I’m teaching at Madeline Island School of Art in 2016!

The fabulous studio at MISA. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)

I am super excited to announce that I’m teaching at the Madeline Island School of Art (MISA) in Wisconsin October 3-7, 2016. MISA is one of the top five art and craft schools in the country, and is known for its large studios, world-renowned instructors, and wonderful accommodations.Madeline Island is in northern Wisconsin in the Chequamegon Bay – approximately 90 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota, along the southern shoreline of Lake Superior. Madeline is the largest of the 22 Apostle Islands. To get there, you take a car ferry in Bayfield, WI. There is also an airport shuttle from Duluth.

MISA’s campus on Madeline Island, WI. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)

I’ll be teaching Paint & Stitch: Create Original Work from Your Own Photos. If you’ve been wanting to learn about wholecloth painting and thread sketching, this is the workshop for you. In five days, you will get in-depth instruction in a spectacular setting. 

If you follow my work, you know that I work most of the time from photos like this one, taken in England of a Suffolk sheep:

… and then turn them into fiber art like this:

Or start with this photo I took of a Gerbera Daisy… 

and turn it into fiber art like this:

Intimidated? Please don’t be. My process involves working directly with the photo to trace lines, transfer them to fabric, and paint. When it comes down to it, it’s a lot like paint by numbers, except you do learn how to mix colors and blend them, and how to work with value to achieve depth. My students get fabulous results with this technique.

Here’s more information about my class:

Learn the basics of creating wholecloth painted and thread-sketched quilts based on your original photos. You will complete 2 or 3 projects, depending on size and complexity. Do not worry if you’ve never painted anything before… this may look complicated, but it isn’t once you learn a bit. Learn how to:

• select the right photos for great results
• choose paints and fabrics to use
• trace key elements from your enlarged photo to produce a line drawing
• use your line drawing as a pattern to create realistic images on fabric using acrylic textile paints
• transfer the design to fabric
• mix paints to get the right colors, shades and tints for your image
• add detail, color and texture with thread to bring the piece alive
• stabilize your piece to avoid draw-up
• regulate your stitch for perfect tension
• improve your control while stitching

The price for the five-day workshop is $670, plus a $40 materials fee (which includes paint, fabric, brushes) and lodging and meals.

Please contact me if you have questions. I’d love to see you in Wisconsin next October!

Student accommodations at MISA. (Photo courtesy of MISA.)