I loved seeing deer outside the window of my classroom in my just-completed workshop for CNCH, the Conference of Northern California Handweavers, at Asilomar Conference Center near Monterey, California. It was a completely different environment from my urban Boston workshop last month. In California the buildings were tucked in a wooded campus, a stone’s throw from the Pacific. But the East Coast and West Coast classrooms held the same level of enthusiasm and creativity.
When I planned my very first workshop in 2023, I talked with my friend Kelly Marshall about how to structure the instruction. I told her I planned to work with each student to develop their own cartoon, or have a selection of prepared images for them to use, generally flowers or birds from Frida Hansen’s larger pieces. “Oh no, that’s too hard to have everyone doing something different,” Kelly admonished. “You have to have one pattern that everyone will use.” I didn’t do that.
Even though I am always disposed to take Kelly’s advice, my workshops begin with a day of design decisions. Some students have a clear idea of what they want to weave before they arrive, and others develop their ideas during the first day. It’s challenging to respond to a roomful of people at different stages, but the creative chaos is energizing. Throughout the class, students learn from each other’s experiences, and take inspiration for future weavings of their own.
Janette Gross, a California tapestry weaver who largely uses wedge weave technique, experimented with wedge weave combined with open warp. “Do you mind?” she asked, aware that she was veering from the naturalistic imagery common to the technique. OMG, no, was my thought. What a fun experiment; everyone in class would enjoy it, and it’s not something I am likely to try soon myself. And then another wedge weaver in class, Katherine Strasnickas, also chose to combine wedge weave with open warp. Two in one workshop. Delightful.
It’s such a joy to see the completely different projects unfolding on each loom. Wendy Gilmore started a peony from Frida Hansen’s transparency by that name, Peoner. She started with two shades of orange, and then wondered whether she should add a third shade, one that wasn’t really that different from one of the two she was using. That was a superb choice. The new color added richness and interest.
Fawn Mackey began a design of her own, a fish and kelp based on her own beautiful watercolor. What impressed me greatly was Fawn’s ability as a spinner. At the end of the first day of class, she left to meet her friends at the main lodge, where they planned to spin by the fire. She plans to spin all the colors she envisions for the fish and the accompanying undersea elements. The bottom of the fish will be darker, as if in shadow. Fawn sent a lovely thank you note following the class, with a sentence I particularly appreciated. “I have taken a few tapestry classes and this is the first one that has inspired me to finish a project. I long wondered what would happen if I left the warp threads open.” I am looking forward to seeing the kelp!
Julia Piehler took her transparency inspiration from a swan in a famous Frida Hansen tapestry. Sørover [Southward] is not a transparent tapestry, and Julia creatively chose areas of open warp for her homage in transparency. She finished so quickly, and explained her ability to weave in the evenings. “I bought the one loom I found I could use while in bed.” She wrote after the class that she warped for two pieces and plans to make a beta version right away, based on the lessons of her alpha version.
I look forward to seeing many more birds and flowers from this workshop. Jeanene really liked one of Frida Hansen’s best-known transparencies, Hesteblomster [Dandelions]. It’s the first time a student has chosen to reproduce a part of that transparency. These two photos came from my friend Tove Solbakken, who recently photographed an example in private ownership in Oslo. (Here is another post about that design: “Daisies and Dandelions: Frida Hansen Dazzles with Both.“)
The jaggedy dandelion leaves resemble a cluster of pine trees. That will be Jeanene’s design.
This class had 13 students. There are several more flowers and birds underway. As I enjoy the birdsongs and new blooms of a Minnesota spring, I’ll look forward to seeing the finished woolen counterparts. Keep weaving!
