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Finding your Own Visual Language is available on Leslie & Claire's web site. |
LESLIE MORGAN & CLAIRE BENN
Leslie and Claire have been working together since 1996. They formed Committed to Cloth in 2000 as a result of their shared love of textiles - both are practicing artists who also love to teach, as "to teach is to learn twice”.
Their skill base and experience spans wet work (dyeing, screen printing, etc.), dry work (stitch, construction, textile art, etc.) and personal development (composition and design, personal imagery, feedback and critique).
The personal development aspect of teaching, and encouraging independence in the student is an important part of their vision - as is tutor access. Leslie and Claire want students to have the chance of genuine, personal one-to-one time, and co-teaching is one way of achieving this. Encouraging students to constantly assess and consider their work in progress is critical, as learning process and technique is one thing. Claiming them and moving on to make intentional - or purposeful - work is another.
Leslie and Claire's web site: www.committedtocloth.com
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A note from Claire and Leslie about images: The images you see here are drawn from our own work, and our students' work. We're very proud of how students take a process and run with it - truly making it their own. We hope you feel inspired and encouraged by looking at them. |
PAPER LAMINATION & BEYOND
• Dates: April 19-23, 2010
• Level: Beginning to Advanced
• Zig Zag Sewing Machine: No
• Tuition & Meal Plan: $770
• Materials Fee: $50
• Facility Usage Fee: $25
SUPPLY LIST > Please click here for supply list
> Accommodations and meal information
> Register
DESCRIPTION
This workshop enables students to explore the integration of paper and cloth and offers the opportunity to combine graphics, photographic images, newsprint and specialist papers with fabric to create very individual personal cloth. The key aims are to enable students to:
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Create new cloth: laminated cloth can be made and further developed for use as whole cloth, for cutting up and restructuring, for appliqué or layered on to backing fabrics. Stitch can also be an excellent way of further developing the finished cloth, and examples will be provided.
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Create super-size stencils: laminated cloth can be made to almost any size for deliberate use as a stencil with thickened dye, discharge paste or fabric paint. Such stencils are washable, re-usable and long-lasting.
The workshop will be structured around the book Paper & Metal Leaf Lamination, co-authored by Claire Benn, Jane Dunnewold and Leslie Morgan. Teaching hours will run from 8.30am to 5.30pm with breaks. Morning sessions will provide examples and demonstrations, leaving the afternoons and evenings free for students to work on individual pieces. Key processes will include:
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The key lamination methods: the approaches used with different types of paper, fabric and media. A variety of surface design techniques will be covered, including screen printing, painting and scraping.
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Developing the laminated cloth: adding further layers of process to increase depth and build composition. Leslie and Claire will also discuss different ways of using, finishing and presenting the results
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Making & using super-size stencils: planning designs, making the stencils and using them with thickened dye, discharge paste or fabric paints
As the class is co-tutored there will be opportunity for one-to-one time to discuss ideas, concepts, designs and work-in-progress.
BEYOND BACKGROUND: Creating Compositional Cloth
• Dates: April 26-30, 2010
• Level: Beginning to Advanced
• Zig Zag Sewing Machine: No
• Tuition & Meal Plan: $770
• Materials Fee: $75
• Facility Usage Fee: $25
SUPPLY LIST > Please click here for supply list
> Accommodations and meal information
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Sorry, class is full! To be placed on waiting list, please send in registration & deposit. |
DESCRIPTION
The aim of this workshop is to enable students to develop specific pieces of cloth by layering multiple wet processes. The focus will be on achieving great background, and then going beyond it to achieve pieces of compositional cloth. Such pieces can be:
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Used as a basis for a whole cloth quilts or stitched textiles
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Cut up and restructured as feature fabrics in quilts
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Backed and free-hung
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Mounted on to stretched canvas
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Combined with sheers or other layering devices
Teaching hours will run from 8.30am to 5.30pm with breaks. Morning sessions will provide examples and demonstrations of specific effects and processes, leaving the afternoons and evenings free for students to work on individual pieces. Key processes will include:
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Silkscreen and thermofax: new approaches with interfacing stencils and other methods of generating temporary designs on-screen
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Breakdown printing: using thickened dyes on screen
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Monoprinting: 3 approaches to monoprinting.
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Brushwork: dry brushing for subtle stripes or plaids, bolder brushwork for energy
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Needle-nose bottles: writing, doodling and sketching
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Found objects: the use of non-traditional tools
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Resists: the use of direct resists, including soy wax
Students will work to layer processes and build depth by:
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Layering values: building from light to dark
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Layering colours: working to achieve specific colour schemes
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Layering imagery (texture, line and shape)
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Saturation: over-dyeing and working from the back
Once background has been achieved, students will build compositional elements by manipulating key design principles such as contrast, relationship and balance and where desired, the use of focal points, pathways and horizon lines. A dedicated session on composition will be provided, with examples of completed cloth.
On Friday, Leslie and Claire will also discuss different ways of using, finishing and presenting compositional cloth.
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Leslie Morgan & Claire Benn, examples of their work, and their new book.
