shaking out the cobwebs

There is nothing like an art workshop

to shake out the cobwebs

and inspire the soul.

I posted about an art workshop

last year around this time.

Today's workshop, like that one, was taught by my friend

Natasha Kempers-Cullen

who is a fiber artist extraordinaire.

Natasha makes amazing art quilts assembled with

fabric which she dyes, paints, stamps

and then embellishes using beads and stitches and all sorts

of beautiful charms and other magic stuff.

I have always wanted to see 

how she created that gorgeous fabric.

You can't get stuff like that off the shelf.

I like to sew, I like to make quilts,

and I LOVE to fool around with paint.

I've longed for some lessons in fabric painting and stamping.

It was a dream come true for me.

Wa-hoo!

This weekend we brought erasers, brayers, foam paint rollers, 

exacto knives, lino tools,

sponges, rags, a bucket,

lots of torn up sheets, plexiglass,

and anything we could find with a raised surface design

that might lend itself to fabric painting and stamping.

Tasha supplied the know-how,

the paints, the tricks, materials for stamp making,  

use of her many self-made stamps,

great music, the chocolate and the encouragement.

There were five of us, including our teacher/mentor/muse/mom/ friend.  

First, we all painted fabric, 

using various techniques which Tasha demonstrated.

We hung them up to dry when we had background covering,

and later took them down 

and added paint, stenciling, any little thing our hearts desired.

Went home Saturday late afternoon.

Got up Sunday and came right back to do some more.

Want to see the results?

I thought you would.

Here are some of the many fabric designs created today.

The artists are Nicole, Becky, Anne, Tasha, and moi.

Before you go, check this out:

Natasha produced a really nice lime colored linen shirt

which she had dripped a little bleach on sometime in the past.

Drips and drops of blah-colored fabric

not very attractively dispersed along the front.

Don't you hate when that happens--

a perfectly good shirt that acquires a 

stain and it is no longer wearable?

Well, this shirt was one of them.

Or so we thought.

She took out the fabric paint,

a brayer, scrunched up the blouse, rolled,

repeated often...

and Voila!

Ready to wear again.  

Better than new.

They should teach fabric painting in every high school!