Class Schedule for 2011!

Here is my online teaching schedule for the first half of 2011. If you would like to have any of the supply lists, email me and I will send it to you right away.

All classes are offered through Quilt University (http://www.quiltuniversity.com/)

Notice that my brand new class, Dyeing Wool is making its debut on February 25. Can't wait!

Tea and Spice Dyeing- January 7
Silk Dyeing- January 28
Basic Cotton Dyeing- February 11
Dyeing Wool- February 25
Fabric Painting- Using Jacquard Fabric Paints- March 4
Thick and Thin -Using Sodium Alginate Thickener- April 1
Quilter's Palette- Intermediate Cotton Dyeing for Portrait and Landscape Colors- April 29
Shibori Dyeing- May 6 (only time offered)
Basic Cotton Dyeing- May 27
Batik- June 17 (only time offered)

Making art again!

The fiber art show went well. I had a great time. Sold the piece called "Layers" and got two more commissions for fiber art projects like it; one a smaller version and another in different colors but with the same 16 layers of hand dyed silk organza. Nice!

Above is the Crepe de Chine poncho that I took to the show to demonstrate how gutta resist is done. Simple circles were drawn with the resist; allowed to dry and then painted with Procion MX dyes. It is still a work in progress because I have a show deadline coming up on December 20th and need to finish a few things first. More on that in a minute...


Here is the silk poncho from farther back. It's very fun and relaxing because I really do not have to think at all; just paint. I plan on doing a few more rows of bubbles and then allowing some pastel dye to creep up from the top row and onto the draped portions of the poncho. I'll show you how that looks when I get there.

I have two more projects I am working on at the same time. More wicking color projects. The one below is small- about 36" x 50". I will be adding some text to it using fabric paints.

The other silk piece I am working on has written text applied to dyed silk and is 45" x 72". It is a wicked piece using deep cobalt blues, then olive greens and yellow. I would show it to you but it is still in sections on the stretcher bars. Next week, okay?

I also finally finished a piece called "My Father's War" which is a reflection of a time I spent in Hiroshima, Japan. It has taken me 3 years to figure out how this one should look. Pictures will come next week.

So for now, I have the momentum going! I am dedicating Fridays to art making (again). Let's see if I can stick to the plan. Maybe I can do it for more than 2 weeks running. Actually, with the Folsom show "Text and Texture" coming up, I have to work today and tomorrow so whoo hoo for me. I'm getting there.

Fiber Art Show Tonight!

I do apologize-again- for the absence from blogging. Tonight is the opening of the show I am spearheading for the California Fiber Artists. It opens here in Woodland, CA at the county administration building.

I have three pieces in the show all of which you can see here on this blog- Organized Chaos, Layers, and the Crepe de Chine poncho with the Iris on it.

Two of the three pieces have been in other fiber arts shows in California and will now be retired if they do not sell.

Organized Chaos is the 45" x 85" piece with the intentional wicking.

Layers is the spectrum of hand dyed silk organza in layers.

The silk poncho is done with gutta resist and you can see that process in pages from the past.

I have enjoyed putting this show together. I will post pictures next week.

The one thing I have again been keenly aware of is that I DO NOT MAKE TIME TO MAKE ART. I keep coming back to this problem. Years ago I intentionally made Fridays my art day. No work. Only art making. I did that for a whopping 2 weeks and then fell back into my old ways of working only. Since my work IS art making, to stop and change gears to being what I want to do the way I want to do it is difficult.

This will be my New Year's resolution. I suppose blogging about my success at keeping this resolution would be one way to keep me honest.

What do you do about this? Do you have a schedule or use whatever is left over in a day to make art? Little help please?