Excited to again be part of Workshop Week 4. This series formed in Fall of 2020, answers creatives’ thirst for learning, exploring techniques and thinking. Jumping online we all learned quickly as instructors and students. Look over the descriptions and contact each instructor directly with questions and to register.

Plans are already in motion for October 2022 and February 2023 sessions. Follow on facebook and IG @IntheStudioOnline

 IN THE STUDIO WORKSHOP WEEK 4

Welcome to In the Studio Workshop Week 4 (WW4). We are excited to offer 9 workshops this time around. A couple have proven popular in the past, and the rest are brand new. None will run concurrently so that you may register for as many as you wish.

All classes will be held online via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to you by your instructor via email prior to the class. Please read through the class descriptions carefully, and if you have any questions or would like to register, email the instructor of the class directly.

Note that by registering for any WW4 classes, your email address may be shared with all instructors for the purpose of organization and follow-up. You will not be added to any mailing lists.

All workshops will be taught in English.

One paid registration = one participant.

All teachers are standardizing to a NO REFUND POLICY. If you find that you cannot attend a class, you may transfer your registration to a friend. Make sure you contact the teacher before doing so.

BONUS EVENTS
All registered students are eligible for two bonus Workshop Week events: Workshop Week Panel Discussion Join us for a bonus episode of our online series In the Studio in which the instructors will engage in a panel discussion and take your questions. It will be held Sunday, January 30, 2022, at 6:00 PM Eastern. The Zoom link will be sent the day before the panel discussion to all students registered for at least one class. The topic of the panel discussion will be announced closer to the date. Workshop Week Gathering You are cordially invited to join the WW4 instructors and students for an online gathering Sunday, February 6, 2022, at 6:00 PM Eastern for 1.5 hours. This gathering is a place to chat, to show off pieces begun during WW, to work on a piece in progress, or to just sit back and listen to the conversation. The Zoom link will be sent the day before the hook-in to all students registered for at least one class.

WORKHOP OPTIONS

BUILD A BABY BOUCHEROUITE With Laura Salamy

Sunday, January 30 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description Boucherouites are having their day! They’re so trendy that you can’t look at a Better Home and Gardens magazine or watch an HGTV show without seeing them.

The Berber tribe of Morocco have been creating Boucherouites, one-of-a-kind, hand-knotted rugs since the mid-20th century. Traditionally, they’re made using old clothes and other textile scraps. They’re a pretty freestyle form of expression often looking as if the weaver started with one color scheme and pattern, got bored, and moved onto something else. They’re fun in a colorful, spontaneous way and are easily adaptable to rug hooking.

In this workshop you’ll design your own hooked “Baby Boucherouite” rug and start to hook it with textile scraps you have on hand be they cotton clothing, old bedsheets, and/or leftover wool noodles. The sky’s the limit! We’ll also discuss how to prepare, cut, and hook with non-wool materials.

Length of class: 2-3 hours

Who should take this course This class is designed for a student proficient at rug hooking basics, particularly the mechanics of pulling loops through a backing.

Materials needed Because this is an online workshop, students will supply their own materials. Materials will include those one usually uses to hook a rug as well as a few others. More information will be provided to students upon registration.

For more information/to register, contact Laura@highonhooking.com

Class fee: $50 US

About Laura Salamy Laura Salamy is the hooker behind High on Hooking.

I’ve never been a “traditional” hooker, preferring to color outside of hooking’s more “typical lines.” Instead of limiting myself to wool, I prefer to use most any material I can get my hands on. Often that means cutting strips from old t-shirts and bed sheets. Up-cycling throw-aways to art is a priority for me. Our landfills are filling up. Or they’re already full. While certain projects benefit from virgin wools or other fibers, I like to do my little part to slow that process and make something lovely at the same time.

Laura’s work has been seen in various exhibits as well as Rug Hooking Magazine; ATHA’s Art of Rug Hooking magazine; Karen D. Miller’s book Eyes Open to the World: Memories of Travel in Wool; and Judy Taylor’s T-Shirt Treasures: Creating Heirloom Hooked Rugs from the Humble T-Shirt. She currently serves as President of the Adobe Wool Art’s Guild, New Mexico’s only rug hooking guild. Learn more about her work at https://highonhooking.com.

FINISHING IS AN ELEMENT OF YOUR DESIGN –
CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE
With Susan Feller

Monday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description How many projects are done but not finished? Learn how to select the technique that enhances your work. Many of us always use one method “to get it done.” The edge or frame should not detract from the artwork, rather integrate its style into the environment.

Students will be asked to send an image(s) of completed work in advance. Instructor will provide suggestions of finishing techniques. Once in agreement, a tools and supply list will be sent. Work will begin in class. The full class will learn a variety of finishing techniques including: crochet; fringe; whip, multi-cord whip; and canvas wrapped for hanging. Handouts along with live demos will be provided.

Who should take this course If you consider finishing to be a chore, haven’t learned any method or use just one, if you want to enter work in an exhibit, gallery, or sale, this class will help. Pick up a few tips and maybe share your own approaches to completing your artwork.

Materials needed Susan will send list after communicating with student.

For more information and to register contact rugs2wv@gmail.com

Class fee is $50 US

Recommended reading: Finishing Hooked Rugs: Favorite Techniques from the Experts (published by Rug Hooking Magazine). The chapter “Framing Art” was authored by Susan.

About Susan Feller Susan has been a custom picture framer for two decades. As a professional artist she brings experiences about being rejected and accepted into juried shows. Willingly sharing lessons culled from these experiences is the purpose of this class. To see more of Susan’s work, visit https://artwools.com.

BRAIDING AS A WAY TO FINISH A HOOKED OR PUNCHED PIECE
With Yvonne Iten-Scott

Tuesday, February 1 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description Braiding is a lovely way to finish the edge of your hooking or punching. In this class you will learn how to create the perfect braiding and attach it to your work. The braid will be joined together with a hidden seam. We will then beautifully finish off the back with a padded back and wool or other fabric.

Length of class: 3 hours Number of students: 6-16

Students who have already hooked or punched a small circular piece. Basic knowledge of hand sewing will be helpful.

Materials needed Participants should come to class with a hooked or punched circular work with an unfinished back and 1- to 2-inch border of backing. Also needed: needle, thread, a piece of wool or other fabric for the back of the circle, quilt batting, scissors, and wool for the braid. Optional: braid masters for folding the braid and a rug clamp which can be purchased from the instructor.

Class fee is $50 US

For more information or to register, please contact Yvonne at itenscott@aim.com

About Yvonne Iten-Scott Yvonne credits her Swiss father with instilling the value of handcrafted items. Her love of homesteading and traditional craft has led her to recently return to a rural lifestyle with chickens, guineas, bees, and a large studio to create and teach.

A voracious traveller and lifelong learner, Yvonne has studied with some of the world’s best fibre art teachers. She brings these many influences together in her artwork – notably with a freedom to explore. That means no rules and all fibers and techniques are fair game. It’s about delving into oneself and aspiring to create more sculptural pieces in her practices.

Find more information about Yvonne’s work at https://yvonneitenscott.com

CREATING PERSONAL LANDSCAPES
WITH ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
With Elizabeth Miller

Tuesday, February 1 at 6:00 p.m.

Course description Join Elizabeth Miller for an exploration of landscape (or seascape, snowscape, etc.) in both its literal and metaphorical meanings. Students will be asked to provide a landscape image, real or imagined, that has meaning to them and reinterpret it through rug hooking. Key questions will include, “What does this scene mean to you?” ”What do you find most interesting/engaging/compelling about this landscape visually, symbolically, texturally, historically?” “What materials and techniques will best recreate and express the impact this view has on you, as the artist?”

This workshop is for students who want to take their art beyond basic representation of a scene and create a hooked/fiber art image that speaks very personally to them. It is also for students who want to broaden the range of materials and techniques they use regularly in their hooking. The resulting piece may or may not be directly representational of the scene that inspired it, depending on the student’s individual preference and aesthetic. However, each resulting piece will reflect the student’s personal relationship with that landscape.

Materials needed No prior use or knowledge of alternative materials or techniques is necessary. Beth will demonstrate thirteen techniques beyond the basic loop and provide suggestions for materials besides cut wool or yarn. A list of suggested materials and tools to have on hand will be provided prior to class as well as a PDF document describing each technique covered. Assistance in finding sources for any of the suggested materials will be provided.

Class fee is $50 US

For more information or to register, please contact Elizabeth at parrishousewoolworks@gmail.com.

About Elizabeth Miller: Elizabeth Miller is the founder and teacher at Parris House Wool Works in Paris, Maine, a studio promoting traditional skills and all things rug hooking. She is the author of Heritage Skills for Contemporary Life: Seasons at the Parris House, published by Down East Books in 2021. Her work has appeared in Making Magazine and Rug Hooking Magazine and will be featured in an upcoming episode of the television show, Maine Cabin Masters.

More information can be found at https://parrishousewoolworks.com

SHOWING UP FOR YOURSELF – IN ART & LIFE
With Meryl Cook

Wednesday, February 2 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description: How can you use your art as a means to really show up for yourself – to heal, to be more fully the person you are meant to be, to thrive, to express what’s inside?

What does it mean to show up for yourself? Using journaling and sketching the class will explore: how to get unblocked; exercises for showing up for yourself; and design methods such as tapping into the body feeling to create abstract designs. Depending on your particular art practice, you will create a design or a series of designs based on what you need right now – to be well, to thrive, to be happy.

Who should take this course Artists and creatives who are ready to dig a little deeper, to practice self compassion and who want to take their art to a new level. All are welcome.

Materials needed A list will be sent upon registration and contact with Meryl.

For more information or to register, please contact meryl@merylcook.ca.

Class fee is $50 US

Recommended reading One Loop at a Time, a story of rug hooking, healing and creativity and One Loop at a Time, The Creativity Workbook both by Meryl Cook. (More info below.)

What people are saying: “The writing exercises were insightful. A ‘growing’ experience. I appreciate the work and energy you put into making it both fun & informative … your skilled teaching. Your teaching style is engaging and encouraging and sensitive. You strive to include all the participants with a gentle, encouraging manner. You have a nice calm & soothing way of presenting. I love, love, loved your class and your work and the stories behind your work. Meryl facilitated the workshop in a calm and nonjudgmental way, giving each participant a chance to reflect and express their response to the colours.”

About Meryl Cook Colour, texture, joy and self-compassion define Meryl Cook’s work as an emerging fibre artist, writer and facilitator in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her current mediums are rug hooking, spinning, wet felting and journaling. Meryl’s mission is to inspire others to reconnect with their joy and creativity.

At age 58, Meryl turned to journaling and rug hooking as a way of showing up for herself following treatment for breast cancer. Since 2016, Meryl has spoken and taught creativity workshops (in person and virtual) across Canada and in the U.S. She is a juried member of Craft Nova Scotia and was the Craft LAIR resident in 2018. Her work has appeared in The Ice House Gallery and Argyle Fine Art Gallery in 2021, in the Mary E. Black Gallery in 2019 and 2020, and as a special exhibit at Sauder Village Rug Hooking Week in 2018. Her collaborative piece Boundaries/No Boundaries with Linda Rae Coughlin is currently part of the Global Textile Hub exhibit ‘Reimagined’.

Meryl is the author of two books, One Loop at a Time, a story of rug hooking, healing and creativity (2016) and One Loop at a Time, The Creativity Workbook (2017). Her chapter “Journaling and the Reinvention of the Self One Loop at a Time” appears in the recently published (June, 2021) Transformational Journaling for Coaches, Therapists and Clients by Lynda Monk and Eric Maisel. www.merylcook.ca

EXPRESSION THROUGH ABSTRACT RUG HOOKING
With Haley Perry

Wednesday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description Rug hooking is a process that encourages abstraction through the nature of the fabric medium. In this course, we will explore how to use abstraction to create more expressive artwork. We will discuss the formal elements of design in art and participate in drawing exercises to put these theories into action. This class will be a first step in developing your personal visual language, allowing you to build the abstract and narrative rugs of your future.

Who should take this course Students with interest in any textile art are encouraged to register, as the lessons taught apply to a wide variety of mediums.

Materials needed This design class will be a lecture format with drawing exercises, so a sketchbook, pencil, and colored pencils are needed to participate.

Class fee is $50 US

For more information or to register, contact Hayley at loopbyloopstudio@gmail.com.

About Hayley Perry Hayley Perry has been making and designing rugs for years thanks to her family members, who taught her everything she knows about rug hooking from a young age. After earning her graduate degree in painting in 2011, Hayley developed Loop by Loop Studio, a rug hooking design business, taking after her mother and aunt.

More recently, rug making has become a true artistic expression once Hayley started to delve into her own personal narrative. She has shown her rug hooking and painting work in galleries all over the United States. Hayley has been granted multiple artist residencies to share her rug hooking practice and has written articles for Rug Hooking Magazine and Wool Works magazine. Hayley has a passion for teaching art and rug hooking and has taught many different art courses throughout New England.

Learn more about Hayley’s work at https://www.loopbyloopstudio.com.

PET PORTRAITS With Charlie Dalton

Thursday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern

This workshop will be divided into two sessions: FIRST Going over Charlie’s portrait process from photo choice to transferring the photo to a backing to starting to hook (approximately 3 hours) AND A follow-up session for trouble-shooting and sharing your work with the class (1-2 hours) will be scheduled during the first session.

Who should take this course Participants should be proficient at rug hooking basics. Please register early enough to talk with Charlie about what makes for a good pet image, your hooking experience, and suggested materials.

Materials needed A high quality photo (or three) of your pet;

A computer with an app to edit and print your image (e.g., Photoshop or Photoshop Express which is free);

• A wool cutter with a #4 blade OR good fabric scissors for cutting;
• 2 rug hooking hooks (smaller shank hook for hooking and a larger shank hook for tracing);

• A sheet of carbon paper (source this early!);
• Packing tape;
• Printer;
• 18” x 16” piece of linen (12” x 10” working space);
• Sharpie marker;
• Scissors; and
• A good selection of wool in the colors that you will need for your particular pet (these wools can be new and/or recycled).

For more information or to register, please contact Charlie Dalton at charlievdalton@gmail.com.

Class fee is $50 US

About Charlie Dalton

Charlie Dalton, aka The Hooking Colonel, is a former Spanish teacher who now lives in Price, Utah. He learned to hook from his mother-in-law, Cass Gannaway, while teaching in Sewanee, Tennessee. He enjoys geometrics and enjoys incorporating his drawings inspired by Alma Thomas into the rugs that he hooks, but his passion is animal portraits. Charlie started creating animal rugs to give to friends mourning the passing of pets, and over time his work developed into the cosmic pups that he hooks today. Charlie credits a close circle of friends with some pretty special pups for being the impetus for his pet portraits. You can learn more about Charlie and see his work on Instagram @thehookingcolonel.

BASICS OF WATERCOLOR FOR THE TEXTILE ARTIST
With Jane Mason

Friday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description Having a few basic watercolor skills and a journal can help you capture the color and energy of a scene. This is helpful as you use your journal entries, photos, and notes to weave your thoughts and visions into your own textile art.

A goal of this course is to inspire you to grab a journal, wander around in nature, and do watercolor sketches of an element that leads to textile art.

No watercolor or drawing experience is required.

This is a Zoom class. The techniques and processes we discuss are intended to be used for sketching anywhere inside or out. The tools are minimal and can fit in a gallon-size zipper-type bag.

I’ve sketched with watercolor at parks, in airports, and at cafés. It’s an adaptable and portable skillset. And sometimes less intrusive than taking photos of a scene.

What’s included
1. Introduction to watercolor tools: paper, paint, brushes, watercolor pencils, and watercolor crayons.
2. Introduction to basic watercolor and micron pen sketching techniques.
3. How to evaluate a scene and decide what to include.
4. How to create meaningful notes to help you interpret your sketch back in your studio. 5. A checklist of “The Ten Commandments of Watercolor.”

Length of class: 2-3 hours (Teacher will stay longer for questions, etc.)
Number of students: 6 min., 14 max.

Who should take this course Anyone with an interest in adding to their artistic skill set as a textile artist. It’s perfect for rug hooking, punch needle, quilters, collage artists, and more. Even if you are an experienced watercolorist, I believe this course will add some tips to your current knowledge. All ages: from 9-90.

Materials

• If you want the least expensive paint set, I recommend a standard Crayola pan of watercolor paints. The brush is terrible in this set. Make sure you get a “real” brush, see below.
• Or, as an intermediate level, the Cotman Brand by Winsor Newton, the Field Kit “Pocket Box” is a good choice.
• A more professional (and expensive) set is the Daniel Smith Paint Set, “Essentials Introductory Watercolor,” 6 Tubes. Included: Three cool primary colors: Hansa Yellow Light, Quinacridone Rose, and Phthalo Blue, and three warm primary colors: New Gamboge, Pyrrol Scarlet, and French Ultramarine. If you get the Daniel Smith set, you will also need a small tube of Burnt Siena watercolor paint, and a palette to put everything on. A palette can be a plastic plate, a plastic palette, or a ceramic plate. 2.Basic graphite pencil (#2 is fine), eraser, and optional pencil sharpener.
  3.A watercolor sketch-book journal. At least 5” x7”. Look for one with 140# cold-pressed cotton paper. I prefer wire-bound because they are easy to open flat.
  4.Watercolor pencils. You can buy them individually at your local independent art store. Or a small set, 8-ish, is usually a good collection. Any brand is fine. Note: these are not colored pencils. They are watercolor pencils.
  5.Optional: watercolor crayons. These we use in a similar way as watercolor pencils, so they are not required. But they offer another tool for a variation of techniques.
  6.One of two round watercolor brushes size 6 and 8. Or 6 and 10. Princeton is a recommended brand. Expect to pay anywhere from about $8 to $25 for each brush. Don’t get a crummy brush.
  7.A Micron Ink pen. I prefer a .05 size tip and larger. I find that the smaller tips skip on watercolor paper. 8.Other supplies, such as a cup of water in a container that is exclusively used for art, and facial issues or paper towels. A mister spray bottle is helpful.
• I recommend registering at least two weeks before the class to allow time for supplies to arrive. Depending on the brand and quantity of supplies purchased, the cost may be between about $50-$90 US. Supplies will not be purchased from me but from retail vendors, hopefully local, independent art stores.
  Students may take the class without purchasing supplies and opt to buy them later if interested. You will still get much out of the class from watching the demonstrations and participating in the discussion, but I recommend acquiring the minimum supplies to work with us in class.

For more information or to register, please contact Jane Mason at janemmason123@gmail.com.

Class fee is $50 US

What people are saying “I’ve got to admit that I was intimidated going into the class. I don’t consider myself a creative person. I am handy and can learn any technique, but I wouldn’t think of myself as an inventive artist. Jane taught me that we are all artists in our own rights. Having her show techniques and different options awakened my creative imagination.” Member, Cream City Rug Hooking Guild

“Jane expertly guided a group of 17 students in a thorough review of the basics, allowing each participant to share their knowledge while skillfully staying on schedule to fully cover the course objectives…. Jane, helped students translate their ideas into a textile design and working textile piece.” Member, Loopy Ladies Rug Hooking Guild

About Jane Mason As a professional watercolorist and textile artist, Jane has been teaching for 30 years. She studied Textiles and Design at the University of Nebraska and completed her master’s degree in Museum Studies at Harvard University.

Her work, including paintings, hooked rugs, quilts, and collage pieces, have been exhibited in dozens of solo and group exhibits across the US and in Italy.

Jane won her first art contest at a museum in Omaha as a five-year old. Ever since that honor, she has considered herself an artist working to maintain her five-year old point of view in her typically colorful and sometimes whimsical work.

She has been a consultant on two occasions to the curators at the Harvard Art Museums on interpreting and analyzing watercolor paintings in their collection. Jane has published many articles in art-related publications including one on how to select a frame for rug hooking in ATHA Magazine.

In addition to teaching, painting, and hooking, Jane enjoys traveling to visit her grandchildren, always arriving with lots of art supplies and textile projects.

Learn more about Jane’s work at https://fromjanemmason.com.

EXPRESSIVE ART THERAPY THROUGH RUG HOOKING
With Deirdre Pinnock

Saturday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Course description This expressive art therapy class will inspire women to express themselves through rug hooking. Expressive art allows participants to show their individual personalities and bring attention to their strengths – their own “normal” – in an environment where there is no judgement, only encouragement. To create and experiment while revealing your inner self, bring your worms and yarns and especially all the materials you were told you shouldn’t hook with.

Who should take this course Any rug hooker who strives to or may find it difficult to embrace their own sense of self and then express that is encouraged to attend. All skill levels welcome.

Materials needed The items you usually hook with to include: scissors, hooks, backing, frame/hoop, and so on. A variety of materials for hooking. Examples include: fabrics, yarns, twine, nylons, wire, pipe cleaners, your own hair, paper, rubber bands, coffee filters, and so on. There is no limit to what you can play with and hook!

For more information or to register, please contact Deirdre at dap1babs@yahoo.ca.

Class fee is $50 US

About Deirdre Pinnock: Deirdre Pinnock is a talented rug hooker, mental health advocate, aspiring entrepreneur, and self- identified “woman of color” based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is passionate about fusing different materials, vivid colors, and therapeutic qualities into her work with a dash of playfulness.

Deirdre received a grant with well know rug hooker Nadine Flagel to teach youth and seniors in Richmond, BC. She accepted another grant to teach during the East Van Crawl with the “Hooked in the Maples” group in Vancouver. She also teaches at the Britannia Library and other neighborhood locations.

The purpose behind Deirdre’s art revolves around self-healing and empowerment to battle through her grief, pain, and anxieties. She likes to weave the current political climate into her fiber art and confront issues in a whimsical and humorous way.

See more of Deirdre’s work at https://christina7479.wixsite.com/deirdrepinnock.