In June I taught a workshop at MISA, and it was really an awesome venue in every way! The attention to detail was amazing - the staff, the facility, the cookies, the wine, and the food were all top notch... Jenna and Charles were the most gracious hosts. I was really really impressed... :)
If you have ever considered taking a workshop at MISA, I would highly recommend it.
When I landed in Duluth, I had been up over 24 hours, and the weather was pretty lousy. After an hour of driving, and being hipnotized by the windshield wipers, I had to pull into a roadside cafe for some coffee.
When I arrived at the ferry, all of my stress and exhaustion melted away... I was on my way to a new adventure.
This is the farmhouse I shared with the lovely and talented artist Elin Noble and her artist husband Lasse. Anyone that knows me well is aware that I'm usually not fond of having a roommate(s). However, they were wonderful! I so enjoyed my time with them. I would walk in throughout the day and Lasse would be working. On the table was a collection of stones he'd picked up on his walks. I laughed because as the days went on, the amount of stones increased and were filling up the table! Very Zen... :)
We each had a bottle of wine and a note waiting for us. Jenna made me a lovely fruit bowl.
I spent a lot of time here... :)
My classroom was in this building, along with Elin's.
Student accomodations...
The classroom was stocked with refreshments that were replenished on a daily basis.
The delicious cookies were replenished every day as well!
I had a small group of students, and wow, that was really nice! We bonded, laughed, worked hard and a blast!
Diane shared a piece she made after watching my episode on The Quilt Show. I was pretty blown away...
This was a very funny "inside joke" that we all shared... ;)
And then it turned into a moose in the grass! The students surprised me with this creation, it was a group effort! :)
There was a lot of laughing, but also, a lot of hard work... I was amazed, as usual, by the work the students produced. It can be a daunting process, to go into the unknown with no plan, and quite uncomfortable at times, but it's so exciting to see what emerges.
Jane's piece (PLEASE DO NOT PIN THIS TO PINTEREST, THANK YOU)
Rene's piece (PLEASE DO NOT PIN THIS TO PINTEREST, THANK YOU)
The two pieces above were a result of our first exercise.
I was so happy to have Carol in my class. We've known each other for a few years and met in Lake Tahoe.
Jane was sharing a very personal and touching piece she made to honor her father.
Breakfast and lunch were served in the lovely barn. I appreciated that the refrigerator was totally stocked, and if you got the late night munchies, you could go in and make a cheese and fruit plate, or get more cookies! And you know the cheese was good...
There were two other classes going on, Elin's natural dyes workshop, and the other a photography workshop. We all went together on an eveing excursion to see the sea caves. There was a daredevel showing off his skills in a Ultralight plane.
And wow, the sea caves! Amazing, and the light was perfect!
It was a wonderful evening!
On my way back to the mainland...
Once I got to the other side, I went for breakfast...
...and I met this little sweetheart, Ish. Turns out, he's from Los Angeles, and doesn't live too far from me. He's 16 and was visited his grandparents.
The drive back to the airport was quite scenic. Everything is green...
The icing on the cake for me was on my flight from Chicago to LA, Stevie Wonder was sitting in the row just in front of me. I had the opportunity to tell him how much I love his work, and I had actually been listening to his music on the plane. He is one of my musical heroes and what a magical man he is...
I always love night landings in Los Angeles...