PBI, the first bit

i'm back home.

it was fabulous.

this sculpture lives beside the path to the paper studio.

 and here's the lagoon where OxBow lives 

 the leaves emerged while we were there,

 (so did the ticks)

 i had limited class time

three hours for each of two classes for four days.

 fortunately this crowd is very skilled

even if they're not spinners and weavers.

 the paper studio was our base,

and we made kami-ito and flax paper on day one.

 at the back sink is the whirlwind of energy called Andrea Peterson.

Andrea runs the paper studio here at Ox Bow 

and was pure pleasure to work with, 

anticipating and planning and being a huge help.

(and she hauls the heavy stuff of papermaking around seemingly tirelessly)

 one of the scholarship students Reilly

brought an analytical-sciency type mind to the class

and with Andrea and I we discovered interesting coloring capabilities

combining kakishibu and black walnut.

 behind Debbie is the wonderful table Andrea and OxBovinians made

for hand beating fiber.

It worked fab for pre-spinning our kami-ito.

 Spinning happened at night in the cabins.

Here's Mary, Julie and Heather

 Giselle's footwear, and spinning kami-ito with a nifty and economical Louet spindle.

 cut up

 in a short time frame like this I demonstrate proper attachment, 

but sanction knot tying.

because we need to keep moving forward.

 some original loom construction occurred 

 all the while during days one and two we made flax paper,

me saying make thick sheets and they making thin sheets.

Andrea keeps the drying system working.

 flax papers

 it was chilly the whole time, 

but not unbearabe. 

and when it became challenging,

we found a warm place, a fire, a heater or a sleeping bag to refire the faint body.

Heather added in some lovely green paper (and today I can't remember its name)

 Celia had fine skills, a love of textiles, and the best clothes.

 tests

 grabbing some sunshine

 Mary's swatch

 she knitted with these needles after knitting with my long weaving needles first.

 kaki on kami-ito

dyeing by Reilly

 do you see this?

TWILL!!!

 holey indigo flax paper

 painting with black walnut

 record keeping

 "friendship bracelet" of another kind

 other textile treatments

 swatches and sampling

 one of my two Toronto-based students James spinning on the bobbin winder

Celeste's diamond

(always keep a diamond in your mind)

an innovative structure for showcasing kami-ito 

 and the big show and tell night

 rock stars all.

 well, i'm exhausted. 

the four days ended and then I had my chance as student in Mary Hark's class.

that will be the next post.