It was a great week at the AQS Quiltweek in Grand Rapids Michigan! I taught a few workshops, and one that I will never teach again and I'll explain later.
Twenty of my works were on exhibit, but I didn't get to spend time there, meeting and talking to people like I usually do. However, at the end of each workshop, I took the students there so I could explain my process. This was more helpful as they had hands on experience and were able to better understand how I work.
Here are a couple of video interviews from the exhibit:
My workshops are definitely not "project" classes, where you will leave with a finished piece. It's a beginning, and the first step for many, into a new way of approaching how you construct an art quilt.
Before I only taught one class (Expressing Your True Self: One Piece at a Time) because it allowed students to go in any direction they wanted. I also preferred to teach in a 4-5 day retreat style format. Now I have opened to teaching one and two day classes on occassion, but I find it difficult to stay within the bounds of the theme. The class I mentioned before, that I think I will discontinue is SURPRISE LOG CABIN. The reason for this is that students will start creating something and I see what it can be, and I don't like to try to fit it within the boundaries of a theme.
Many teachers teach many different techniques and classes, and that is applicable to what they have to offer and how they teach. But for me, I like to be free, and I like my students to be free too! The other classes I have are not as challenging, as far as keeping on track, but I've taught this one two times and each time the same result.
Anyway, that's the end of my little rant and I'm spending the day doing much needed updating on my site.
Here are some photos from the two day workshop I taught, "Creating from a Nucleus." I had a great group! They were cool, really enthusiastic and all went in different directions, which I love. This was the case for all three workshops. Many got further than I can in two days!
The beginning of
And for those of you that follow my blog, you know I like to end with sharing a decadent indulgence! Ruth's Chris... ooooh la la! Only in the USA... lol