The Toronto edition of our Sign Magic Workshop is now only three days away. One of those days will be spent in transit and one day is set aside for me to get things organized. I am busy making last minute arrangements and packing supplies I will need. The workshops we hold in our studio are easy for every tool imaginable and paints of every description are close at hand. This gives our participants a multitude of choices and unlimited creative freedom. When we hold our workshops on the road it is a whole different matter.

To my disapointment, the airlines do not permit the transport of paint as part of our luggage, not even acrylic paints. Everything will have to be bought there. This gets to be an expensive proposition in a hurry, especially considering we need so little of some colors. Buying a liter of paint so we can dip a tiny brush into it only a few times does not make much sense so we will be doing plenty of mixing to get what we need. Each student will create four sample pieces, colored and glazed to learn the techniques we use in our shop. Each student will also sculpt a bug using a variety of materials. Even in a well equipped shop it is daunting for some. With limited resources and tools we will be forced to put on our thinking caps for sure.

We'll purchase a small variety of colors, and simply mix what we need to fill the needs of the students. I've stocked up on brushes and other goodies that can be difficult to find. I've printed out the addresses of multiple store locations for the suppliers of the items we will have to source there. Then we have one day to make sure all is in order and organized for our guests.

I am looking forward to the three days of the workshop. I have no doubt I will be learning as much as the students. It is going to be a wonderful challenge and opportunity to be creative.

-grampa dan