FiberLAB Summer Retreat in Gloucester

Stitching Nature –  Expressing beauty using alternative materials & traditional techniques 

Shapes inspired by barnacles.
Created with strips of fabric, crochet, wire and paint.

JOIN US in this summer in Gloucester, MA and expand your vision of the material world. By combining close observation with a broad vision we'll play with scale as we build, felt, and paint in response to the patterns we find in nature.

Inspired by lichens found hanging from trees in coastal forests.
Created with a found fishing rope and copper wire.

WE’LL WALK IN THE WOODS AND ON THE BEACH in search of inspiration. Back in the studio, you’ll use material and technique to create unique abstractions using the ocean setting and the
woods around us as your muse. You'll be sculpting with wool, gel printing with vegetation, embellishing surfaces with finishes, connecting elements with needlework techniques and much more. You'll develop your vision with confidence and self-expression, inspired by the ocean setting and the woods around us.
 
MORNINGS include instruction on one or more techniques.
 
AFTERNOONS will be about independent study on personal projects with individual guidance to define your vision and make it happen. This time can be dedicated either as an in depth focus on a singular art object OR as a practice of several different processes toward a collection of studies.

Examples of contemporary artists will be presented and discussed. Investigations will be both 2D and 3D. Experimentation and journaling are encouraged.

Materials are included. Each artist has a full 8 foot table (more if necessary) on which to work. Class size is limited to optimize individualized attention. All levels of experience welcome.
 

Inspiration from nature and the aggregates of simple organic shapes.

Abundant materials available to allow for total freedom and spontaneity during your process.

Artists at working on independent projects in the Somerville FiberLAB this winter.

ENGAGE WITH OTHER MAKERS in the transformative art-making experience of this 5-day retreat. Our spacious studio, the Lanesville Community Center, is within walking distance of shady hiking trails and lovely New England beaches.
 
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN ART, NATURE AND COMMUNITY as we learn from each other, nurturing our creative souls and enhancing our connection with the environment.

 

When you are not at the studio, take off to enjoy the beauty of Gloucester,
Rocky Neck and the surrounding areas. Come be inspired!

Lodging: Participants will make their own arrangements for housing. There are many lovely B & B’s as well as very affordable weekly rentals within walking distance of the studio in Lanesville, MA. Contact me and I’ll share my links. If you live nearby and want to commute, no problem!
 
Dates and Location:      
Monday-Friday, August 15-19, 2016, 
Lanesville Community Center, Gloucester MA
 
Schedule:   
M-F mornings, 9am - noon,  
M-Thurs afternoons, 2-4 pm, (workshop ends at noon on Friday)
Evenings, self-organized beach walks (weather permitting)
 
Cost:   $725.00, includes materials
Early Bird Registration:  $650.00 by May 1, 2016
 
Signup via PayPal in the sidebar to the right of the blog.

Please contact me and/or visit my website for more information or to learn more about the curriculum.

Vintage post card for a local nature reserve called Dogtown. There's a rich culture and history
to be explored in the Lanesville neighborhood of Gloucester.

Plum Cove Beach just moments down the road from the studio in Lanesville.