Canadian Workshops

I'm packing for my workshops with Janet Bolton and Julie Arkell. Jocelyn Chamberlain of Stitch in
Jordan Station, Ontario, has brought these two friends to Canada to teach in her shop.

"Janet Bolton composes textile pictures using the simplest of hand sewing techniques. Her inspiration comes from visual experience, memory, imagination-and sometimes from some quality inspired by the material itself. The placement of each element within the composition and the feeling this evokes being the important factor of each piece of work."(janetbolton.com)

"Julie Arkell's papier mache is compelling and naive, papier-mache people and creatures are hand-built and adorned with found objects, knitted accessories and a dose of British humor."(earthangelsstudio.com)

I discovered Janet in April, 1996 when I happened on her book, Patchwork Folk Art, at a vendor while attending the National Art Education Association Conference in San Francisco. I am still inspired by this  book today, and I have added most of her other books to my library, including her newest, Fabric Pictures. I was enamored with the size of her quilts and that they were done completely by hand. With the tiny bits of fabric needed, thread, needle, scissors and a plastic bag, I can quilt any where. I have planned "mind trips" to England to study with Janet for years.

My daughter had MS and spent many hours in the hospital. These tiny quilts, along with tangling, were a blessing for me. I was able to be handle her situation calmly and focused on her because I could keep my hands busy. I am truly unable to sit quietly and do nothing.

June, 2014, I retired from 42 years of teaching. Thirty years I taught art. In all those years of teaching, to make my budget stretch for the school year, I did papier mache with my students. We made masks, snakes, people, spiders, ladybugs, houses, animals, creatures, monster size cats, etc. The list was endless. Students loved it. I loved it. I'm truly looking forward to Julie's class to make small items to use in conjunction with my miniature quilts.

With retirement, I gave a gift to myself...a dream of a lifetime...these workshops. I can't believe it's almost time.

Packing

Making a move after living in a house for 30 years is monumental and with the addition of 42 years of teaching materials it is overwhelming. There have been moments of joy coming upon notes from students giving testimonials of their fabulous experiences in my classes. From the cooking debacles at New Fairfield High School when students wanted to eat the cookies rather keep them for the intended bake sale, to the infancy of the paper dragons at Meeting House Hill School when we morphed them into other beings and to Farmingville Elementary School when students had to sing to get their hats back because they failed to remove it before entering the building. These are the accolades that every teacher needs to re-experience at the end of a worthwhile career.
There have been moments of sadness reading notes from my mother in her last days of dealing with cancer yet offering her words of support in dealing with a heart wrenching divorce. Coming upon cards and notes from my daughter, Cole, (one who never wrote letters, but showered me with cards for every occasion) would elicit moments of debilitating sorrow at the loss of a life so young. Yet, I'm reminded that there is joy to be found in the knowledge that her love for me was so genuine and everlasting. These are the words and letters I can't bear to let go.
Figuring out what to do with family treasures brought me to a standstill at times until I could make a decision that I felt was the right one. I wrangled with Cole's wedding gown for a bit and finally decided to box it and save it for the christening gown of those yet to be great grand children. Her other belongings have been a bit easier to let go.
And, now, back to the never ending packing. The studio beckons...

Friends

Darlene and I have been friends since 1975 when we met in a fibers class taught by Dr. Mary Ruth Smith at the University of Houston. We were fast friends, and Darlene later became my daughter's godmother. Darlene and I enrolled in all of Mary Ruth's fiber classes and fell in love with the media. We continued our friendship outside of class. I visited her wherever she moved in Texas. When I moved to Connecticut, we met up in New York. We were fortunate to have a grand adventure in Italy in1997 when we studied at La Romita School of Art in Terni, Umbria. We had 2 weeks of watercolor instruction with Betty Lynch and another week and a half touring Tuscany on our own. We laughed and ate ourselves across Tuscany. What an adventure and it continues...