The ARTful Quilt - Off the Wall Friday

The Dining Room - Bonnard

This week I got final confirmation on this year's Quilting by the Lake class - The ARTful Quilt taught by Judi Blaydon.  This will be my first class with Judi although for literally years, I've walked by her classroom peaking in and thought - OMG I need to take a class with her.  The room hummed with creativity with color everywhere.  Finally this year I have my chance!

The class sounds just up my alley too!  We are to pick one painting, one of the four she suggested or one of our own and from that derive our own abstract quilt.  We'll do studies using parts of the painting abstracting them in a variety of ways.  From there, we'll pick a favored composition and let the painting's colors be the inspiration for the palette. The quilts will be constructed in the collage method using both fusing and piecing.   I guarantee you - mine will be more piecing than fusing, grin.

Me taking Rosalie Dace Class on Paul Klee

Judi's chose four impressionist paintings for the base inspiration - Bonnard – The Dining Room in the Country, Matisse – The Window, Monet – Women in the Garden, and Vuillard – The Flower Dress.  Still, she was very clear that you can pick your own painting with the composition and colors that spoke to you.  Not to mention, the class homework asked us to study up on the painter before we arrived.  What a perfect excuse to spend some times perusing my favorite art books!


If you never been to an art quilt class at Quilting by the Lake, I highly recommend it.  It offers 5, 3 and 2 day classes for two weeks the last week of July.  Its held in Syracuse, NY on the campus of a lovely community college.  You stay in college suites (4-5 people to a suite) with single and double room options.  All suites come with a full kitchen for breakfast while lunch and dinner are served in the dining hall. 

This will be my 14th year at QBL and it really is my favorite place to vacation.  While I'm there I can eat, breath and live art quilting for 5 days straight without the rest of the world honing in.  I'm around 250 ladies who understand exactly what I do and why I do it.  No matter how my class goes (some have been better than others), I always come back creatively rejuvenated and ready to take on the next leg of my artist journey. 

So if you think Judi's class sound as much fun as I do, there are still spots open.  For that matter, its not to late to join in on Quilting by the Lake this year.  If you have any questions about the conference please just leave them in the comments section and I'll answer there so that everyone can read.

sighhhhhh. . . . . . now just to pick a painting. . . . . . .


What have been up to creatively?