • Make a Palm Christie soap
  • Design your own soap recipe and how to use lye calculators
  • Labelling and packaging

The course includes downloadable information pages and worksheets.

 

How to make an Art or Craft online course …the things they don’t teach you!!

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£25.00 – Open access

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This is the course I wish I had found before I started making my first online course. 

It is for creatives like me – artists, designers and crafts people who would like to teach their practical skills to the world through video demonstrations. 

When making my first course I spent a lot of time finding out about equipment, lighting, filming and editing. 

In this course I have tried to highlight and answer some of the practical problems I encountered on my course building journey, so that you can get on with making your course. 

However, it is not a ‘how to design, plan, make and sell’ course! There are plenty of those out there and all the online course platforms provide their teachers with excellent, free ‘How to’ courses. 

This course includes information video, images and text and downloadable worksheets. 

The course is hosted on Ruzuku.

So if you would like some useful setup advice – signup! 

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New girl on the block

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I’ve taken time out from writing the next figurative course – I had to as there is tree felling going on and the air loud with buzz saws and chippers = NOT music to recording ears!

So, I finally finished this new girl today! – she’s been lounging around my worktop for ages.

 

Experimented with adding jewellery chain onto the hip – and I like it!

Creating an online course

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I’ve been designing an online course for several months and it is finally published and I have lovely, talented students from several parts of the world working through it.

It has been a BIG learning journey for me and one I have really enjoyed.

There has been much to figure out when it comes to:

  • Setting up my studio

Small desk set up for close work

  • Lighting
  • Videoing
  • Recording and editing
  • Audio presentations
  • Screen shots and video
  • AND First – finding the right Online Platform for me!

Large table set up

So….. I thought I would write a course about how I went about setting up mine and how I got round the problems I encountered along the way.

A point though – all the online course platform sites have their own excellent, and free, courses on ‘How to create your online course’. These are very good and will get you on your way. However there were lots of things I had to figure for myself…..

….for example:

When I filmed my first videos, on my iPhone, I could not see what I was filming – hence very often my hands migrated off the screen mid-demonstration! I discovered Mirroring Apps that let me view my video, on my Mac screen, while the iPhone did the actual filming – I could literally keep an eye on what I was doing! Eureka moment!

I’m hoping this course will help others, especially non-techie artists and craftsmen like me, to create their own online workshops and teach the world their amazing skills.

Would value some feedback!

I’ll post my views about the Course Platforms I have researched..

 

Why did I start? Where am I now!

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I have been making these figurative wet felted sculptures for over 10 years and people often ask me when, why and how, I started to make them – not the easiest question really!

Several thoughts though –

  • I have worked figuratively since about 2005 and the first sculpture I made was for the final show of  my BA Embroidered Textiles 2008. She is now a feature in my garden and it’s amazing how long she has endured through weather all year round!
  • If I hadn’t discovered wool fibres and felting I would work in clay – I love to mould and sculpt and shape and use the energy of my hands.
  • I had an idea to see if I could mould the wool fibres as I would clay – and it worked!!

I have shown my figures at Prism and SDC exhibitions in London and Birmingham and have sold them in local galleries.

This year I made ceramic and mixed-media figures for the first time!

RBSA Prism 2019

Then, out of the blue…..

I was asked to teach at Felters Fling 2019 – I had a wonderful time and met amazing felters and friends – and I realised that what I am doing, with wet felt sculpture, is very different and of interest as a new technique.

So….I am embarking on another new venture, to teach online! It’s been a huge learning curve for me and I have had a lot of fun finding out and mastering many skills and processes:

  • Studio lighting
  • Filming
  • Talking and making at the same time!!!
  • Editing videos
  • Creating written content and illustrating handouts and worksheets
  • Finding the best course platforms and learning how it all works
  • Classroom discussion forums
  • Selling and marketing

…and I have had a great group off Felter’s Flingers to trial the course with me –  their advice and encouragement has been invaluable! Thank you, thank you xxxx

Maybe you’ll join me?

Contemporary Dancer Online Workshop

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My new 5 week online workshop

Contemporary Dancer – A Unique Felt Sculpture

Friday 17th January till Friday 21st February 2020

Registration for the course is open!

 

This is an exciting online workshop where you will make a free standing figure 20″/50cm tall. You will learn a new, energetic wet felted process that has similarities to clay sculpting and can be easily adapted to make any shape or form. 

The course is suitable for intermediate felt makers and will include simple hand sewing techniques. 

The online classroom is hosted on RUZUKU – each lesson contains multiple videos, presentations and downloadable course information and worksheets to show you, step-by-step, exactly what to do in a simple, clear format.

I am so excited to have developed this course and hope you will join me in January!!

Be on the first course……

Head over to my workshop page for more information: