A Special Gift - May 2012

May marks the beginning of my seasonal visits with yarn retailers. Intense and all consuming, there is little time for art making or teaching. But I managed to squeeze in two wonderful Sunday workshops, reminding me once again that art making with groups is a joyful experience.

In early May, I spent a day at Congregation B'nai Israel in Tustin, California, guiding families in the making of siddur (prayer book) covers. This project was months in development, as it was important to everyone that the art making be within the larger context of Jewish religious traditions. The workshop was funded by a generous couple who established an arts foundation as a memorial to their son. What a special gift to honor his memory.

Later in the month I hosted a createIt@ARTSgarage seminar, Animal Vegetable Mineral - What IS Fiber Anyway? that examined fibers and their properties. Differential shrinkage was whimsically embodied by wool and cotton stitched onto nylon mesh,then hand-felted with soap and hot water. These small pieces were such a success we'll be using the technique again for an installation in the yard at ARTSgarage!