Friday, February 22, 2013

Updates

Well not a lot of cogitating has been going on lately!  More like gallivanting!  However things are happening - I received a large box of postcards advertising the book (send me your address if you'd like me to send you a postcard - my email is: elizabethyork100atyahoo.com).  And the book itself - or rather the cover! - has appeared on Amazon for pre-order, though apparently it won't be out till May.

I heard from Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN that my August class has made.  If you've never been to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts it is one of the best in the country.  They run concurrent classes in many different media with top notch instructors - it's an honour to work there!  so you're exposed to new developments and creativity in many media other than fiber: paper, wood, clay, metal, painting, stone, enamal, glass etc.

Arrowmont's main gallery
 It's so much richer an experience being part of the wider world of art and craft than just tucked away in one corner - however cozy that corner is!!  I've been working on some new ideas for this class too - developing quilt designs protocols based on some of the best women abstracts artists in the 20th century.

My class at The Bascom in Highlands, NC is now up on line.  This is a new venue for me and should be fun.
 The Bascom is an absolutely gorgeous new art center in a beautiful little town in Western North Carolina.  It will be quiet and peaceful and a great place to get down to some designing, dyeing and constructing!!  They like small classes so there will be lots of one on one help.

I'm also going back to Cape Cod in October again!  Linda Gallagher has the info on that class.

I've recently turned down invitations to two very far away countries...for events in the far distant future...I'd loved to have visited those places but the teaching venues were at hotels during big quilting events  - short fast paced process driven classes - and I find I like to get to know the students
and work with them one on one rather than being a production!!

I got another Teacher of the Year nomination - thank you very much whoever put my name forward for that honour!!  It's a very nice glow to feel that someone would go to the trouble to do that.

And I managed to get two quilts into the local art show - this is quite an avant garde venue so it's a leap forward for quilts to be accepted.  Plus an even more forward looking local gallery wants 5 or 6 of the industrial quilts for a special show about Working Environments... so - things are moving!

It is with great sadness though that I learned today of Carol Miller's untimely death.  Carol started the online class Quilt University many years ago and 3 years since invited me to teach there.  Heavily persuaded me!  She always insisted that the cost of the classes be kept low so that anyone could join and that the language be very clear and the supplies simple so that you didn't have to speak English very well, or worry about esoteric gadgets.    These classes have proven to be wonderful for people who couldn't attend a class away from home - either for cost reasons, or distance, or various home commitments.  Having now taught about 20 such classes I realize more and more how very important they are and how amazingly far sighted and innovative Carol was.  Yes there are other online classes but most of them are a LOT more expensive, ordinary people simply couldn't afford to do them.  Teaching for Quilt University has brought me in touch with people around the world, every continent (except Antarctica - though I'm still hopeful!)!  Carol's husband plans to carry on with the classes by the way but I know all the QU teachers will sorely miss her humour, her support and integrity and straightforward warmth.

Things change all the time, everything is in flux - enjoy what you have today - it might be different tomorrow!  It's all to do with quantum physics apparently which demonstrates that nothing ever measures the same from one moment to the next.  Oh and they use prime numbers to encrypt data and messages because it is next to impossible to factor a large prime number thus enabling asymmetric encryption i.e. coded with one key, but deciphered with another.

And now for a cup of tea...and then back to those abstract painters! And, if you have been, thanks for reading.   Elizabeth

22 comments:

Nienke said...

Great news to see your book cover, we will welcome it in the Netherlands!

Nina Marie said...

No really E - what have you been up to? LOL! Congrats on the successes. So glad Arrowmont is a go - and the book will be out in time for my bday. I'll bring a copy for you to sign - grin! I have two very different pieces going and I just started renovations on my new studio!

Elizabeth Barton said...

Hi Nienke and Nina - thank you for commenting!! Lovely to think of my book in the Netherlands! one day I hope to visit your country- the old cities...
and I look forward to seeing you at Arrowmont, Nina! we should have a great class - I'm experimenting with several different arty ideas!! And it's good to have experienced folk as well as beginners.

PJ said...

I am one of those who has pre-ordered your book. I can't wait!

I am so sorry to hear about Carol. I have recommended QU to many people. They do a geat job and I am always surprised by the amount of content in each class.

I took your first Dyeing to Design class and it was excellent. I think it pushed me to a new level. Of course I can't count how many levels are left.

Thanks for being you,
Pam in Oregon

Frieda Oxenham said...

Looking forward to your book enormously, Elizabeth, and I can confirm it's available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk too. Just peeking at the contents page was enough to tell me this is a Must Buy.

Maggi said...

Good luck with the book. I am sorry to hear about Carol. I have taken classes with QU, including yours, and it is an excellent platform.

Elizabeth Barton said...

Great to hear that I'll be in Scotland and Holland!!
Re Scotland, I'm so sad that Susan (my SIL) wasn't around to give her a copy of the book and hear her comments!!
And another great loss with Carol - one of the penalties of getting older is losing all the wonderful people...

Elizabeth Barton said...

And to PJ in OR, take your time re abstraction - consider the experience in terms of the elements of design: what shape is it, what color is it , what kind of lines best represent the memory, the best tonal quality?

Elizabeth Barton said...

and, PJ, thank you so much for pre-ordering! I'm hoping that Carol's husband - Roger - will be continuing the classes. All the teachers want this and are very supportive of him.

kay said...

O my gosh, I'm so sad to hear of Carol Miller's death. I love QU, I loved her newsletters, I valued her help and feedback during each of the 4 QU classes I took (including 2 of yours). What a loss.

To shift gears, I'm so pleased to hear you have a book in the offing! I've been hoping for one, so will pre-order soon. Any chance you'll be teaching a class on abstract design thru QU or another online venue?

Elizabeth Barton said...

I'm developing an abstract design class for Arrowmont this August and had hoped to then write it up for QU - will have to see if Roger Miller is up for people presenting new classes...

Mary Keasler said...

I am yet another who has preordered your book from Amazon, signed up for your class at Arrowmont, and now must figure out a way to make it to your class at Bascome! This is going to be an exciting year for me, thanks to you, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Barton said...

Thank you Mary!! It's an exciting year for me too - I love developing new ideas...oh for more time!!

Jeannie said...

I also have pre-ordered you book. I was so excited when it popped up in the "since you bought this, you might like this" list. Now, I am just counting the days until it arrives. Congratulations!

Elizabeth Barton said...

thank you so much Jeanie!! Do write me a review - if you think it's good!!

Linda Strowbridge said...

Congratulations on the book!!! I am looking forward to reading it in May.

PJ said...

You can tell Roger that you have one student already for a class you present on abstracts. I think there are many more that would sign up.

Linda Strowbridge said...

Make that two for an abstracts class.

Elizabeth Barton said...

well...you never know!! but I want to run it through a Real audience first!! thanks for the support. much appreciated.

Quilt or Dye said...

Just got the C&T Publication newsletter and I am thrilled to see your book! Very eager to see it!

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