WINTER TERM at St. Lawrence College ... mark your calendar and come play! We all love to explore COLOUR!

COLOUR THE QUILT ARTISTS WAY...

Bethany Garner Instructor,  January 15- April 2, 2015

Our 2015 Winter Term St. Lawrence College course is all about exploring COLOUR-PLAY and enjoying the experience both together with classmates and in independent study.  Demonstrations, samples and hands-on study will include the use of contemporary techniques to illustrate the extensive exploration and updating of traditional processes used for centuries to colour fabric. 

Click here to register:  http://parttime.stlawrencecollege.ca/stlaw/course/course.aspx?C=80341&pc=2&mc=11&sc=233

Details:

Colour, the Quilt Artist's Way
Course Code: ARTS109	Section: 860
Campus: KINGSTON	Instructor: Bethany Garner
Date(s): 1/15/2015 - 4/2/2015. Days of Week: Thursday evenings.   Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fee: $246.24	Additional Notes:  $35 materials fee due at first class

 

Course components include the development of personal inventories of colour samples created through the use of paints, dyes and other forms of colouration materials throughout the 12 weeks we will spend together in the classroom.. In class paint and dye work as well as use of colour wheel studies and building on the use of your personal stash of fabrics at home will take a thoroughly modern path. 

Machine work as well as hand stitch studies focusing on all new work are planned.  Students wishing to work within the guidelines of tradition may certainly work on quilt projects, and those who are brave enough to experiment may go one step farther to create new fabric in colors and dye patterns for use in their personal and original designs for art quilts and wall art or wearables.

One particular focus will be MODERN QUILT design and assembly techniques... using your designers eye to bring the fabrics you have in your stash to life as you develop all new wall and bed quilts that are lively, colourful and destined to be a delight for family and friends both at home and in exhibition opportunities.

We love to have all new students in the course, and welcome returning students wanting to work within the context of shared studio time with like-minded friends. Every student will benefit from the focused classroom creativity and shared techniques.

Visit the St. Lawrence College Part Time Studies Registration pages at www.SL.on.ca in early December to register. Your questions directly to me are most welcome: textiledesignslc@gmail.com

Quilts=ART=Quilts now open at the SCHWEINFURTH MEMORIAL ART CENTER, Auburn NY...



Best of Show: CHAOS, Kit Vincent, Elizabethtown, ON



This past weekend I travelled to Auburn NY for the opening events surrounding the always stunning collection of contemporary art quilts on display at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Centre. The Art Centre is located in the finger-lakes region just west of Syracuse and the town beckons visitors all year long, with special exhibitions and wonderful art focused classes.

 

David Hornung and Kerr Grabowski were the Guest Instructors this last week at "QBL2". The Quilting by the Lake Studios fall classes at the Schweinfurth are always filled early, and the workshop results were wonderful to see.  I met Kerr during the walk through of the opening evening events... she is a delight! Walking through the galleries with her and hearing her take on the work in the show was a rare insight into the direction fibre art seems to be taking this year and for the future.

 

QUILTS=ART=QUILTS represents a stellar sharing of beautifully designed and executed art quilts submitted by well known artists from around the world, as well as NY area quilters. As the Opening Reception got underway, it was pure delight to be there as our friend and Kingston Fibre Artists Group member, KIT VINCENT, took the Best of Show Award for her "CHAOS" seen above. Kit was a prize recipient last year as well, and this year her quilt just happened to be hung front and centre as you enter the Gallery - under the Quilts=ART=Quilts banner. The magnificent quilt is 85" square and certainly makes a huge statement in colour, design and stitch expertise. So many congratulations to Kit.

 

Walking the exhibit with a multitude of the artists present is always inspiring, and each artist is more than willing to share his/her process, inspiration and studio focused style of working to achieve the level of expertise needed to be accepted into this great showing of contemporary fibre art.

 

Another treat was meeting KATHY LOOMIS who was both a part of the jurying panel along with VALARIE GOODWIN, but also the Prize juror. Kathy lives in Louisville, KY and was able to travel back to Auburn to not only be at the evening Opening Reception Saturday, but at the Sunday morning Brunch organized by the Schweinfurth staff to welcome the artists and friends and hear about Kathy's take on the whole process of jurying and her role as Prize Juror. Her matter of fact speaking style was a welcome break from the "art speak" so often found when jurors share their work and experiences around show entry selection and awarding of the prizes. Kathy shares some of her thoughts about the prize winning quilts at her blog here.

Canada did very well this year, as the First Prize Award went to JUDITH MARTIN of Manitoulin Island, ON for her amazing all wool and hand stitched quilt The Canadian Pioneer. Amazing and just so moving... what else can I say. This quilt represents Judy and her work so beautifully well... execution totally by hand, using found materials and building on Canada's history, the stories of those who walked before us and developing a story in each of her quilts that can be interpreted by each of her viewers in their own way. Congratulations to Judy...



The Canadian Pioneer, Judith e. Martin, Ontario

I haven't missed a trip to Quilts=ART=Quilts in years and while I have not submitted work to the exhibition since 2006, I am always inspired to think about what I could be working on that would be worthy of acceptance into the exhibition. Perhaps next year.

Please try to get to the show which runs through December at 255 Genessee St., Auburn. A very easy ride south on I81 off the Thousand Islands Bridge... take I90 west to Exit 40 and drive about 6 miles south into Auburn. Inn at the Finger Lakes is affordable for an overnight stay and the Springside Inn where brunch was held offers lovely accommodation as well... make a special trip of it and take a friend.

ARTIST CELLAR's Kaleidoscope Stencil Series from designer Cecilia Swatton launches and a set will be arriving in my studio soon...

From Lisa Chin's Blog post offering a Giveaway here - stunning  results

ARTIST CELLAR's all new stencil series designed by Cecelia Swatton was a gift offering from Lisa Chin and her friends on a recent blog hop. I left a comment and am so happy to hear that Cecilia's Artist Cellar Kaleidoscope Stencil Series will come into my studio in the near future.

 

Please visit the ARTIST CELLAR website here and learn all about their amazing product lines from  the very best of the best artist designers...

My notice this weekend while I was in Auburn for Quilts=ART=Quilts Opening:

Congratulations to Bethany Garner!

The winner of Cecilia Swatton's new line of Kaleidoscope Stencils from Artistcellar!

Bethany, check your email and send me your mailing address.

 

I have used Artist Cellar series stencils in my dye and paint work for years. They clean up just beautifully and are available in several sizes. You can see Lisa's blog post about her use of the Kaleidoscope stencils here and the pictures of her beautiful work. I follow her "Something Clever About Nothing" blog regularly and have learned so much from Lisa and her Printed Fabric Bee friends.

 

 

I always look for the Artist Cellar Stencils when we travel to the big quilt shows and you can order them online here: (please encourage your local Quilt/Art Supply shops to order them for you)

http://www.artistcellar.com/stampstencil/acSignatureSeries.html

 

Thanks to Lisa Chin, Cecilia Swatton and ARTIST CELLAR for this terrific opportunity.