Registration is open for my retreat!

Blue Ridge Center at Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA

Details of my “Once in a Blue Moon” Fiber Art Retreat with Lyric Montgomery Kinard are now up on my website. You can download the registration packet, which contains information about the classes, pricing, supply lists, and the registration form, by clicking here. It will be Oct. 1-3, 2015 in Black Mountain, NC.

We are so excited about this event, and are trying to make it very special. So we had to start with a special place: Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA, near Asheville. I held my 2012 retreat here. It is a place with a lot of soul, and a lot of beauty. The grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains, lush forests, lovely creeks and walking paths, and amazing historic buildings that have stood here for nearly 100 years.

Lyric and I want this retreat to be more than just three days of classes. We are building an event that will be a time to center yourself, to make new friends, and relax. That’s why we are planning special things like photography hikes, a campfire, sketching sessions, and creativity exercises. (Maybe even some simple yoga!)

Most of all, we want it to be a safe, supportive environment to take risks and stretch out new places inside yourself for your creative spirit to thrive. 

For 1-1/2 days, you’ll study realistic wholecloth painting with Susan:

Learn the basics of creating wholecloth painted quilts based on photos. Working from your original photograph, you’ll use acrylic textile paints to bring it to life. Don’t worry if you’ve never painted anything before.… this may look complicated, but my technique breaks the process down into simple steps. I’ve seen students who were utterly terrified to try painting, and then completely astounded at what they were able to achieve. You will learn how to select the right photos; trace your photo to create a pattern; transfer the design to fabric; mix colors, shades and tints; choose paints and fabrics to use; transfer your design to fabric; and paint and blend colors. 

For 1-1/2 days, you’ll study abstraction with Lyric:

Abstraction: Freedom from representational qualities in art. Taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics. Abstract-a-licious: Freedom from pressure or the need to make it real. Taking away or removing fear and the need for perfection in order to enlarge the artist’s essential joy in creation. If you’ve looked with hidden longing over an imaginary wall to the world of art quilts but don’t know where to start, this is the class for you. Lyric will gently guide you through concrete exercises designed to help you create ideas for original abstract quilts. Doodles will be scribbled, eyes and minds will be opened, and fun will be had. You will learn the basics of fused collage as you assemble your quilt top. Even students who have never created their own designs before will end the class with at least one small and unique art quilt top. Learn more about Lyric at www.lyrickinard.com

We hope you can join us!