Oh Canada

Tomorrow I return home and I will be able to provide pictures of all the work that Myrna Giesbrecht has been doing. Before I came up to Kamloops, Canada on Sunday, all I had seen of Myrna's work was what was on the website. Now, you may remember my silly little comment about her being an emerging art quilter.

Well, let me tell you, she is fully emerged! She may, however, use that to get into some special shows as an emerging artist but gee whiz, she has already had a solo show...can I say that?

We have worked and worked since I arrived. After she picked me we went to the Art Walk in Winfield. I met a number of art quilters from the area as there was a great display of quilt art, along with lots of painting and sculpture. Even living art...consider Whistler's Mother live in her black frame! And then off we went on the drive home. Had a wonderful dinner and then spent several hours figuring out just what she wanted out of her time. What fun!

Monday we started right afer breakfast. Not only is she a wonderful teacher herself, teaching quite a few classes through Quilt University, but also in person, but she is a great cook. Unfortunately, like many male teenagers, the two that live in the house with her (Eric and Kyle, her sons) just don't appreciate her cooking. Her husband, Howard and I made up for them, however! Then down to the studio to begin working! Oh, and work she did!

We worked until lunch, took a break and then back down to the studio, took a break for dinner and back down again. I had asked her to dye fabric before I came so she would have a full range of tints and shades in her hues and to dye the full color wheel. That was quite a challenge for her but one she was up to. She still had a lot of cotton that had not been dyed and a little bit of dye left so I spent two and a half days dyeing fabric when I wasn't critiqueing what she was doing.

Tuesday in the studio I gave her challenges to complete four small pieces within half a hour based on the theme of ladders. After I get home, I will post all the pictures of what she has done!
We have spent a lot of time talking about art and where she wants to go and how to get there. All of this has reinforced for me what I need to do and I am looking forward to getting home and getting my CD's sent out for possible shows!

Today we spent time traveling around up into the mountains just to look around. Came back early afternoon and then headed back in to the studio. Gave her another challenge to do four small pieces in the theme of windows. Wait until you see what she did! (this is being said so you will come back again)

Well, my suitcase is all ready to go except for the clothes I am wearing and my pj's. Tomorrow at 8 am we hop into the car for a leasurly drive to Kelowna to the airport with many stops planned on the way. So then back home again so I can pack up my studio to take down to Asilomar on Sunday for a week of my own play time.