Come soar at MISA

Madeline Island, Wisconsin: home of Madeline Island School of the Arts

“Maybe someday.”

I hear that a lot from people after they hear see images from one of my multi-day classes or retreats. Yes, it can be expensive. And yes, it requires travel. And yes, it is a long time to be away from your busy life at home. It is a sacrifice. But it’s worth it. I can guarantee you that if you talk to any of the students who have taken my multi-day classes, they will tell you that. Imagine… a week to yourself. To learn new techniques. To stretch yourself creatively. To boldly go where you have not gone before. (Yes, I just saw the latest Star Trek movie.) 

A one-day class is a nibble.
A five-day class is a feast. 
You will come away confident, renewed and enthusiastic. It might just change your life. I can say this because I’ve taken classes that have changed the trajectory of my career, and my artistic life. (Thanks, Bonnie McCaffery.) When I teach a multi-day class, my goal is to get everything I know about making fiber art out of my head and into yours. You have the time to absorb it, to test it out, and to have me there to walk you through step by step. Here’s what one of my students had to say:

“Your workshop was sensational…
Your artistic talent, as great as it is,
is second only to your enthusiasm and your spirit.
In your face, I can see the joy that is in your heart
when you talk about what you do, and it is contagious.
You are totally comfortable and
pleased with what you do
and that makes you willing to share it with others….
Today was a magnificent day;
I feel like I found something
that will be a part of me forever.
I am smitten!” 

– Sandy Clark

So here’s your chance:
I’m teaching at the Madeline Island School of Art (MISA) in Wisconsin Oct. 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.  

Now through Aug. 31, you can get $100 off your on-site lodging when you register for my five-day workshop Oct. 3-7 at Madeline Island School of the Arts! You’ll work from your own photos (or one of mine if you don’t have a photo you love) to create original painted and thread-sketched work. MISA is a spectacular venue on an island in LaPointe, Wisconsin, and we will be there at a wonderful time of year. 

 A 25% deposit is all that is needed to hold your place in my workshop.  To read more about my class and to register, click here, call MISA at 715.747.2054, or email misa@cheqnet.net. 

The fabulous studio at MISA. (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: 
 

… and then turn them 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 learn how to mix colors and blend them, how to work with value to achieve depth, and how to stitch your piece to add extra interest and detail.

Here’s a piece in progress (that’s the actual photo at the top):
 

and here’s the finished piece:

My students – even those who have never painted before – get fabulous results with this technique. See for yourself in these blog posts:

… at Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar in California:

http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2015/05/teaching-coast-to-coast.html

… at Hudson River Valley Art Workshops in New York:
http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2016/08/teaching-at-hudson-river-valley-art.html

… at Road to California:

http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2016/01/road-to-california-2016.html

… at a small art quilt group in Virginia:
http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2014/03/great-work-by-cutting-edge-quilt-group.html

… at my Once in a Blue Moon Fiber Art Retreat in North Carolina:

http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/2015/10/a-wonderful-rainy-retreat.html

Student accommodations at MISA

 
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.

Don’t keep putting off your chance to soar.

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

“I was a high school teacher for almost 40 years and a college adjunct 8 years along with that. I've been an educator and student my whole life. I've been to Create, and Art & Soul retreat, plus too-many-to-list workshops, retreats, etc., over the years. I’ve had great teachers and perfectly awful ones. And I’ve taught numerous workshops as well. I think I have the experience to tell you that you rank as one of the truly truly BEST teachers I’ve ever had. Your easy style, simple approach to a well-defined and organized project, handouts, and your approachability all make your classes a truly memorable experience.” 

– Marlyn Foell