March 2012 – Hudson River Valley Art Workshops

Fabric Compositions Coming Together

March 29, 2012

It’s the 4th day of the Carol Taylor Improvisational Scrap Quilt workshop and the class is still working at a feverish pace! It’s hard to get them to take a break for meals! Although at afternoon cookie time those cookies disappear fast.

Look at these amazing compositions created from all the technique exercises:

This is part of a piece being created by Barbara Plasker. What a marvelous use of the fabrics.

Gail Dwyer has 3 pieces coming together in her design corner.

This is one of several pieces by Karen Fink.

I’ll try to get some more photos tomorrow because I’m sure the midnight oil will be burning in the studio and more work will be coming together.

Next up, class-wise, is a 3-day workshop that is sure to be a rousing good time. How could it not be with the ever enthusiastic Laura Wasilowski! This is a 3-day workshop on using hand stitching and embroidery to take your fused art quilts from flat to fabulous! There is still space in the class and we always welcome spur-of-the-moment/fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants types of people! Join the fun, but if not, stand by for the pictures!

Improv Scrap Quilts with Carol Taylor

March 27, 2012

Carol Taylor is back again this year repeating her very popular Improvisational Scrap Quilt workshop.

The first two days have been a flurry of activity as the students build components, that they will later use in their quilt compositions, while learning different construction techniques – skinny lines, couching, pieced circles, and a lot more.

This is an example of the exercise piece created when they were learning to couch various types of fancy fibers on a piece of fabric. This will later be cut up into pieces when they start to compose their scrap quilts.

Everyone’s work is looking totally different even though they are using the same techniques.

Carol Taylor thought I coordinated very well with Gail Dwyer’s sets so she said that she just had to take a picture!

Carol bought her mini yarn shop with her, providing lots of eye candy and possibilities for the students to purchase. This is a benefit of Carol being close enough to us to drive in her own van.

As a knitter and a fiber artists, I just love to gaze at the jumbled pile of color and sparkle!

To see pictures of Carol’s past workshops with us check out these posts:

Carol Taylor Improvisational Art Quilts (2011)

Spring Color Outshined in Carol Taylor’s Class (2010)

Carol Taylor Photo Op (2007)

Early Bird Prize Winner Awarded

March 26, 2012

Every year we hold a drawing from all of the people who sign up early for one of our workshops. For example, for this year you were entered in the drawing if you signed up for a 2012 workshop prior to March 1, 2012. We have two drawings, one for the painting workshops and one for the fiber art workshops. Since you have to attend a workshop to claim your prize, this makes for a great surprise for the lucking winner and we get to see the joy in their face in person!

The second place winner in the fiber art drawing attended the Paula Nadelstern workshop — Susan Parisi. She won a Hudson River Valley Art Workshop tote bag full of fiber art goodies.

It included a spool of Glitter thread by Superior Threads, 2 spools of Aurifil 50 wt cotton thread, 1 spool of 12 wt Aurifil thread, a sticky dot stamper by Elmers, Quilter’s Catalog by Meg Cox, a Hudson River Valley Art Workshop sketchbook, printable inkjet silk sheets by Jacquard, an 18m Olfa Rotary cutter, a 3 piece set of Pilot Frixion erasable fabric pens, a spool of Bottom Line by Superior Threads, a set of Fabrico fabric markers, a novelty tape measure, a package of Misty Fuse, and a Bee’s Knees chocolate bar by Life By Chocolate! These are all products that we carry in our mini shop.

The third prize winner of the fiber art drawing (a $100 gift certificate to our workshops) is in Carol Taylor’s workshop that is happening right now. But, sshhh, she doesn’t know it yet! We will surprise during our Coming Attractions presentation on Thursday night.

Kaleidoscope Quilts with Paula Nadelstern

March 20, 2012

Our first workshop of the year is underway with Paula Nadelstern, renown fiber artist, teacher, and fabric designer.

I can’t photograph any of her wonderful work that is hanging in the studio at the moment because it is destined for exhibits that prohibit the work from being previous published, including on the internet. But I can show you a picture of a luscious pile of fabrics designed by Paula. Such vibrant colors!

After the first demo of the process Monday morning, everyone dove right into work of creating a kaleidoscope block. Paula circulated around the studio helping anyone who needed it with one-on-one instruction.

Which sometimes attracted a larger audience!

Here are the results of the first block making exercise.

The students have come from all over for this workshop. We have representatives from NY, NJ, CA, CO, RI, OH, VA, Canada and Australia! They are a very happy group.

The weather this week has been perfect – sunny and in the 70s. The group is taking advantage of the weather by enjoying their lunch out on the inn front porch or at the picnic tables by the pool. They are also planning a field trip to the worlds largest kaleidoscope which is just a lovely 45 minute scenic drive. They are planning to stop for lunch on the way in Woodstock, always a fun town to visit.

The Spring crocus are blooming around the inn grounds and tulips and daffodils are not far behind.

Setting Up the Mini Fabric Shop

March 16, 2012

It is just two days until our 8th workshop season begins with a 5-day workshop with Paula Nadelstern! Londa of Log Cabin Fabric came by this morning to set up her portion of our on-site mini fabric and art supply shop. It is always a feast for the eyes when she brings over the baskets of fabric, threads, and other goodies!

We carry a number of threads, books, inks, and other notions ourselves (year-round).

Even if you are not taking a workshop, if you are in the area, you are welcome to stop by to shop — remember we also have a gourmet chocolate shop at the inn, Life By Chocolate! Our general public shopping hours are between 10am and 5pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Following the Paula Nadelstern workshop is a 5-day workshop with Carol Taylor: Improvisational Scrap Quilts and then a 3-day workshop with Laura Wasilowski: Couching Thread, Hidden Needle. All of these classes still have some spaces, so come join us if you can!

The 2012 Workshop Season is About to Begin

March 2, 2012

Where has the time gone? 2012 will be our 8th workshop season, although Hudson River Valley Art Workshops has been at this location since the 1980s!

We are enjoying a brief bit of snow, which is due to melt away tomorrow. Today, however, it is gorgeous.

Every year is exciting but as I start to put together everything for the current season, it always seem that THIS year will be the best ever!

This is the line up for 2012:

Paula Nadelstern: Mar. 18-24. Kaleidoscope Quilts, 5-day workshop

Carol Taylor: Mar. 25-31. Improvisational Scrap Quilts, 5-day workshop

Laura Wasilowski: Mar. 31-Apr. 3. Couching Thread, Hidden Needle, 3-day workshop

Esterita Austin: Apr. 12-15. Exploring Sheers, 3-day workshop

John MacDonald: Apr. 15-21. Oil Painting, 5-day workshop

Susan Shie: Apr. 22-28. Diary Painting for Art Quilts, 5-day workshop

Hollis Chatelain: Apr. 29-May 5. Dye-Painting on Fabric, 5-day workshop

Karen Rosasco: May 6-12, Experimental Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Jean Uhl Spicer: May 17-20, Florals in Watercolor, 3-day workshop

Robert Burridge: May 20-26. Acrylic Painting and Collage, 5-day workshop

Elizabeth Apgar-Smith: May 31-Jun. 3. Composing from Field Sketches, 3-day workshop

Ted Nuttall: Jun. 3-9. Watercolor Portraits from Photos, 5-day workshop

Carol Marine: Jun. 10-16. Oil Still Life, 5-day workshop

Richard McKinley: Jun. 17-23. Pastel Landscapes, 5-day workshop

Jane Sassaman: Jun. 24-30. Abstracting From Nature, 5-day workshop

Kathyanne White: Jul. 1-7. Digital Printing on Alternative Surfaces, 5-day workshop

Valerie Goodwin: Jul. 12-15. Mixed Media Maps, 3-day workshop

David Dunlop: Jul. 15-21. On Location with Past Masters, 5-day workshop

Frank Webb: Jul. 22-28. Studio Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Summer Retreat: Jul. 29-Aug. 4. Self-Directed retreat, 3- or 6-nights

Mel Stabin: Aug. 5-11. Watercolor Landscapes, 5-day workshop

Peter Fiore. Aug. 12-18. Landscape Painting: Beyond the Photograph, 5-day workshop

Margaret Evans: Aug. 18-21. The Versatility of Pastel, 3-day workshop

Elin Pendleton: Aug. 23-26. Color – Getting it Right!, 3-day workshop

Judi Betts: Aug. 26-Sep. 1. Studio Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Lorenzo Chavez: Sep. 9-15. Landscapes in Pastel or Oil, 5-day workshop

Donna Zagotta: Sep. 16-22. Adding the You Factor to Your Paintings, 5-day workshop

Pat Dews: Sep. 23-29. Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Skip Lawrence: Sep. 30-Oct. 6. Watermedia, 5-day workshop

Kenn Backhaus: Oct. 7-13. Composition and Brushwork in Oil, 5-day workshop

Alvaro Castagnet: Oct. 14-20. Landscapes in Watercolor, 5-day workshop

Charotte Warr Andersen: Oct. 21-27. Portraits in Fabric, 5-day workshop

Margaret Dyer: Oct. 27-30. Figures in Pastel, 3-day workshop

Rosalie Dace: Nov. 4-10. Cross Currents, 5-day workshop

Jane Davila: Nov. 10-13. Irresistible Surface Design, 3-day workshop

Larkin Van Horn: Nov. 29-Dec. 2. Vessels, Shrines, Reliquaries, 3-day workshop

Sue Benner: Dec. 2-8. Techniques for Fused Quilts, 5-day workshop

Susan Brubaker Knapp. Dec. 9-15. Paint, Fuse, Stitch!, 5-day workshop