October 2011 – Hudson River Valley Art Workshops

Painting a Landscape with Fabric

October 28, 2011

Everyone in Gloria Loughman’s workshop are progressing fabulously with their landscapes.

This is a piece by Tina McHenry.

Carol Newhart is working on this piece with the brilliant Fall colors.

You’ll have to turn your head to view the landscape by Priscilla Kibbee! Debbie Quarrington is actually piecing all of those diamonds of fabric for the background of her landscape. Wow.

Gloria brought paints and yummy Rainbow threads by Superior Threads. I noticed quite a few colors that I must add to my collection — actually I’d like them all!

I just love this imaginative piece by Bonnie Pennybacker.

Nancy Trowbridge is using thread-sketching to create birch tree trunks for her landscape. They turned out beautiful.

Paints in use by the class.

Gloria constantly circulated through the classroom offering guidance where ever it was needed or requested.

All the tools a fiber artist needs – pencils and pens for drawing and planning, scissors, thread, several caffeinated beverages, and a chocolate chip cookie – fresh from the oven.

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day with Gloria Loughman

October 26, 2011

Gloria Loughman, the marvelous quilt artist from Australia, is here this week to teach “Painting a Landscape with Fabric.”

The colors are already flying all over the studio — literally if someone happens to sneezes or leaves the door open!

The first day was spent discussing designs and all of the possibilities of playing with color. Then the whole group dove into their projects with full enthusiasm. They started with painting on fabrics and then by mid-morning Tuesday, background “fabrics” were taking shape and landscape designs were on the walls.

Most people are using a tiling technique to create background fabrics. The tile shape possibilities are squares, diamonds, rectangles.

This class is also like a mini-reunion for about half the people in the class, as they were all here together last year in a workshop with Katie Pasquini Masopust.

They are working hard and enjoying the meals. Tonights dessert is Banana Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce.

Slash and Burn with Pat Pauly Saves the Day

October 19, 2011

Fiber artist, Pat Pauly, of Pittsford, NY stepped into save the day when an unfortunate spill by Liz Berg down some stairs in her home prevented her from coming to teach a workshop this week. (Liz is fine, but is recovering from her broken arm at home and hopefully will be scheduled to teach here again in the future.)

Pat was only able to teach for 3-day, but what a 3 days it has been! The laughter never stopped. Thank you, Pat!

Pat showed the class how to work from strip sets to create an improvisational composition without relying on templates, drawing, planning, or anything. It was hard work on the first day, but by the second day the concepts and techinques that Pat was explaining started to come together.

This is Mary from Maine with her fabulous composition. This was her first time working outside the quilt block format. Pretty impressive!

Carol and Pat are browsing through The Art Quilt by Robert Shaw and pointing out all of the quilts that the class can now say “I know how they did that” because Pat has showed them how. Pat made use of the many art quilt books in the studio library, besides having brought some of her own, to discuss and illustrate design concepts.

Pat is heading home today to prepare for her other upcoming workshops, but we sincerely thank her for be able to help us with such short notice and hope to schedule her for another workshop in the future.

Wiegardt and a Free-For-All

October 12, 2011

Eric Wiegardt was here for a week to teach an outdoor watercolor workshop designed to help you “break the niggling detail habbit.” Mother Nature had other designs, however, feeling that our area somehow needed more water! (We don’t!)

But no matter, Eric kept everyone happy and working hard in the studio.

By the time we had a sunny day on Friday, no one wanted to go outside the studio. Instead, they brought a little outside to the inside by picking up several bouquets of flowers to set up in vases around the studio.

Eric will be back teaching for us again in 2013.

Following Eric was our Fall Retreat. We had a wonderful, fun loving group this year with a bunch of regulars and several new folks.

The retreat is a free time for people to work on their art, just relax around the inn, or explore the area. This year most people came for the full 6 nights, but we also offer a 3-night option. Of course, all the people who came just for the 3-nights all wished that they had come for 6!

Next year the retreat week is going to be in the summer — to give people the added bonus of also being able to enjoy the 50 foot outdoor swimming pool at the inn.