Tuesday 23 December 2014

23



today would have been Pa's 79th birthday
he slipped into the world on the longest night of the year in 1935
and left it much too soon in 2013.

he left me with the best legacy though
that of always being open to learning
because [as he said] you can't pump water out of a reservoir
unless it has been able to catch enough rain

and having grown up with this philosophy
i've made sure to keep learning throughout my teaching practice
- deliberate learning, that is, in addition to what i learn from
my family, friends, practice and students
bless all y'all

so in 2015 i will have the joy of being a student in Larry Thomas' class at Big Cat Textiles in Newburgh,  Scotland.
Alison and Netti very kindly invited him to teach there at my suggestion as i've been keen to take a class with him for years but somehow the cosmic carpool never lined up

Larry Thomas is in great demand...his drawings are remarkable, his work is represented in collections around the whirled, he teaches at Sitka, the San Francisco Art Institute and Haystack. i had the good fortune to spend a morning with him at his studio in Fort Bragg last year [or was it the year before...losing track of who and where...]

anyhoo you can read more about him here

i'm teaching a two-day class just before he begins at Big Cat, perhaps there may be some amongst you who would like to swing in for both? or of course if you're really keen, join me for 'being (t)here' then take a week to tour Scotland and come back for five days of wonderment and drawing

but i'd get in quick, cos when word gets out, his class will fill quickly.
click here for more detail

in the meantime, have a lovely Christmas or Chanukah or simply a delightful holiday at the time of twinkle lights....and if you're lucky enough to have a good father about, give him a hug.

8 comments:

  1. I sure wish I could meet up with you in Scotland... I have been to London and Edinburgh because my artist son in NYC married an artist from Scotland and we went to their wedding and met her family there in Dunlap Scotland.. .I vowed to return some day. happy holidays to you...

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    1. Thanks Donna...I'll be on the west coast again next year, perhaps our paths will intertwine

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  2. very happy to say I booked the Larry Thomas class as soon as I spotted it a couple of months ago, having read your post about him - so entirely on your recommendation! - sounds very special.
    fathers .... yes ... thank you for that India. wish I could have hugged mine a lot more .... thinking about him now, 11 years since he died around this time of year, hugging him in my head.
    off to St Andrews this morning for christmas with daughter, about 9 hours on the road with all the traffic of this crowded island. but hoping to see Alison and Molly while I'm there.
    have a lovely christmas yourself with lovely Kubbi puppy and family

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    1. Wishing you a delightful Christmas and a happy New Year

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  3. Wish I could spend some time every year with you and all our friends in Newburgh! Including Jazz. xo

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  4. My dad had the same philosophy and I miss him as much as ever. Enjoy the holiday season and here's to our marvellous fathers!

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  5. wow, great news on Christmas morning! I've just tried to book your class (5 days) in Newburgh. Hopefully I'm successful and it isn't fully booked already (like last year)
    Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr, India

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    1. Dankeschön! Dir auch ganz liebe Weinachts Grüße! Danke auch für die Karte die hier gestern noch eintraf- auf das Wiedersehen in Schottland!!

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