Summer Teaching 2017 - and a Spring Wrap Up

I pulled back from teaching this Spring so that I could dedicate as much time as possible to working in the studio on my Bibliomuse Series for an exhibit this Fall 2017 at Seager Gray Gallery.

It paid off since I was able to complete a few more pieces for the show - they are very labor intensive!

Incredible Truth

Above is a detail of a piece from the Bibliomuse Series called Incredible Truth.

I did teach a couple of workshops and thought I'd share some of the student work since I am teaching both workshops again this Summer at Cabrillo Arts and Handcraft Studio School.


In March, I taught a new class called Creative Textiles: Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Reuse at Cabrillo Arts (and will be teaching it again in July).

Essential - detail

This was a two-day workshop and was inspired by some of the processes I use in my own artwork. A couple of years ago I ran out of the old linen fabric that I use in my current work - but I did have an old farm dress hanging around that I had used in an installation. I realized that I probably was not going to use it as a dress anymore so made the move to cut it up and use the pieces in a wall piece. The first cuts were hard but then I was so glad that I did it. And, I discovered that the existing seams, hem, worn areas, and other elements inherent to the garment were a fabulous starting point for the piece. There were so many lines, curves and textures to react to. Below and above are details of the two pieces that I made out of that dress for my KEEP: Modern Library Series: Essential and Higbee.

Higbee - detial

For the Creative Textiles workshop I asked students to bring in old garments that were ready for re-purposing. We looked at images of Japanese boro textiles, Gee's Bend quilts, and artists that have worked with old clothes in their work, as inspiration. I taught some printing and image making techniques, some mending and embroidery stitches and then let the students fly! It was fun to see all of the different projects that emerged from the same points of inspiration.

student work - old waistband looking like shibori!

student work - reconstructed stripes

student work - men's shirt on delicates

student work - stitching on a t-shirt on a sweatshirt

Such creative work in that class and I'm teaching it again July 29th and 30th, 2017, at Cabrillo Arts.

The other workshop I taught was the tried and true Boro Sampler Book workshop but in a new location. My friend Rhiannon Alpers invited me to teach out of her studio space in San Francisco and it attracted some really talented students. They were artists, designers and creative business owners and needless to say their books were gorgeous.

I love how this student used Sally Fox fabric scraps as patches AND thread that she unraveled from the fabric:

student work - Sally Fox fabric and unraveled thread

And, more fabulous student work:

The next Boro Sampler Book workshop will be at Handcraft Studio School on July 15th, 2017. 

I'm traveling to Tennessee in a couple of weeks to teach at Arrowmont (class is waitlisted) and then to Shakerag to be a student! Really looking forward to both and will be sure to report back. 

Happy Summer of making to all and hope to see you in a workshop!