We may be Marching into Spring, but you wouldn’t have know that earlier this week when a spring snow blanketed the ground, again. It didn’t hang around very long. The next day it had melted away. It reminded me of the old farmer’s saying that spring snow is “poor man’s fertilizer,” as this time of year it delivers a load of nitrogen to the soil. And this week, we’re waiting for another round of fluffy white nitrogen-rich precipitation to arrive as this post hits your email boxes. Yay for the gardens.
As you sit back and read through the thoughts and comments of these students in this March class, I’ve included their goals, or intent, for the week as stated during our “meet and greet” the Sunday evening prior to class. I’ve been thinking about the difference between a goal versus an intent. Eventually this topic may become its own blog post, but for now, as it was touched upon in our class discussion, a goal seems to be something you can check-off your list, an intent is something to work toward in your understanding of your subject.
Before we start this week’s class tour, a Very Special 89th Birthday Wish goes out to the inimitable Grace Crocker—this very weekend is her birthday weekend! A little over a year ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting Grace in-person in a Tucson, AZ, class, after getting to know her and her boundless energy and perseverance through numerous online classes.
The photos of Grace and her “family album” of quilts, above, were taken in the Tucson class. The Springtime portrait of Grace’s daughter (also above, and based on a 50 year old photo) is, I think, Grace’s most recently completed collage quilt—it’s hard for me to keep track of them—but Grace does. This latest online class was her eighth week with Tom and I—and in it she began her 22nd fabric collage quilt—within a mere three years of beginning her fabric collage career! Amazing, Grace. Both Tom and I adore you and wish you an equally amazing art-filled year to come. XO
Last week’s post covered the family and friends subjects of Grace Crocker, Dale Goldberg, and Mary McKay—do check it out if you missed it. Today I’ll finish up the class show with collaged creatures from warm locales, plus one very hot subject—created by artists Cynthia Chaddick, Pam Shaw, and Pati Vitt. The inspiring work you see in these posts is the result of experience and practice. In the post below, view their in-progress quilts, read about their thoughts and ideas, and join me in the appreciation of their continuing achievements. Cheers, to all these women who are so enjoyable to work with.
Following each person’s classwork photos are their “Show and Share” photos from our mid-week after-class evening together—including shots of their wonderfully increasingly messy and very productive creative spaces. Enjoy!
As you view this post, click on any small image to see it larger and to scroll through that gallery grouping.
If you’re looking to increase your fabric collage skills, I have several opportunities coming up, including another Live Online Class in June. For more information, contact Tom or visit this link. Or you can visit my teaching schedule for more classes.
Cynthia Chaddick
Cynthia joined us from Montara, California—her goal for the week was to take this collage, much of which the first draft was already completed, and “get happy” about where she had “become stumped.” Cynthia has created quite a few impressive collage quilts and taken quite a few classes with me, but this was the first online. Her intent was to structure the week starting with the camel’s face and back, then work on the woman’s face, then to design the background. In the end, she achieved an endearingly self-satisfied camel and a game-plan to create a background that fades into the distance.
From Cynthia:
I had lived in Pakistan when I was a teenager. It was overall a fantastic experience but there was one incident that negatively impacted me then. I have worked through it as I got older but it was also important to me to return to that area and people. At 54 I went to India to the Punjabi Camel Fair for a photography workshop.
This was one of many photos that I took that really resonated with me. That world is extremely complex — the past and the current colliding. Women have come so far including those in India; there, primarily in the major cities. This is a reminder to me that women have a rich history and are still managing the multi-tasking of their lives.
Pam Shaw
Pam joined us from Laguna Woods, California—her goal for the week was to “not overthink the artwork—to let go of perfection going forward.” Pam began this iguana in a previous online class where she worked out how well large patterned prints were starting to define the parts, patterns, and contours of her large scaled subject. This week’s intent was to continue “figuring out how to use those cut shapes from the fabrics.”
A friend of Pam’s took this great iguana photo and I love the way Pam is re-interpreting the colors and visual texture. She’s definitely growing in her understanding of fabric as an art medium.
Pam Shaw Show and Share
Pati Vitt
Pati joined us from Lake Forest, Illinois—she said that typically, a goal for a week of class was to “get as much done as possible.” And that was how she approached the class and “fire” collage she began at Woodland Ridge Retreat a little over two years ago. This year, she returned with the mostly untouched collage and a new intent to “figure out and work through problems.”
From Pati:
It began with a desire to capture the essence of prescribed burning in a quilt. Prescribed burning is a transformative land management tool that can help control invasive species and promote the growth and reproduction of native plants. Being part of a team that “puts fire on the ground” is incredibly powerful, and I wanted to share the feeling of actively transforming a landscape from one choked with weeds to one rich in flowers.
The photos above are from Pati’s first class with me—good progress on an abstract and difficult subject. However, in the past couple years, she made new observations on the movement and flow of flames and smoke. In the photos below, Pati applied those thoughts to how to re-draw her photograph as a base for a more dynamic collage.
Pati Vitt Show and Share
