Two weeks on the east coast immersed in the arts

I had a lovely trip to the east coast, which began on Monday in Trumbull, CT with the CT Piecemakers, where I gave a lecture and taught Blessings in the Wind: mixed-media prayer flags.

In this workshop we use acrylic inks to paint fabric in a variety of ways.

Next we use stamps, and thermofax screens, then collage to add printed words to the fabric.

It’s amazing how the fabrics come to life when cropped into flags.

This is a great class to learn a lot of different techniques and have a wonderful set of painted and printed fabric samples to decorate your back yard fence, porch or studio.

Wednesday, I wrestled my two 50 lb bags filled with supplies and a few clothes onto a train to New York City where I met up with Phil, fresh off a red eye from Sacramento.

Over the next four days, we spent our mornings exploring the city and visiting friends like Misty Fuse Iris on Thursday,

and Melanie Testa on Friday. Melly, her husband David, Phil and I met for coffee at 30 Rock, then went to the Guggenheim to see the paintings of Hilma af Klint.

Hilma (1862-1944) was an abstract painter before the term was even invented. When she died, she knew the world was not ready for her work and insisted that it not be exhibited for 20 years after her death. During her life, she envisioned her work exhibited in a spiral shaped temple, that she made numerous drawings of. Seeing her work at the Guggenheim was so amazing because it’s like this museum was designed just for her exhibit.

Each afternoon we headed to China town for rehearsals for the dancers and musicians, and then the performances on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, me and Phil went to north eastern Connecticut to visit Phil’s brother John, and wife Cynthia, who’s also an artist and teacher.

We had such a great time, I love coastal New England.

Phil flew back home on Thursday, while I went to Rhode Island to give a lecture and teach my Tea & Ephemera workshop for the Narragansett quilters.

This workshop uses some of the same techniques as the prayer flags class, but in a completely different way, with the addition of collaging images drawn on tea bags, then tinting them with color and collaging a variety of other types of printed media.

Below is Nancy Messier who brought two wonderful pieces of artwork that she had made using tea bags.

Nancy is a very talented art quilter, you should check out her absolutely, beautiful work on Pinterest.

It was a fun two weeks, but I was ready to head home and sleep in my own bed. In the morning before my flight, mother nature had a frosty surprise for me.

Keep creating,

Judy

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I’d love to spark your creativity at one of these upcoming events:

2019

June 6, 7 Palmer Divide Quilters, Monument, CO
Tea & Ephemera

August 2, 3 Meissners Santa Rosa, CA Tea & Ephemera and Painting Imagery with Textile Paints

September 27, 28 River City Quilt Show, Sacramento, CA
Color Theory, and Painting Imagery with Textile Paints

October 31-November 2 International Quilt Festival, Houston
2-day Paint and Printapalooza, and Tea and Ephemera

2020

Craft Napa Jan 15-18, 2020!

New Zealand February 2020! for info contact Kerry Glen, Tulis Textiles

May 27-31 Woodland Ridge Retreat, Menomonie, WI
Tea & Ephemera and Painted Imagery

October 18-24 Hudson Valley Quilt Retreat, Greenville, NY
Paint and Printapalooza

ABOUT JUDY
Judy is an artist, explorer, image wrangler, knowledge seeker, instructor, speaker, creative alchemist, and purveyor of inspiration, helping others channel creativity on a daily basis.