Welcome! The descriptions below give you a good overview. My own More is Better Institute continues to be a source of excitement and pure fun. You can read my MIBI description and contact me for more information!

Interested in having me come to teach or speak to your group or organization? Please contact me with details!

THE ART QUILT: HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

1. Painting with Fiber Reactive Dyes This class is an intensive overview of techniques and applications for painting with fiber reactive dyes on fabric: it includes study of dye chemistry and recipes; painting methods such as: brush, spatter, brayer, block and screen printing, monotypes, overlays; color mixing and color theory. Students will construct their own silk screen frames, carve their own images into flexible print blocks, and paint many panels of one-of-a-kind fabrics appropriate for art quilt construction. Minimum four-day class.

2. Painting with Textile Paints This class is an introduction to the use of textile paints on fabric for surface design. These paints are non-toxic, water-based, and require heat setting. Experiences in this class will be much the same as those in the class on painting with fiber reactive dyes (#1, above), including the making of individual silk screens and carving print blocks. We will explore color mixing and theory. Students will create many panels of unique painted fabric. Three to five-day class with modifications, depending on number of days.

3. Painting and Composition Students will explore many techniques of painting with textile paints on fabric. Two and a half days will be devoted to making various tools and to painting assorted panels. Design exercises on paper and fabric will then lead into working directly with fabric to design non-traditional quilt tops. Students' painted fabric will be used as well as incorporating commercial ones in these compositions. Five-day class.

4. Design and Composition: Paper Collage and Fabric Construction This class is about focusing on the elements and principles of design and listening to one's intuition. In the first segment of the class, we will concentrate on design exercises using paper collage. Specific design concepts will be explored, with emphasis on the design and not on the techniques of construction. The second part of the class will engage the students in the beginnings of the process of quilt top construction. Results from the paper collages will be transferred directly to fabric manipulation. Serendipity abounds! There will be discussions, slides (during a 5-day class), and hands-on work. This is my very favorite workshop! Two to five-day class.

5. Design and Composition: Paper Collage This class is an expanded format of the first part of the above (#4) class. Exercises using paper collage only will promote more in-depth conceptual exploration. We also will be taking time and developing attitudes that allow for serendipity and strength of intuition in the creative process. There may be discussion about "translating" this work to fabric compositions. Two to four-day class.

6. Abstractions This workshop will explore design developments which occur when we start with a very realistic image and progressively "abstract" it. This process can be extremely enlightening and surprising. It is a simple, yet exciting way to learn about abstract art and "how to do it"! We will work with both paper and fabric in this class. Each challenge will be introduced with paper collage and further developed with fabric constructions. Two to five-day workshop.

7. The Indomitable Square Squares only! It will be amazing to see how many possibilities for designs and compositions there are when we limit ourselves to squares only! Following very specific paper design exercises using the square, students will then develop their own squares compositions in fabric. We will get overwhelmingly inspired by looking at the works of many artists in many media: SQUARES ONLY! Two to five-day workshop.

8. Over-the-Top Quilting and Embellishing Here we go! In this class, we will look at the works of several artists who take the art of stitching and embellishing to a higher plane! Exercises designed to loosen up any remnants of traditional methods will be intermixed with work on actual quilts. Students will be asked to bring small quilt tops, with batting and backing, and they may also choose to create sample pieces while in class. We will do some silly things in this class! We will enjoy our bedazzling collections of embellishment items! We will explore the zone between tasteful and tacky! Two to five-day workshop.

THE ART QUILT: LECTURES
1. Creative Exploration: One Woman's Path
This slide lecture focuses on my own development and growth as a practicing artist. Step right into my studio and my life! Spanning twenty years, my works have included intensive practice using fiber reactive dyes and textile paints, painting and printing directly on fabric. Over the course of these years, my work has incorporated various techniques, including traditional patchwork, appliqué, wholecloth, and collage. All of this has led to the development of what I call collage construction, which I am currently focusing on in my work.

This is the lecture I prefer to offer if it's my first visit with you!

2. The Indomitable Square
This slide presentation will provide a visual feast of works, which feature the use of the simple square. We will see the amazing possibilities which developed out of such a basic unit of design. From simple to very complex, there seems to be no limit to new ideas of composing with squares only. Works shown will include those of artists in many media as well as quilts.

This presentation is just plain fun!

3. Inspirations
This slide presentation will focus on that elusive concept: inspiration! What is it that makes us respond? What ideas or images motivate certain artists and not others? What about the "down" times? How do we keep going? Which artists inspire us in our own work?

These questions and more will be explored through the viewing of slides of the work of several artists (including my own!).

FEES, ETC.
CLASSES
My teaching fee is $550 per day. My travel expenses and room and board will also be provided by the sponsoring organization or conference.

LECTURES
Fees for my slide lectures are $500. Travel expenses will be provided. Room and board will also be provided, depending on location.

If a lecture is presented in conjunction with a two or more day workshop, the fee will be reduced a bit. Let's talk!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LAB FEES
There will be a fee assessed for each participant for the painting classes. It is about $40 - $50, depending on number of students and costs of supplies. All of the classes will have a number of handouts or a booklet, for which there will be a small fee per student.

STUDENT SUPPLY LISTS
There will be a student supply list for each class. It will be provide well in advance of the class. Time and thought spent gathering these supplies is the first part of my classes: students will make many intuitive choices and decisions while gathering these materials.

UNUSUAL CLASSROOM NEEDS
Large sinks with both hot and cold water are needed for the painting classes. Each participant should have a large table work space, and, hopefully, some wall space for pinning up work in progress.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE
The process of my work is a slow and intuitive one. It takes me a long time to make a finished piece, and there are many stages in the development of each quilt. Thus, my class offerings reflect these stages. They focus on just one or two aspects of my overall process. I envision my classes as "sketching" or information-gathering opportunities, and not as vehicles for producing finished quilts.