Showing posts with label Donna Crispin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donna Crispin. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Focus on Fiber, Fabric and Fun! Follow Me...

Last week I shared all the classes for Portland 2015 Art & Soul. So this week I thought I'd focus on all the new fiber and fabric workshops we have to offer at that event! For years our mixed media classes offered a variety of avenues for expression... but lately we've gotten a lot of requests for sewing and weaving and quilting... oh, my! So we've incorporated tons of classes that involve all types of cloth, thread, ribbon, stitch, and so much more. Not only that, but we're going to have a dedicated sewing room equipped with machines, so you may not even have to bring yours!

Here's just a sample of what's in store for Portland 2015...

Lorri Scott's Affirmation Scarf workshop uses a technique she's nicknamed "wayward threads" that elicits the absolutely gorgeous result you see above. Mixing it up with additional mixed media techniques makes this class a must!


Want to try your hand at felting? Maybe you've read about it in many of the fiber magazines or seen an intriguing blog post about this technique online, and you've always wanted to try it. Then check out LeBrie Rich's class where you'll learn to create wet felted round beads and cane beads (reminds me of sushi!)


Want to challenge yourself in the art of felting? Then check out LeBrie's Felted Slippers workshop. Adorbs!


Jamie Fingal wants to help you Fly Your Own Flag in this fun fabric class. You'll get to create 3 prayer flags using quilt patching techniques and freeform stitching until your heart's content!


What do they say? A stitch in time, saves 9. Well in Leslie Jennison's workshop, a few stitches will bring you Sheer Bliss! In it, you'll release your inner ya-ya. You'll be working with a variety of sheers to create a surface worth stitching, which can then be used for a wide variety of projects. Wheeee!


Maybe you'll let Jill Berry and Lorri Scott take you down The Garden Path to create this meandering mixed media WHEREable scarf! Not only will you get to utilize items from nature to colorize and dye your fabrics, but you'll use journaling, mapmaking and embroidery techniques to embellish your adornment. Sounds like heaven!


And speaking of nature, how about turning seagrass into fabric you can weave with? Students will learn the ancient craft of twining in this unique workshop by Donna Crispin to make a Seagrass Basket! Now that's mixed media with Mother Nature.


Perhaps you'll take a walk on the wild side with Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison in their Twist and Shout - Painting & Quilting workshop. On day one, you'll create a collaborative free form painting on fabric with your fellow students. On day two, you'll get a section of the finished cloth to incorporate into a quilted design piece! And get this... all you need to bring are a pair of scissors and an apron! It can't get any easier than that.

March 2-8, 2015
Sheraton Airport Hotel

So I hope you enjoyed our little sneaky peek of these inspiring classes we'll have to offer in Spring of 2015. Don't forget, we have an early sign-up special going on now... so don't miss out on registering for your favorite Portland workshops today!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Weaving a Story with Donna Crispin...

Sometimes a story is woven right into a piece of art. A story of creativity. A story of artistry. A story of history. A story of inspiration. Receiving inspiration and weaving materials from the natural world, Donna Crispin has been creating baskets since 1986. She has lived in some of the most beautiful places of the western US, where she has seen and experienced the lessons of the earth. Although she is now living in an urban area, her pieces often reveal the spiritual and physical connection she has developed over decades of time.

We are delighted to have a guest post from Donna today, who will be teaching at our Portland, Oregon Art & Soul... coming up very soon! She is going to share with us a little bit about her longtime passion. So... take it away, Donna...

Basketry and fiber arts have been my passion for over 27 years now. Since my focus is on basket weaving, I'm also interested in other cultures, and how people have used plants to make baskets, textiles, paper, and more. I'm always learning techniques and finding new plants to weave with. Last spring, I was introduced to basswood fiber by a farmer in a nearby town, and later found out that it is also spun and woven to make a traditional Japanese textile, called shina-fu. So I feel like I'm on a constant learning adventure.

My newest interest is Japanese paper yarn and cord making, or shifu and koyori.  Washi paper is cut into a continuous strip, sometimes 2mm wide, then roughened up a bit, and spun.

I recently found a photo of a lovely old kimono with a repeating circular pattern. 
 
I decided to make some woven slippers with a similar design.  I purchased some Thai unryu paper, and painted my own circles on several sheets.
 
I cut the paper into a 1/2" continuous strip and spun it into cords to weave.
 
Then I constructed the soles, added the warp (vertical weaving elements), and wove two little shoes.

I hope that you will step out of your comfort zone at Art & Soul Retreat in Portland, OR, and join me as we explore weaving with seagrass and other plants in my Saturday workshop, or learn paper weaving with me in my Sunday class... 

Donna Crispin

Saturday, April 12, 2014
    
Sunday, April 13, 2014


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Wow, Donna... that was simply amazing! What a creative transformation of materials. I can see why there's only a few spots left in a couple of your classes. If you'd like more information about Donna's classes, simply click on the links above. And if you'd like to follow Donna's adventures, you can head on over to her Facebook Page and follow her there.