Are you drawn to imperfection and ready to combine your love of paper, textiles and stitch to create contemporary art?

You’re in the right place! 

Welcome to Finding Fragments, an online course designed for people
ready to push the boundaries and bring new ideas to their artwork.

Enrol Now

Class begins January 1st 2023.

This course is life-changing. It is so jammed packed with ideas, techniques, and know-how. It also provides a great framework for working in a series.
I wish I had seen it 10 years ago. - Roberta W

It’s time to reimagine mixed media and transform the traditional by asking yourself…

  • How far am I prepared to distress a piece of fabric or paper before it is beyond repair, and then…..am I brave enough to take that a little further still?
  • Am I ready even push myself with a more experimental approach to making?
  • Am I ready to take a chance to burn, bury, coat, layer, paint, stitch, rip and repair my work? 

The idea of exploring working large and then fragmenting into smaller pieces to reconstruct new work, concepts related to the Japanese concepts of Wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection) and Mottainai (using every last scrap)  is the core of Fragmentation and Repair and the work of Shelley Rhodes.

It’s time to reimagine mixed media and transform the traditional by asking yourself…

  • How far am I prepared to distress a piece of fabric or paper before it is beyond repair, and then…..am I brave enough to take that a little further still?
  • Am I ready even push myself with a more experimental approach to making?
  • Am I ready to take a chance to burn, bury, coat, layer, paint, stitch, rip and repair my work? 

The idea of exploring working large and then fragmenting into smaller pieces to reconstruct new work, concepts related to the Japanese concepts of Wabi-sabi (finding beauty in imperfection) and Mottainai (using every last scrap)  is the core of Fragmentation and Repair and the work of Shelley Rhodes.

You’re invited to develop a new way of thinking and researching to ultimately take your work to an exciting new level.

Learn From Shelley Rhodes

UK Mixed Media Artist

“Hi, I’m Shelley! 

I am drawn to the environment, the landscape, particularly the coast, and the things around me. I like to walk, observe, record and gather. I collect discarded objects, fragments and small unimportant things but I am also drawn to museum collections and the way they are presented.  I embrace imperfection and often look for peeling walls, worn surfaces, broken shells, a fragile leaf or rusty corrugated iron.

I’m here today to show you how to:

  • Take your inspiration and develop it into daily practices
  • Have an experimental approach to your work 
  • Think in a different way and
  • Push your ideas further

During this course, we will explore together and find ways to turn small discoveries into unique pieces. 

What inspires you? 

I can’t wait to see what fires you up and gets you excited to make new art.”

ENROLMENT NOW OPEN

You’re invited to develop a new way of thinking and researching to ultimately take your work to an exciting new level.

Learn From Shelley Rhodes

UK Mixed Media Artist

“Hi, I’m Shelley! 

I am drawn to the environment, the landscape, particularly the coast, and the things around me. I like to walk, observe, record and gather. I collect discarded objects, fragments and small unimportant things but I am also drawn to museum collections and the way they are presented.  I embrace imperfection and often look for peeling walls, worn surfaces, broken shells, a fragile leaf or rusty corrugated iron.

I’m here today to show you how to:

  • Take your inspiration and develop it into daily practices
  • Have an experimental approach to your work 
  • Think in a different way and
  • Push your ideas further

During this course, we will explore together and find ways to turn small discoveries into unique pieces. 

What inspires you? 

I can’t wait to see what fires you up and gets you excited to make new art.”

ENROLMENT NOW OPEN

Introducing…

A rich creative resource to extend yourself with an experimental approach to creating mixed media art.

Designed and developed in partnership with Shelley Rhodes and Fibre Arts Take Two.

Watch this Video

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Join Now

Class begins January 1st 2023.

With A Lifetime’s Worth Of Ideas And Inspiration, You’ll Learn How To...

Respond

Respond to your environment and take inspiration from Japanese Boro and Kantha making as you push the boundaries of traditional methods to create contemporary textile and mixed media art.

Rework

You will discover many approaches, such as combining paper and cloth with mixed media, as you are encouraged to experimentally rework and alter surfaces.

Repair

Nothing will go to waste as you build layers, mend, incorporate stitch as a mark, display fragments and collect found objects to build a unique body of work under Shelley’s tutorship.

With A Lifetime’s Worth Of Ideas And Inspiration, You’ll Learn How To...

Respond

Respond to your environment and take inspiration from Japanese Boro and Kantha making as you push the boundaries of traditional methods to create contemporary textile and mixed media art.

Rework

You will discover many approaches, such as combining paper and cloth with mixed media, as you are encouraged to experimentally rework and alter surfaces.

Repair

Nothing will go to waste as you build layers, mend, incorporate stitch as a mark, display fragments and collect found objects to build a unique body of work under Shelley’s tutorship.

You have launched many of us towards a new creative journey, and your ideas and influences will be seen in our creations in the years ahead. - Ann M

Here’s how Shelley Rhodes will guide you through an explorative, creative journey...

Finding Fragments is delivered in two parts: firstly, by encouraging students to gather information and inspiration before delving into drawing and mark-making, layering, reworking, and incorporating found objects.

The second part of the course examines traditional methods of stitching but encourages students to exaggerate and distort stitches and introduce non-traditional techniques and materials.

Students can explore and experiment by altering surfaces, fragmenting, and re-joining to create inspiring and innovative work. The result is a more fully developed artist who is clear about their way of working and can produce gallery-quality outcomes.

See the complete list of modules below…

Here’s how Shelley Rhodes will guide you through an explorative, creative journey...

Finding Fragments is delivered in two parts: firstly, by encouraging students to gather information and inspiration before delving into drawing and mark-making, layering, reworking, and incorporating found objects.

The second part of the course examines traditional methods of stitching but encourages students to exaggerate and distort stitches and introduce non-traditional techniques and materials.

Students can explore and experiment by altering surfaces, fragmenting, and re-joining to create inspiring and innovative work. The result is a more fully developed artist who is clear about their way of working and can produce gallery-quality outcomes.

See the complete list of modules below…

Part 1 – Field Notes: Observe Gather Interpret

Sharing how Shelley approaches her daily practice, organises her research, and turns it into finished artwork, you’ll begin by gathering “field notes”.

Enjoy reworking, layering, and developing your initial intuitive marks into more resolved pieces through fragmentation and repair of paper and cloth.

Module 1: Making Field Notes

Inspired by Shelley’s popular book Sketchbook Explorations: Making field notes is an important foundation for adding personal resonance to your work.

  • You’ll prepare walk cards and long paper grounds before heading out to observe and extract macro and micro marks from your chosen landscape.
  • Learn different ways to record and how to organise your research for further development.

By the end of this module, you be confident observing and recording using different formats. You will be able to capture the essence of a place. Then you will be able to rework or develop the notes, drawings and marks that you have made.  

Module 2: Reworking a Collection

Enjoying the process without worrying about a finished product is essential. Shelley talks through her thought process, allowing you to enjoy the process of marking and layering.

  • Learn how to use a collection of objects as a source of inspiration for colour, drawing, printing and mark-making on a variety of surfaces with different media.
  • Excitement builds as you begin to fragment, cut, move and re-join.

You’ll look forward to making observational studies and combining photographs with drawn marks feeling more confident with your drawing and mark-making. You really learn to understand how ink reacts on different surfaces as you build up layers.

Module 3: Making a Mark

As you build on your foundations of a strong art practice, you’ll be ready to develop some exciting new work, and there’s no better way than with personal mark marking. 

  •  You’ll begin by combining fabric and paper to make mixed media grounds. 
  • Shelley introduces many ways to make a mark through text, making your own tools and simple but effective printing blocks. 

By the end of this module will have a stack of paper and fabric that you have marked in your own unique way linked to a source of inspiration that really excites you as you move towards creating your own unique and exciting mixed-media artwork. 

Module 4: Fragmentation and Reconstruction

In this exciting part of Shelley’s process, you’ll fragment the paper and fabric that you have just worked on before reconstructing it in some way. 

  • You’ll learn how powerful and exciting the fragmentation of marks can be through a series of fun exercises.
  • Distress edges, identify segments and rejoin using traditional stitch and other exciting methods that can form an integral part of your work. 

This approach’s flexibility will help you achieve a dynamic and well-balanced piece of work as you learn that anything can be cut out, moved, reinserted or rearranged and continually altered until you’re happy with the overall composition. 

Part 2 – Making Changes: Transform Rework Represent

Taking a more experimental approach, Shelley encourages the pushing of boundaries whilst bringing your own ideas and experience to the table so you can produce work that is completely unique to you.

Module 5: Inspired by Boro

It’s time to put a twist on the traditional. Using old garments and using up every last scrap, you’ll make layered, hand-stitched pieces influenced by Japanese Boro.

  • You’ll distress fabric, and investigate repairs, patching and over stitching.
  • Learn Shelley’s method for working in a series and how to make links and connections through each piece.

By the end of this module, you understand everything can be reworked and altered – even work made many years ago. Hand stitching can be a slow process, but you have seen that working on something regularly for short periods of time could be a helpful approach.

Module 6: Inspired by Kantha

You’ll see the importance of sampling, testing and exploring in this module as you take further inspiration from traditional stitching to make unique, contemporary pieces.

  • Experiment with switching materials, exaggerating and altering stitches.
  • Explore coating the surface of the cloth, layering, cracking and distressing further.

This module is about taking some risks with an experimental approach before you move on to more resolved pieces of work. 

Module 7: Alteration, Destruction and Transformation

American artist Jasper Johns said, ‘Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it’, so similarly, Shelley invites you to explore the idea of working on something, re-working, and then re-working again.

  • You will make a series of stitched work using some of the methods covered in earlier modules before altering, weathering, distressing, manipulating and exploring the interplay of intention and chance. 
  • Shelley demonstrates her process for piecing and constructing work, making holes, distressing, exploring alternatives to stitch and altering the cloth in some quite dramatic ways. 

By pushing yourself to explore, experiment and be inventive, your work becomes unique and personal to you.

Module 8: Displaying Your
Work

Presenting your work in a simple but professional way that does not detract from the actual work is essential and needs to be considered.

  • This module gives many ideas about ways to present fragments into finished work.
  • Considering multiple units and how they can build to create one large piece of work and present fragments in boxes, containers, assemblages, and books, as well as ways to frame, present, or hang finished work.

In the end, you’ll understand the flexibility that comes from working in small units and feel more confident when considering the presentation of your work.

Part 1 – Field Notes: Observe Gather Interpret

Sharing how Shelley approaches her daily practice, organises her research, and turns it into finished artwork, you’ll begin by gathering “field notes”.

Enjoy reworking, layering, and developing your initial intuitive marks into more resolved pieces through fragmentation and repair of paper and cloth.

Module 1: Making Field Notes

Inspired by Shelley’s popular book Sketchbook Explorations: Making field notes is an important foundation for adding personal resonance to your work.

  • You’ll prepare walk cards and long paper grounds before heading out to observe and extract macro and micro marks from your chosen landscape.
  • Learn different ways to record and how to organise your research for further development.

By the end of this module, you be confident observing and recording using different formats. You will be able to capture the essence of a place. Then you will be able to rework or develop the notes, drawings and marks that you have made.  

Module 2: Reworking a Collection

Enjoying the process without worrying about a finished product is essential. Shelley talks through her thought process, allowing you to enjoy the process of marking and layering.

  • Learn how to use a collection of objects as a source of inspiration for colour, drawing, printing and mark-making on a variety of surfaces with different media.
  • Excitement builds as you begin to fragment, cut, move and re-join.

You’ll look forward to making observational studies and combining photographs with drawn marks feeling more confident with your drawing and mark-making. You really learn to understand how ink reacts on different surfaces as you build up layers.

Module 3: Making a Mark

As you build on your foundations of a strong art practice, you’ll be ready to develop some exciting new work, and there’s no better way than with personal mark marking. 

  •  You’ll begin by combining fabric and paper to make mixed media grounds. 
  • Shelley introduces many ways to make a mark through text, making your own tools and simple but effective printing blocks. 

By the end of this module will have a stack of paper and fabric that you have marked in your own unique way linked to a source of inspiration that really excites you as you move towards creating your own unique and exciting mixed-media artwork. 

Module 4: Fragmentation and Reconstruction

In this exciting part of Shelley’s process, you’ll fragment the paper and fabric that you have just worked on before reconstructing it in some way. 

  • You’ll learn how powerful and exciting the fragmentation of marks can be through a series of fun exercises.
  • Distress edges, identify segments and rejoin using traditional stitch and other exciting methods that can form an integral part of your work. 

This approach’s flexibility will help you achieve a dynamic and well-balanced piece of work as you learn that anything can be cut out, moved, reinserted or rearranged and continually altered until you’re happy with the overall composition. 

Part 2 – Making Changes: Transform Rework Represent

Taking a more experimental approach, Shelley encourages the pushing of boundaries whilst bringing your own ideas and experience to the table so you can produce work that is completely unique to you.

Module 5: Inspired by Boro

It’s time to put a twist on the traditional. Using old garments and using up every last scrap, you’ll make layered, hand-stitched pieces influenced by Japanese Boro.

  • You’ll distress fabric, and investigate repairs, patching and over stitching.
  • Learn Shelley’s method for working in a series and how to make links and connections through each piece.

By the end of this module, you understand everything can be reworked and altered – even work made many years ago. Hand stitching can be a slow process, but you have seen that working on something regularly for short periods of time could be a helpful approach.

Module 6: Inspired by Kantha

You’ll see the importance of sampling, testing and exploring in this module as you take further inspiration from traditional stitching to make unique, contemporary pieces.

  • Experiment with switching materials, exaggerating and altering stitches.
  • Explore coating the surface of the cloth, layering, cracking and distressing further.

This module is about taking some risks with an experimental approach before you move on to more resolved pieces of work. 

Module 7: Alteration, Destruction and Transformation

American artist Jasper Johns said, ‘Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it’, so similarly, Shelley invites you to explore the idea of working on something, re-working, and then re-working again.

  • You will make a series of stitched work using some of the methods covered in earlier modules before altering, weathering, distressing, manipulating and exploring the interplay of intention and chance. 
  • Shelley demonstrates her process for piecing and constructing work, making holes, distressing, exploring alternatives to stitch and altering the cloth in some quite dramatic ways. 

By pushing yourself to explore, experiment and be inventive, your work becomes unique and personal to you.

Module 8: Displaying Your
Work

Presenting your work in a simple but professional way that does not detract from the actual work is essential and needs to be considered.

  • This module gives many ideas about ways to present fragments into finished work.
  • Considering multiple units and how they can build to create one large piece of work and present fragments in boxes, containers, assemblages, and books, as well as ways to frame, present, or hang finished work.

In the end, you’ll understand the flexibility that comes from working in small units and feel more confident when considering the presentation of your work.

Learn more about this course in a
video Shelley made for you.

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Beginning January 1st, you’ll gain lifetime access
to the following lessons & training:

  • 8 modules, broken down into beautifully filmed video lessons that you access through our easy-to-use Fibre Arts Take Two learning platform, pause and rewatch at any time. With 9 hours of content and a lifetime’s worth of ideas and techniques, it may take you many weeks or even years to work your way through this generous workshop.
  • Shelley is the author of 2 books, so it’s no surprise that her course includes valuable resource guides and detailed action tasks that follow the course curriculum. There are over 70 downloadable pages of additional information to complement and extend your online learning experience.
  • Exclusive access to the Finding Fragments student community group, where you’ll interact and be inspired by a world of intrepid mixed-media explorers just like you!
SECURE YOUR PLACE HERE

Enjoy 2 months of invaluable Tutor interaction
in the following ways:

  • Share your work and ask questions gaining further guidance within the Finding Fragments student community with daily comments and feedback from Shelley and the Fibre Arts Take Two team.
  • Access exclusive weekly written updates from Shelley herself addressing your most frequently asked questions from the group, which are uploaded into your course program for everyone to access.
  • Participate in two live Q&A sessions where you can ask the questions live or in advance. All sessions are broadcast on multiple platforms to ensure an inclusive experience, are recorded and are available to enjoy anytime within your Fibre Arts Take Two learning platform.

Pricing Options

Fibre Arts Take Two invites you to join Shelley Rhodes on a Finding Fragments adventure – to expand and push yourself as an artist in new and exciting ways.

Today's Price
$398Places are limited
  • Currency - USD
  • Payment plans available at checkout
Enrol me now

This course has been created to the highest standards. It has been professionally planned, filmed, and edited for your viewing pleasure.

Through Shelley’s expert guidance, you will have the opportunity to learn new processes and techniques and develop a new way of thinking and researching, which ultimately takes your work to a deeper level.

Your tuition fee includes lifetime access to Finding Fragments with Shelley Rhodes. Payment plans are also available; please see the checkout for details.

We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee! We’ll give you a full refund if you’ve watched less than 10% of the course within the first 7 days.

We’re confident that if you do the work and engage with your tutor, you’ll get enormous benefits from this experience, which is why we’re happy to back our offer up with a risk-free guarantee.

This course has been created to the highest standards. It has been professionally planned, filmed, and edited for your viewing pleasure.

Through Shelley’s expert guidance, you will have the opportunity to learn new processes and techniques and develop a new way of thinking and researching, which ultimately takes your work to a deeper level.

Your tuition fee includes lifetime access to Finding Fragments with Shelley Rhodes. Payment plans are also available; please see the checkout for details.

We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee! We’ll give you a full refund if you’ve watched less than 10% of the course within the first 7 days.

We’re confident that if you do the work and engage with your tutor, you’ll get enormous benefits from this experience, which is why we’re happy to back our offer up with a risk-free guarantee.

It is so packed with everything from inspiration to techniques and just plain fun. I am so glad I have it for a lifetime because I have barely begun to scratch the surface. I have so much I want to try. - Julee W

This Course Is For You If...

You want to explore, experiment and continually push your ideas

You’re interested in combining a clear process with a free and experimental approach to art.

You want to learn from a world-class mixed media artist.

You love to be inspired by the surrounding environment.

You would love some guidance around organising your work and your process.

You want to see behind the scenes of an accomplished artist and network with a group of like-minded people.

Meet your Tutor

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View Past Students Work Here

Click the image below to flip through an online exhibition by Finding Fragments alumni.

What Other People Are Saying

Frequently Asked Questions

It will change your art practice - and your life! - Bobbi M