I started last week’s Part 1 post covering my recent trip and class in Santa Fe with the word “Color”—and presenting color in this week’s Part 2 post certainly won’t change. However, I did promise an Alien for this week. In the photo above, “Alien” artist Cathy Frazier, and I point out the specimen (named Ripley) that “materialized” in front of our eyes. The use of fantastic color inside our classroom as a whole, added to the rich earthy tones and early blooms throughout the streets of Santa Fe, mere steps outside the hotel doors. Come join me is the continuation of this art and color tour.
In anticipation of teaching in Santa Fe again, I had some fun sprucing up my teaching wardrobe with pants, tops, and light duster and jacket, designed and sewn by my friendly local Maine boutique owner, Kate Lamontagne. Last year I discovered Kate, and we soon realized our mutual love of boldly patterned and colored cotton fabrics—I work them into collages, she turns them into the most appealing clothing I’ve ever worn. I can truly be one-with-my-art now—not only while teaching, but as a way to wear the fabric I find inspiring on a daily basis—her “Kate” pant design has pretty much become my answer to,”What should I wear today?” The photos above, caught a couple days of outfits, more show up in later photos. See Kate’s clothing and art here.
One of my students, Vikki Hunt, recognized my shirt fabric as the same make as what she chose for the beautiful tote that she had made and brought along, seen in photos above.
I’ve now traveled twice to Santa Fe to teach for MISA—Madeline Island School of the Arts—and have enjoyed those weeks among amazingly talented students and surroundings. If you’d like to see more classroom and local art and sights, check out my 2022 MISA Santa Fe posts here: Part 1 and Part 2.
During my 2022 stay, students and I discovered “Thai on Canyon,” a restaurant on Canyon Road, the nearby 1/2 mile stretch of art and galleries (photos in last week’s post). This year, I returned for a yummy and relaxing mid-week outing (below) with many of my current students. A nice moment in time with these lovely people.
Be sure to click on any of the smaller photos in the photo galleries to enlarge the photo and to easily scroll through the images.
April 2025 Fabric Collage Class in Santa Fe with MISA
Last week I introduced you to seven of the fourteen students in this class of fabric collage enthusiasts of all levels—this week it’s time for you to meet the other seven colorful women and their fabulous fabric collage art.
Lynn Frostman
Lynn is from Sugarland, Texas, and was traveling with her husband Mike—the week in Santa Fe was part of their 31st Anniversary celebration. I first met Lynn last year at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, who were hosting my Specimens Exhibit. Lynn attended a 3-day Fish Class and created the beautiful aqua-blue goldfish you see below—she brought it along for me to see the quilted version. Lynn’s goal for this Santa Fe week was to continue the playful aspect of fabric collage, while challenging herself to incorporate Australian Aboriginal print fabrics into this new design.
Click on these and other photos to see the details as Lynn and the others work with their goals and intentions.
Lynn’s sea turtle beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos (and her 2024 fish) are below.
Nancy Johnson
Nancy is from Alford, Massachusetts, is quite fond of her gardens and very appreciative of her garden “helpers”—the ladybugs and earthworms. With this collage, she is on her way to immortalizing them with a big and bold ladybug, and a (future) border of wriggling earthworms. Nancy’s goal is to work with light and dark values in her fabrics, including sheer fabrics, to create visual depth to her creatures.
Nancy’s lady bug beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below.
Ingrid Jackson
Ingrid is from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a special fellow in her life who is particularly fond of horned toads, which only grow to an average of 3-5 inches. Obviously, Ingrid has created a super-sized portrait—very much needed in order to play with all her nicely patterned aqua fabrics—a color that seems to represent Santa Fe (at least in my eyes). Ingrid’s intent for the class was to work on fabric selection and the blending of one fabric to the other to give this fellow some form.
Ingrid’s horned toad beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below—including one with Ingrid’s visiting horned toad “inspirational mascot.”
Kimber Heineman
Kimber is also from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She’s drawn and painted portrait subjects in the past but this Native American portrait is her first fabric collage—she was especially interested in learning how to interpret facial features in the art medium of fabric. Kimber’s other intent for the class was to be inspired by and learn from others—with her final goal of “to get famous and travel the world teaching.”
Kimber’s Native American woman’s portrait beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below.
Mary Lewkowitz
Mary is from Scottsdale, Arizona, and her friend Sandee Streech (following), not only attended this Santa Fe class, but also a class I taught in 2016 at Quilting in the Desert, where she created a multi-colored, highly detailed zebra. For this 2025 class, Mary has taken a big jump into bold portraits and bold color. Her intent for the week was to give herself the challenge of portraying herself and her daughter, from a photo taken on a memorable helicopter tour in Hawaii. Already, Mary’s focus on energetic turquoise for her daughter, reflects the exuberance of their memories.
Mary’s daughter’s portrait beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below.
Sandra Streech
Sandee is from Phoenix, Arizona. I met her in 2016 at the Quilting in the Desert class in Phoenix, where she began a colorful bee-on-a-flower collage. Prior to that was a portrait of a large housefly, “Greta Garbaage,” both of which can be seen in the student slide-show in the Phoenix class link. This time around, Sandee’s intent was to “step out to her normal realm” (I assume to progress beyond insects), with the cute and fuzzy subject of her cat, Marvel. Sandee’s exact quote was that she was, “stepping off the cliff into a new area, hoping to land on a ledge, to stop from dying,” which is potentially a lot of pressure on me, her instructor. Both Sandee and Marvel safely took off with flying colors.
Sandee’s Marvel cat’s portrait beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below.
Catherine Frazier
Cathy is from Woodstock, Georgia, and is third in the trio of friends with Sandee and Mary. She jumped onto the bandwagon when she heard they were signing up for the Santa Fe class. I have to say that this subject, though well known from the 1979 movie, Alien, has not shown up in any of my previous classes. Cathy worked with a drawing made by a friend of hers, starting with her goal to, “get color placed and in order,” making color decisions for the creature she named, “Ripley.” Throughout the week, adjustments were made and artistic license was taken as this Santa Fe Alien came to life.
Cathy’s Alien mom portrait beginning and end of the week photos are above, in-progress photos are below, including pinned inspirational quotes and other artistic interpretations of Mama Alien from the movies. Having that sort of reference material is in this case, a good reminder that such interstellar creatures are open for interpretation, and if Cathy wanted to stray with her interpretation, why not? It’s her Ripley.
Wandering into the Streets of Santa Fe
Since I was familiar with how inviting it is to stroll through Santa Fe, we set up a two-hour lunchtime to accommodate both lunch and mid-day walks. Class hours were adjusted to begin a half-hour early and end a half-hour late. It also allowed the chance check out shops or museums during open hours—as opposed to my 6:30 t0 7:30 AM walks with coffee and Darlene. The photo galleries below reflect more of the art and color we came across each day. Other photo galleries are included in last week’s Part 1: Santa Fe 2025.
For those really interested in photo-wandering through Santa Fe, there are a photo galleries from my 2022 visit that expand on this year’s photos and themes in: Fabric Collage Weeks 2022—Part 1 and Part 2.
Click on any of the smaller photos in the photo galleries to enlarge the photo and to easily scroll through the images.
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Manitou Gallery
Reflecting On Windows
Reflections off windows at a particular gallery of art from Oaxaca, Mexico, below. In 2022, I came home with a small yet colorful crocodile. This visit I only had the chance to gaze into their windows, admiring the highly patterned designs on some of my favorite creatures, and checking out reflections.
Time to Leave
And then the week was over—goodbyes and hugs are always bittersweet. Travel plans were adjusted for potential blowing snow on an early morning drive next day to the Albuquerque Airport. Darlene and her husband Len, had similar timing for flights so we all packed up and left for an airport hotel as soon as the last day of class ended. We made a colorful entrance, below, with our (most of mine are partially packed) belongings balanced and swaying on the carts. And yes, that’s my flowered suitcase, impossible to miss at baggage claim.
Shout out for Kate Lamontagne’s fun and fabulous clothes from another fan! You wear them well! And thanks as always for sharing your travels. Cheers! Lizzie
Susan, you really took us to Santa Fe! I got goosebumps as I read this blog. The class work was fantastic, lucky ladies to enjoy this venue. Your blogs are always a real treat. Kudos!!
Love it! It’s like reliving it all again.