Redwood Coast Arts and Crafts School

05/18/2022

I wanted to announce that thanks to Arts At Heart in Shelter Cove I will be offering another Ukrainian Egg workshop at their facility in Shelter Cove. In this workshop, we will create a five-color egg in a folk art flower pattern. All skill levels are welcome and all materials will be provided. I hope I will see you there for an afternoon of art, whimsy, and ocean views.

04/23/2022

The 48 Triangle Egg

This last week we had a bit of a Spring miracle—after several weeks of “very very dry”, it rained—A LOT—and it was WONDERFUL!!!! Of course, it’s not enough rain to get us out of the drought but it was enough to fill the rivers and get the springs flowing again, and THAT, my friends, is definitely a miracle.

Of course, there was a downside of sorts, it was way too rainy to get anything done out in the Springtime gardens. But rather than bemoan the “I can’t work in the garden” downside I decided to enjoy some “quality inside time” upside by learning to write the “48 Triangle Egg”. This pattern has always intrigued me, it’s a great bold pattern with lots of potential for design but it’s also a bit cross-eyed-inducing to write. So this week I took the pattern apart so I could simplify the design and make it more accessible to beginners.

So here’s my process for writing the 48 Triangle Egg. Let me know how this works for you—I always value your feedback!

Enjoy!

The 48 Triangle Egg
First, divide the egg into quarters lengthwise. Next, mark the center of each quarter-line. Then use those marks to draw the “equator”
Now, look at the side view of the egg where the quarter-lines and equator meet and decide what will be the front of the egg. Then mark a cross at the “center front”. Lastly, mark the mid-point of the other quarter-lines.
Join the cross on the front/back with the mid-point marks on the quarter-lines.
Mark the mid-point on the center axis (see diagram 4)
Now join the mid-axis mark to the equator where it meets the quarter-lines.
Mark the equator line at the mid-point between the quarter-lines.
Lastly, connect the end crosses and triangle crosses, and the equator mid-points. (Be warned: the diagram is distorted because it's a flat drawing of a rounded surface. Although this line looks crooked on the diagram it will be a straight line on your egg)

04/04/2022

Pysanky! Ukrainian Egg Dyeing
April 2, 2022

Well, that was fun! Saturday, I was finally able to hold a workshop after three years off from teaching---and it was great! Thanks to Charlotte Silverstein and Lisa Deocampo at the Garden of Beaden' (gardenofbeadin.com) we were able to set up and fill a workshop in Ukrainian Egg Dyeing in less than a month! And what a great group of students! I was unbelievably privileged to have a class full of wonderfully creative women, most of whom I've worked with before, who were ready to jump in with both feet. This class far exceeded my expectation with EVERYONE completing a rather complex egg pattern from beginning to lacquered finish in under four hours! And as a bonus, the profit from this workshop, $200, is going to Ukrainian Refugee Relief!

What a great way to restart teaching!

Wishing one and all a day full of the art of craft!

Ps. I made the eggs in the basket as examples of variations of the "Eight Point Star" pattern. (yup, I also made the basket as an example from a different workshop---Anyone interested in more basket workshops?)

Pps. I'm open to holding more Egg workshops if anyone is interested

Ppps. This is the first "selfie" with my new phone and I had a choice, the picture where I looked good, or the picture where I didn't cut off anyone's head---I picked option B and I think I should get Teacher Brownie Points---just saying.

Pppps. I'd like to invite you all to visit the restarted Redwood Coast Arts and Crafts School page to get more information about upcoming workshops and to share your art with others!

03/28/2022

I'm thrilled to annouce that the Pysanky workshop on April 2, 2022 is full. Thank you to everyone who contacted me and I look forward to seeing you in a workshop soon

05/20/2020

After a year off from teaching it's time to get back to work. "What (you might say) are you thinking isn't everyone stuck at home?" And I say, yes, we are all stuck at home and that is why this is the perfect time to restart. But that restart will have to be in a new way for the new normal.

Everyone is becoming more tech-savvy and that must include all of us. It's a pretty good bet that we won't be able to gather at fairs and conferences or even "in-person" workshops for a while but that doesn't mean that we can't gather---you just have to get smart about it.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm so much more comfortable with 18th-century technology that 21st-century technology but I'm going to give it a shot. I'm sure I'll make plenty of mistakes but with your help and patience.

I'm hoping to make this platform a meeting place for all of us. Not only a place to hold and host virtual workshops but also as a place to share our projects our questions and our passions. A virtual kitchen table where we can meet to share our crafts and each others company.

I'm more committed than ever to support other artists and teachers and, of course, all of you who are ready to try and take our love of art and craft to new places. I haven't figured out exactly how to do this yet but there's no time like the present so if you have any ideas let's do it.

So here's my first call to action. When all started I decided to challenge myself to make something specifically as a "Plague Project". And this sweater is the product of that challenge. So my first challenge to you all is to post the project you've been working on during the "Shelter-in-place".

05/20/2020

11/29/2019

Wishing one and all a Happy Holiday season. And in the true spirit of giving may I suggest sending a hand made gift, it will be treasured by the recipient and help your brain at the same time during this stressful season. This is how we, as artists, can help make the holidays more about love and less about money.

At a time when many of us feel overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of the digital world, craft practices, alongside other activities such as colouring books for grown-ups and the up-surge of interest in cooking from scratch and productive home gardens, a

10/07/2019

Greetings all, come this spring we will holding a Pine-Needle Basket Retreat. We will be making a basket a little simpler than this one so that beginners will be able to attend, but I will also talk about more advanced techniques so you will have more design options to use at home. I will have needles prepped for the workshop but if you would like to use materials of your own gathering now is a great time to do this. Information for gathering and prepping will be posted soon.

06/24/2019

When you're asked why you "waste your time doing handcrafts", this is why----it makes us happier, better people.

At a time when many of us feel overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of the digital world, craft practices, alongside other activities such as colouring books for grown-ups and the up-surge of interest in cooking from scratch and productive home gardens, a

10/04/2018

Fall Basket Retreat 2018

Weed/Pocket Baskets

Come and learn this fun and versatile basket. This technique includes twining, continuous weave, pattern weaving, simple handles and rims. Once you learn this basket form you’ll be able to take off and express your creativity making big or little or anywhere in between. Keep them to use all around the house or give them as gifts---your friends and families will love them! On Saturday we will all make the same size basket to learn this technique. On Sunday everyone is encouraged to play with this form to create their own design. I’ll be bringing my basket weaving “statch” for the class to use any way they would like. Classes from 9:00 am to 4:30 each day with one hour for lunch. Class fee of $105.00 includes instructions, all tools needed and materials. For more information and to register contact: Tracy Shapiro, PO Box 2437, Redway, CA 95560 (707) 923-2966 [email protected]