UPDATED:
I am excited to be offering
two three Fall workshops through
Fiber Arts and Mixed Media and sign up begins now and the first workshop starts October 7th, 2013 and the last day to sign up is December 30, 2013. When you sign up for the workshop you will receive more information sent to the email you provided through Paypal. The workshops will be hosted on the FAMM website. The summer session of Stitch Therapy workshop was very enjoyable for me to teach and one participant said this:
"I enjoyed the Stitch Therapy workshop very much and learned especially
how wonderful gesso can be to hold threads and items in place till I sew
them! Kelly's teaching is sensitive and empowering. She fosters
community in her workshops. She is very creative and brings that
creativity to the workshop process, even facilitating an impromptu
supply exchange among members who were interested."
The three workshops I am offering are:
Stitch Therapy - starts October 7th, 2013
Developing Your Stitching Voice (creating a series) - starts October 21st, 2013
Daily Visual Journal - starts November 11, 2013
Stitch Therapy
$40
description:
Using fiber art as a method for personal awareness and healing. I will show you my process and techniques for creating a fiber art painting using new and recycled materials.
The idea for this series of work began with a combination of my passion for fiber art and my practice of art therapy. As a therapist, it is important for me to remember that every person I meet has their own life experiences and processes those experiences differently. I never know exactly where someone is coming from.
I have also learned through my art therapy (and personal) experience that what we present to the world is not always consistent with how we are feeling.
I use this process to create some order from the chaos. To put together scraps and bits of everyday life. Repairing, healing, layering - slowing down, enjoying the relaxing and meditative process - to feel the materials and hear them as I pierce the fabric with a needle and pull thread through. It's about taking time, listening, feeling, and healing.
Developing Your Stitching Voice
Description:
I have been working in fibers almost exclusively since 2008. I initially trained in painting and metals when I studied for my bachelor of fine arts at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan. It is interesting to look back and notice that so much of my work in metals involved textile techniques and often combined weaving and crocheting with wire. I was also knitting all the time and developing quite a stash of yarn and string - ironically, I collected yarn and string before I even knew how to knit or crochet, so fiber art was apparently calling me.
I have created work for a lot of different gallery shows over the past few years and some were not as successful as others. The first show solo show I had was a one night event that didn't go very well. I had a handful of pieces to fill the small space, but they weren't all related. I did not manage my time well enough to properly promote the event or prepare anything for the reception. Jump ahead a few years to my most recent solo show in December 2012 and it was a much different story. I had a cohesive collection of work all around a theme, had a great reception, sold 30% of the work, and two interviews.
So, through the experiences I've had over the past few years I learned a lot about creating a series of work around a theme and how to manage my time to get it done. I developed this workshop to help you create a successful series of work whether for a show or just for your own portfolio.
This workshop is self-paced but will include check lists and check-ins to discuss progress.
Sections of the workshop are:
Choosing your theme
Managing time
Working through doubts and sticking to it!
Finishing and preparing your textile work for display
Individual critique and discussion of your work and progress on public discussion board and/or privately through email.
Daily Visual Journal
Description: Daily Visual Journal provides five techniques to learn and many images for inspiration for you to create your own art journal. Being creative everyday is simple and fun.
The idea of my daily visual journal began as a challenge to myself to create art everyday and generate my own inspiration. This workshop illustrates five techniques used to create your own daily visual journal pages as well as three ideas for preparing your pages before creating your art.
In addition, each technique is followed by a self reflection prompt for you to think about and write about on the backside of your visual journal entry.
