Workshop with Illinois Prairie Weavers

It's a treat to teach a workshop nearby, so when Kathy contacted me last year last year to see if I was interested in coming to the Illinois Prairie Weavers Guild for a workshop I was certainly game. Better yet, they chose the workshop that really is at the heart of what I do, Weaving Expression in Faces.

as you can see, I apparently had a good time...

Yes it is weaving people and that makes you nervous, but really...it's just shapes.

Paula and Suzanne sharing ideas...

Each group I teach tends to have it's own personality. This group had a wide variety of ideas, a WIDE variety. Ideas are my thing, you can't have art making without them as far as I'm concerned. Knowledge of technique will vary in any workshop, but the seeds for these face ideas came from all sorts of places.

You want outside the box?, get to know Sheri...I was enchanted

Many of the pieces from the workshop were not completed to the extent that you can see the idea (and yes IPW folks, if you are reading this) yet I'm sure they are committed to finishing, the ideas felt just that compelling.

And these aren't even all of them, only the ones I took decent pictures of!

Blanche has a special place in my heart, a fellow elementary art teacher

and it shows in her work

Cathy's very ambitious FIRST tapestry, and she's doing it!

Pippi Longstocking in process, I love it Maxine

Paula did a very interesting interpretation of a painting by her mother

a fascinating expression by Suzanne

Regardless, it's in their hands now, as happens with all artists.

it would be hard to find a more 'chill' student than Billie, love her

her finished piece posted on Facebook - way to go Billie!

I just want to thank them for letting me come and spend time with them, learn from them as well and see the friendship and goodwill that comes from making art together.

Try it sometime.

Thanks IPW.