beth & jeff gutcheon's "the quilt design workbook" was among my first quilt books when i embarked upon my quilt journey. in fact most of the books i found in the mid 80's when i started were more design/concept & technical focus on technique. then along came the artists. i was and still am in awe, but i am not an artist. then along comes all the books full of traditionsl patterns rendered in modern fabs w/the artistic flare of professional designers, wiyh patterns included, of course. so we learned to copy instead design as the gutcheons & gwen & joe et al had attemted to encourage us to do in thier early books.
by profession an rn, married to an engineer. two sensible, left brainers that love art - try our hand at art..he in his ornamental blacksmithing, me in my quilts..all original patterns of mine. i have tried to draw the free & flowing florals etc that i so admire and my efforts are stiff & lifeless. this all leads me to an abservation i have made over the years when do further reading on some quilt artist currently being feted/written about etc. many or most have backgrounds in some sort of art training - liberal arts, commercial art or advertising art/layout...if not right out art major. yes, i am reading of late of some newcomers to the art quilt venue that are just natural artists. i am terrible at names, & w/o a list here at the kitchen counter (where i am reading/typing instead of dishes & laundry
) ) i cannot name names, but pick up any issue of mags like qnm in lst few years & the cover or focal quilter will be someone just like me...with a desire to create, but unlike me...he/she has the ability to create profound beauty. so, i too, on occassion wish that along the way as my nursing career careened into my future, that i had taken a few art classes along the way. learned how to bring idea to canvas so to speak, and now when life has so slowed, i could do the lovely flowing jacobean florals & vines that i see in my mind, but can't translate into a work of art in fabric & thread.
DO IT!! go for that secondary degree...in art. i think it sounds wonderfull adventure. and...scholastic setting, learning new things help keep the wrinkley gray brain at bay. and your adventure sounds way more fun & stimulating than brain/thought strengthening websites like luminosity or AARP!