More Pictures from Empty Spools 04-25-09

Pamela Allen's class structure of giving an assignment with a time limit first thing in the morning is a VERY good exercise for me, because I dither and agonize and change my mind a million times. Being pressed to do SOMETHING, even if it isn't "right", is excellent training.

Pamela Allen consults on Cyndy Rymer's human figure project.

I did not get a good image of the classroom in ultimate disarray, but here is just one table. Colorful, eh? Some people are not happy unless all their fabric is folded and in some order, others just make piles and dig to their hearts content. I am one of the latter.

Pamela is an excellent teacher and a witty speaker. She is very tactful with her students, but guides them to make appropriate changes as they work. I am looking forward to another class with her. She won't be teaching at Asilomar next year, but perhaps in 2011.

Here are two of the projects I worked on. The top is for the black & white lesson - I'm thinking it would make a good triptych someday. The bottom project is for the human figure assignment. It is a little rough in this picture, but it will improve and have a funny story with it.

I need to clarify who did some of the pieces in my pictures, so I will send out some e-mails and hope to post all of the images in an album on Monday after I arrive home.

Monterey Bay, CA 04-24-09

Today was the last day of my class with Pamela Allen. It was a great class that I thoroughly enjoyed. As Mary pointed out, it must have been interesting because I was in class most of the time and not out pursuing my own agenda! All of the class members did a lot of work, but by the nature of the class nothing was finished. Pamela said the important part of the class is the designing and the finishing can be done at home. I need a little time to sort my pictures and label them - I hope to have the rest of the class photos on my blog tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here are some images of the wind whipped Bay today. This picture is of Asilomar State Beach. From the Conference grounds we walk through the dunes on a nice boardwalk, go under the wooden arch, cross Sunset Drive and then along the path on the right and down some stairs - and there is the beach. It is well used because it is one of the few sandy beaches around - beach walkers, surfers, dog walkers, ball tossers.... everyone who has a desire for a sandy beach. In the background on the left is the Spanish Bay resort and way out on the right is Spanish Point. There is a walking path from Monterey to the north out around the point - one of Liz Williams favorite walks.

Today the onshore wind was very strong and cold. I got out to take pictures, but first removed my hat, and I stayed close to the car.

By noon the sky was mostly clear with just a few artistic clouds blowing along.

Out on the Bay the water was choppy and the birds were pretty much grounded. The rock formations along the Bay are interesting with both sharp craggy rocks and smooth, rounded rocks which sometimes seem to be stacked by human hands. But all are arranged by the sea.

Mary and I are back at her house now and all the members of the Leakey family are in bed (Mary, Joe, Bud-the-yellow-cat, Sassy-the Sussex Spaniel). Mary told me I could sleep all day tomorrow if I want - and I may!

Empty Spools - Asilomar 04-23-09

Other quilters who have not been to Empty Spools frequently ask what it is like in the classrooms. It is usually a disaster! This is the small "Marlin" classroom and there are thirteen students and Pamela Allen. This image was before we really got into our projects. I'll have a worse one soon.

My table mate Lisa Yoder and I are working on our 'human figure' project. Lisa just made up a figure. I used a story from my life that occurred once when I was moving into Corky's house for a weekend or so and carried quite a few hats with me. Finished quilt and story later.

This is three days into the scrap pile. I brought a large (56Qt?) plastic box of scraps that Liz and I had dug out of my house. That is in addition to the equal box I gave to BCQG and the box I sent to a charity organization. Whatever is left from this pile will go to a quilt maker who lost her house and all her quilting supplies and fabrics in the San Diego fires last year.

I have some things to accomplish before dinner at 6pm. I'll try to post again tomorrow evening from Mary's. Wish you could all be here - how about a conference for quilters who blog? Now that the weather has cooled down it feels lovely and moist and cool - just as in the past 19 years I have been coming to the Empty Spools Conferences. There is still time to come this year - the final session is in August and there are some great teachers on the list. http://www.emptyspoolsseminars.com/

Empty Spools @ Asilomar 04-22-09

Each morning Pamela Allen gives us an assignment to do in a certain amount of time. For this one she gave everyone a little color print taken from an art book or magazine. We then had to use it in a composition, but with a time limit. You know me - Poky Del - it takes me 15 minutes just to figure out where to start. My piece is in the top left corner - w/the white chicken. I think the one below it, also with the white chicken, is much more successful. How clever to think of while eggs in a nest! The green piece in the top middle is just to fill in the hole.

This is Pamela critiquing some one's work. It is difficult to take a picture of her, because she hardly ever stands still long enough.

This is one of Pamela's sample pieces - about 13"W x 12"L

And here is Monday's sunset...... gorgeous.

I probably will not be able to blog again until Friday. It is just too difficult. I am missing my class now, lunch ended at 1:30p and they are all wondering where the heck I am. It is a great class and I'm enjoying it more today because the temp is about 68, instead of the 90+ we had on Sun, Mon, Tues. Hope this cool, foggy weather lasts the rest of the week.

Quilt by Pamela Allen - TCQC 04-19-09

"Nice Catch" Pamela Allen - Canada 2007 20"x23",

It isn't a coincidence that I am posting this quilt today. My class with Pamela at Empty Spools Seminars starts this afternoon at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA. I've wanted to take this class for a number of years and finally she is going to be at my favorite class venueand I know it will be a very exciting week. Much of Pamela's work appeals to me (this is the third of her quilts in the Collection - see 03-15-09 and 09-25-08), though I don't want to make Pamela Allen clones. I am hoping that some of her spontaneity will rub off on me and I will be a little more relaxed in my work.
Click on images to enlarge.

This closeup of the apple she is catching also shows both the hand sewn "X" quilting and the machine sewn bubbles in the background. How does she decide what to hand quilt and what to machine quilt? I have always been hesitant to mix the two techniques, but they work here.

This eye is printed on fabric, as are many eyes on Pamela's works. They always remind me of the billboard eyes in the movie "The Great Gatsby". And what fun the hair is! Even hair on the dress and the chin. And then there are the trees ...or are they cactus? ...or maybe flowers? An exciting aspect of art is the things that people read into it. I love hearing someone "interpret" a quilt I have made, coming up with things I had not seen - and sometimes still can't see! It isn't only beauty that is in the eye of the beholder.

Although I can think of a number of things this leg could express, I suspect that Pamela did this stitching to fill in the space just because she liked the way it looked. Everything doesn't have to have a deep meaning.

North on I-5 again 04-17-09

Yesterday I drove up here to Mary's in San Juan Bautista. I was all packed and ready to leave, but several interruptions and a mishap prevented going, so I didn't get on the road until 2pm. Which would have been okay since it takes five to five/one half hours for the drive. Unfortunately .....

...it was a Friday and rush hour(s) traffic had already begun. I did twenty miles at fourteen mph and then stopped looking at the readings because they just made me more anxious and I couldn't go any faster anyway. The picture above is not far from my house where two freeways diverge and merge and traffic stands still. There was a stalled tanker truck ahead, but mostly the back up is too many cars.

This is a few miles further on - after I've seen basically the same cars crawling along with me for an hour I feel that we should exchange phone numbers or e-mail addresses! Let's do this again sometime!

It is citrus time here so there were many open trucks full of oranges, lemons, grapefruit - mostly juiced and canned or frozen at central facilities. I don't think there are any packing houses left in the LABasin. I thought I would get pictures of all of fruit, but it didn't happen. Finally, I was over the mountains and down in the Central Valley and it was smooth sailing. And then I made good time, I was on the road 7hours.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Way north on I-5 there was a quite beautiful sunset with different kinds of clouds - the plume on the left, the feather across the top and the crisscrossing jet trails out of the Bay area on the horizon. The southbound cars on I-5 are the southbound lanes. I think I arrived here at Mary and Joe's house about 9pm and only took two stops alon g the way, one for gas, one for facilities along with a quick walk around part of the the parking lot at Harris Ranch. The Lexus was quiet, responsive, and comfortable..... a dream of a vehicle. I love it! Just wait, Ruth, you will love it also.