Festival is not only a time of learing; it is also a time of sharing and a time for members to strut their stuff.  This double issue features our coverage of the Festival - Threads of Silk, Silk in Santa Fe 2014.  The Festival is over.  See the coverage.  Lots of pictures from the Member Art Show, Classes, Quilt Show and other festivities.  And no festival is complete without the Fashion Show pararding member creations.  Enjoy.

In This Issue

Home Bound Rio Grand Valley
by Suzanne Visor

Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear:
Learning how to see and create design using found objects, with Suzanne Visor
by Liz Constable and Susan Quateman

“You can’t make a silk purse
out of a sow’s ear.” - Jonathan Swift

“Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear” was the daunting message on the door of Suzanne Visor’s classroom at the SPIN Festival 2014.

This was a workshop on the Elements of Design and Composition, something that Susan Quateman, a silk painter in her later 50s, hadn’t studied formally within her brief five years of painting. ‘A sow’s ear,’ she thought ruefully as she entered the classroom. Yup, perhaps it describes Susan’s artistic abilities as well as those of our fellow travelers in this class. But can we indeed make a silk purse from it in just two short days? That was the question.

It was only after this two-day workshop with Suzanne at the 2014 conference that we fully appreciated the aptness of her workshop title. All the elements of her original and effective strategies for making art, and teaching composition and design, are embedded in the title. She teaches the artistic and alchemical process implicit in the conversion of a sow’s ear into an elegant silk purse.

By focusing on found materials, images and objects present in our everyday lives, she taught us how to design, assemble and transform them into resonantly dimensional silk art. This process of making art and teaching provided a remarkably powerful pedagogic strategy for accomplishing the workshop objectives: to use the elements of design to arrive at a good design; to understand the constituents of effective and compelling design; to use innovative and exciting techniques with unusual, yet everyday materials to create texture and depth; and to learn how to critique silk painting and design, as well as make art with silk and dye. (To read more, go to Vol. 21, Issue No. 3.)

New Mexico Silk Guild with their Quilt

Quilt Show at Threads of Silk
by Mary Umlauf

One of the highlights of the Festival was the Chapter Quilt
Show. Displayed in the Hogan - the ceremonial space
of the college - the Hogan is a small, beautiful building
that is shaped in the round. The walls are made with logs
and the color is golden. It feels warm, earthy and inviting - a great place for quilts.

Each SPIN Chapter was invited to present a Chapter Quilt and 13 chapters participated.  They were asked to create something that represents their little corner of the world.  (To see the fabulous quilts created by the Chapters, go to Vol. 21, Issue No. 3.)

"Changing Elements"
Fashion Show 2014

"Seasons of Silk"
at the Primitive Edge Gallery

Art and Fashion at the Festvial

The silk painters Festival 2014 saw the usual eye-popping display of member talent.  From Cassia Maia who designs matching ensembles to Carter Smith with his amazing shibori patterns in the fashion show.  The art show was no-less pleading with Margaret Aigner's display of floral painted silks with sculptured edges.

This season, both the fashions and art witnessed the aritsts using shreds - or threads of silk - woven into interesting art pieces.

Above: Matching Dress, Bag and
Earrings by Cassia Maia

Below:  Reversible Vest
by Nandy King

Sunshine in the Aspens
by Serene Skye Karplus

Below:  Iris & Daffodil
by Margaret Aigner

(To see the work of SPIN's many talented members, please see Vol. 21, Issue No. 3.)