Yet more work from Sue Benner's class 04-16-16

I was not able to access anything on my computer last night.  And I was very tired after the six hour drive home from Asilomar, I was in bed within an hour of arriving home.  This morning I unloaded the car and got ready to drive to San Diego for the opening of the new exhibit at Visions Art Museum.  It was a three hour drive with average speed of 40mph - not unexpected on a Saturday afternoon.  The opening was great; a good attendance, good munchies, and spectacular quilts on display.  Tonight I am at the HIE/Old Town so that I can attend the panel discussion tomorrow.  It features four artists who have juried Visions exhibits in past years.   It will be interesting to hear about their experiences.

 

Here are some more pieces from Sue Benner's class:

 

Further progress on Barbara Peters' reflection on a lily pond. There will be pink water lily flowers among the lily pads.

Alex Tsubota's view of the hot geyser pools at Yellowstone.

Like all the pieces shown this is in progress.

Del Thomas' river walk.  The light colored path starts at the bottom and winds uphill. 

You can see the marks on the batting showing where more pieces belong.

Susan Tomanek's work showing sunset on the ocean.  

Cyndy Rymer's interpretation of cranberries being harvested. 

 

I have a few more photos to show, maybe tomorrow night.  

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More work from Sue Benner's class at Empty Spools 04-14-16

Here are pictures of several projects in progress in Sue's class.

 

The original picture of palm trees reflected in a lily pond.

The fabric version by Barbara Peters - in progress.

 

The fabric version of snowy mountains by Lesley Anderson.

Close up of the snowy mountains in fabric.

 

River running through woods - top is the fabric version by Vivienne Moore, bottom is the original photo.

 

This is the design board of Maritza Larreta-Moylan.  On top are her three fabric sketches, below are the picture she worked from for her larger project and the larger project. 

 

LaDonna Di Camillo's photo on the left and her fabric sketch on the right.

 

This is the last night of the Empty Spools session IV, so I will be driving home tomorrow.  I'll try to  post some more pictures tomorrow night.  Including my own piece which I forgot to photograph today.

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Work from Sue Benner class at Empty Spools 04-13-16

Seems like a long day and, no surprise, I am exhausted tonight.  I did have a massage from the wonderful Heidi - so relaxing.   And I started my "big" project which is 17" x 24"!   So, I have some rocks and some trees - I'll see what they look like with fresh eyes in the morning.  Here are the three small projects by Janet Taillon.  These have no stitching, which is necessary to show details. 

Fiber piece is on the left - original photo on right.

 

Fiber piece is on the right - original photo on left.

 

 

Fiber piece is on the left - original photo on right.

 

One of the problems of working in class is there is a limit to the access one has to fabric.  Selecting from what is available in one's own boxes/bags/suitcases/etc. can be an exercise in complete frustration.  Fortunately in this class everyone seems willing to share, so if one needs that certain color someone else might have it available.  There are also two stores - Back Porch in downtown Pacific Grove and Cotton Patch which is set up in the back of the auditorium in Merrill Hall.  But buying more fabric can become an expensive proposition. We mostly make do with what we have.

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Empty Spools Seminars - Sue Benner class 04-12-16

As usual at Empty Spools I am ending the day exhausted.  I get 1000% more exercise here than I do at home.  Hike to meals, hike to Merrill Hall (auditorium)... at least I don't have to hike to my sleeping room which is right across the "piazza" from the classroom (Nautilus).  But just being with 20 other people in a room all day is tiring for someone who lives alone.  It is a great class, Sue Benner is a great teacher and the other 19 students are all busy working on their projects and paying attention to the lectures.  I feel very fortunate that I am in this class. 

Our first assignment was to make three small (9" x 5.75") pieces based on the pictures we have brought with us - either our own photos or something from a book or magazine.  These are "quick" fabric sketches which we finished yesterday and shared with the class this morning.  These pictures were taken with only the classroom lighting and are not very good.  Here are my three pieces:

 On the bottom is the picture I took in Washington State several years ago.  With Mt. Baker on the mainland.   On top my impression done in fabric.  I think the cloud is too dark and I will try to remedy that by fusing another piece of fabric over it.

 

Another picture taken in Washington State on the same trip.  The gull needs to be larger and not line up with the rocks on the shore.  I'll try making a slightly larger gull.  There are a few yellow stitches indicating the grass growing on the top of the pilings, but it isn't something I want to do by hand and will wait until I have my machine set up to do it with machine stitching.

 

A photo from an Oregon trip one autumn.  I was trying to abstract the image.  I think I need to do some machine stitched twigs and skinny trees in the background.  Again, when my machine is ready.

 

I have pictures of other student works and hope to get to editing them tomorrow.  But right now I need to get to bed.  The weather was cooler today and quite windy, but no rain, which is predicted for tonight or tomorrow. 

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Monday Browsing 04-11-16

No time for browsing.  But here is one I saved last week.

More quilts from Arizona Quilt Show:

http://thequiltshow.com/142-newsletter/24491-quilt-arizona-part-2?utm_source=Infusionsoft&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2016_04_08_Weekend_Fun_9&inf_contact_key=04126b02dad496817dc8ba58810207cad963cc4aa6caeb6651c9e2e9ff4ba18d

 Things are going well in Sue Benner's class at Empty Spools/Asilomar.  But all this fresh air and hiking to and from the dining hall is hard on this out-of-shape body.  May have some pictures for you tomorrow. 

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Too late for me tonight. 04-10-16

Here I am at Asilomar, it is 11pm and I am exhausted.  All this hiking around is taking its toll on me.  I guess I will have to resort to the jitney.  Fortunately, I am right across the sidewalk from the classroom, Nautilus, so I  can easily walk to class.  To the Dining Hall...  not so much.  I should have brought a larger bottle of Tylenol/Arthritis pills.  Sue Benner's class is only twenty students which is a good number for the classroom, leaving us some space to move around.  The rain let up this evening, but it has rained pretty much all day - just a light sort of drizzle, but enough to soak through one's clothes quickly.  I visited Back Porch Fabrics,  had lunch at the Red House, and went to the Monterey Peninsula QGuild quilt show at Chataqua Hall.  They had a lot of traditional and traditional variations, but also the last row was all contemporary quilts - some were very well done.  It is a small hall so there are no vendors, but a cute little boutique and "garage sale" in a back room.  Then I drove on to Asilomar to check in at the Empty Spools desk and haul my stuff into the classroom.  I hope I have all the right stuff!

No pictures today in the rain, but here is the side view of Merrill Hall taken as the sun set in 2010. 

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