On the Street: Material Collage in Bar Harbor, Maine, with MISA—September 2024—Half 1


I dwell in Maine, and the distinct pleasure of having the ability to drive to a location I’m instructing at similar to Bar Harbor, was enhanced after I might additionally cease at three of the 13 Maine places of Marden’s division retailer on the three hour drive north. Marden’s is that form of old-timey retailer the place yow will discover absolutely anything—together with towering cabinets of bolts and rolls of materials—you by no means know what you’ll discover, however it’s all the time priced to go. Their catchy jingle is, “I ought to have purchased it, after I noticed it, at Marden’s!”

My good friend and pupil Darlene, supplied her strikingly aqua “Pebbles” (under left), to drive each of us to class with cloth relaxation stops alongside the way in which. Nonetheless, there was loads of cloth to get immersed in (and overwhelmed by), and Marden’s cease #3 (20 minutes exterior of Bar Harbor) was postponed. A category discipline journey was then deliberate for 3 days later as soon as college students had an thought of what types of colours and patterns may very well be helpful for his or her cloth collages-in-progress. On the finish of that class day, we staggered our arrival instances on the cloth division, holding in thoughts to not overwhelm the chopping desk staff with the material treats we knew we’d discover.

That night we (properly, I used to be undoubtedly the ultimate perpetrator) closed down Marden’s. When my good friend and pupil Sylvie and I, shortly walked out the door with new cloth stash additions, the lone automotive within the lot was Sylvie’s (under proper). Amazingly, the girl who was serving to us stored her humor all through. I feel she was impressed by my pretty college students, and the keenness they exhibited towards the artwork they had been creating, and the material medium they had been working with.

Fortunately (as a result of I appear to have self-control points), I don’t have to go cloth buying fairly often. As an example, the final time I walked right into a Marden’s was 2022 when MISA—Madeline Island Faculty of the Arts—first opened their Bar Harbor campus—different MISA places are Tucson, Santa Fe, and Madeline Island in Wisconsin.

This yr, the gorgeous Maine location and cozy seasonal temperatures (solely sooner or later with just a few showers) mixed to create a terrific week collectively. Wants and preparations had been taken care of by our energetic, fearless, and ever-smiling MISA team-member, Annie Sumner (photograph under, higher proper). Click on on images to enlarge.

The mix of scholars additionally appeared to be a terrific combine—the category actually appeared to click on. They had been so useful and supportive to one another, it made it such a pleasure to work with them on their very own distinctive visions.

Now, please meet the primary six of the gifted ladies on this class, under.

You’ll be able to click on on any of the smaller photograph galleries to enlarge after which scroll by to view.


Pat Radish

Pat Radish of Punta Gorda, Florida, has honored this magnificent leopard she photographed on safari, with a good looking interpretation in cloth collage. Pat has labored with all kinds of noticed materials—together with one with espresso beans!—to interpret the wide range of spot sizes discovered on this regionally well-known rock star of a leopard—that she had the great fortune to “meet.”

Cookie DeKeyzer

Cookie DeKeyzer of Boyce, Louisianna, has a giant coronary heart in the direction of her furred pals—she’s at the moment “down” to fifteen canines—rescues that got here to her to foster and by no means left. Her loving contact is obvious in how she describes the ins and outs, lights and darks, of her a lot cherished member of the family with fantastically heat and wealthy shades of shade—with a lightening blaze down the facet of his face.

Ann Carr

Ann Carr of Taunton, Massachusetts, has been in two of my earlier courses, together with 2022 in Bar Harbor. Every time, her topics—a sea nymph, Magnificence and the Beast (in her show-and-share under), and now a black panther—have been fanciful. However with Ann’s “brushstroke”—the way in which she cuts and dabs her materials onto the muse, her topics tackle a haunting and legendary high quality that makes me wish to hear extra of the story she has for every of them.

Ann Carr’s Present and Share Material Collage Art work


Darlene Determan

Darlene Determan of Sanibel, Florida, was additionally within the 2022 class the place she started this much-more-than-life sized portrait of her pup, Sophie (take a look at the little bundle of fur within the cloth basket, click on on photograph under left). Choosing up the place she left off, Darlene fine-tuned Sophie’s eyes, nostril, ears, tail, and far of her brow and muzzle. Plus, she met her objective of putting Sophie onto an equally fantastical sofa-like background. Subsequent class? Sheers and sparkle for added dimension.

Lizzie Stebbins

Tah-dah! The Muse was with Lizzie Stebbins of Key Largo, Florida, as she seemingly breezed by this very personable vixen. Granted, Lizzie has just a few courses beneath her belt and was one other one of many 5 college students in that introductory Bar Harbor 2022 class. Very good use of textural prints in her materials to present additional contour and dimension to Cunning’s fur and type.

Lizzie Stebbins Present and Share Material Collage Art work


Carla Benton

Carla Benton of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, arrange a really light-filled and welcoming workspace for herself, after which invited others to go to and store her stash. Carla was one who additionally caught the Marden’s cloth bug, and fortuitously had a automotive to drive it dwelling in. Tuning her eyes to think about the circulation and curves of my betta fish yin-yang design, she’s discovering the patterns, colours, and values to convey her fish to elegant and exquisite life.


Dawn and Morning Walks at Close by School of the Atlantic

 

Useless Wooden Is Good by Bobby Haskell

 

Andy Goldsworthy’s Street Line Set up

 

The Turrets, Bar Harbor

The Turrets Sea Facet Backyard

Tune in to subsequent week’s Saturday submit for the second a part of my class week at MISA: Bar Harbor—that includes my remaining six college students and their cloth collage art work, morning espresso walks in Bar Harbor village, and a last gallery of images—together with a rescued kitty cat—to spherical out our latest week collectively in Maine.

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