ArtFest

the view outside my dorm room

I arrived home from ArtFest Sunday and am just now catching up. ArtFest was a wonderful experience and I was one of the many "Festal Virgins" as it was my first time attending. I now understand why many people go back year after year. The festival is held on the ground of Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Wa. right on the waterfront. It truly is lovely. BUT when we arrived in Seattle at the airport we looked out the window and snow flurries abounded. What? It wasn't quite cold enough to stick and by the time we got to Port Townsend it was just rain that continued for a couple of days. But the sun did come out and though it was never really warm it was pleasant. I got used to waking up and walking to the Commons where breakfast was all prepared and coffee hot. Same for lunch and dinner, I wouldn't mind having a full time cook at my house. wah wah.

Below are some of the projects from classes I took. First day was Nina Bagley's class. Nina is a wonderful, warm, southern girl who everyone just loves her accent. She creates marvelous narrative jewelry. Narrative because her pieces really do tell a story! I haven't finished my book yet. I have to finish a page, the back inside cover and put it all together but here is what I did. I used bits of nature I have collected over the years.





the heart was made using garnet sand I collected from a beach in Big Sur, CA.


this felted piece was one I made in Sharon Kilfoyle's class




Notice the excellent wirework that attaches the charms? This is something Nina teaches in her classes. Well I sucked at it so my friend Jennifer did this for me. It's great to have talented friends!

The second day I took Susan Wooldridge's writing class. What a hoot and while it is very emotional to write about oneself and your feelings she made it easy because she has a dydtem where we give ourselves the words before we even begin to write. I have been wanting to take a class with Susan for a few years now and this was my opportunity and I will be signing up for more with her in the future. BTW she hosted a fun dance party the last night of fest and I have many pictures but am unsure whether to post them or not. One lovely white haired woman shuffled into the room with her blue satin pajamas and a hot pink bathrobe on and white sock. Soon the robe was discarded and she was putting her best move on to MoTown with the rest of us! I loved it.




The last day I had a class with LK Ludwig. We were working on fine copper and brass mesh, applying different methods of resist and spraying with a patina to rust the mesh around the resist. We made a book board portfolio to hold our mesh sample pages in.





I met a lot of new and wonderful people/artist and made a special new friend in Sharla who lives about an hour away from me. So I say it was successful and I will go back next year. I will take less with me in the way for supplies and I have made a list of things I didn't have but would have liked to, it's all in my ArtFest journal. (the writing is from Susan's class)