First, a mention of gratitude to our dear friend Ruth Baillie, for encouraging and coaching us on this path-even when the path seemed too muddy and difficult to meander through at times.
As we reflect on our STUDiO 28 journey to date, we both are grateful for the many experiences and learning we have done along the way. We've met some incredible mentors, teachers and friends and gathered inspiration from them on our paths as artists.
We have just returned from taking another course in Vermont with Celie Fago, an incredibly gifted and generous teacher and friend, and to take some time to enjoy the beauty of this breathtaking part of the planet. Call it rejuvenation/inspiration for the soul. A key part of our metal clay journey began in Vermont a few years ago when we took a Hollow Form
(lentil)bead/Keum-boo workshop from Celie. Below are some of the pieces made at that course.
Angie's Hollow Form(lentil) pendants with Keum-boo
Marly's lentil with Keum-boo(front view)
Marly's lentil with Keum-boo(back view) Angie then had another opportunity to learn with Celie at the PMC Conference later that year when Bronzclay was introduced to the market. It was all very exciting!
Angie's "Ancient Bronze Shard" pendantVermont was a beautiful place to revisit. There is such commitment and pride in supporting artisans and their unique forms of expression. This is something we value and appreciate more and more each day, in this world of mass production and lessened connection to artisans and their craft.
A prominent feature of Vermont culture is the strength and pride of the local farming community-artisans of the fields! It is a "foodie's" delight! There are amazing fruits and vegetables, mouthwatering cheeses, breads, crackers, chutneys, jams, maple syrup...shall we go on?! We visited the Grafton Village Cheese Company which began creating cheese in 1892. Talk about a sense of history! We also discovered that we were in the land of covered wooden bridges-there was even one at the cheese factory. We visited one of the longest covered wooden bridges in the United States, the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge as well as the Dummerston Covered Bridge.
Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge
A prominent feature of Vermont culture is the strength and pride of the local farming community-artisans of the fields! It is a "foodie's" delight! There are amazing fruits and vegetables, mouthwatering cheeses, breads, crackers, chutneys, jams, maple syrup...shall we go on?! We visited the Grafton Village Cheese Company which began creating cheese in 1892. Talk about a sense of history! We also discovered that we were in the land of covered wooden bridges-there was even one at the cheese factory. We visited one of the longest covered wooden bridges in the United States, the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge as well as the Dummerston Covered Bridge.
Cornish-Windsor Covered BridgeSuch beautiful country...stunning vistas, fascinating architecture...breathtaking and inspiring...
Now that we're back in Waterloo, we're excited about teaching our new series of Fall Workshops. Hope you'll be able to join us for some creative time! Stay tuned for our next blog!