When the schedule is set for the season, we immediately begin to wait (with great anticipation) for the classes to begin and to see all of you! That certainly applies to the Batik Alumni Week, led by Mary Jo Scandin. Mary Jo first taught Batik here in August 1982. The last line of her biography in the Sievers brochure that year read, “Her work and products are outstanding and her students learn so much.” These words were added the following year, “Her enthusiasm about the art makes learning the batik process a delight.”
How time flies! Here we are forty years later having the great pleasure of so many batik classes either taught or co-taught by Mary Jo, who now facilitates and is a fellow participant in the alumni studio time. Each year the week goes by way too fast. It’s a good thing we have 40+ years of memories which makes “batik week” last so much longer!
This year, Anne Landre and Karen Zeman, who have both been students of Mary Jo, will be teaching an Introduction to Batik class, continuing to share this vibrant art form.
On to some of the work from this year’s Batik Alumni Studio!
In the alumni group, many of the participants were long-time students of batik, one for 33 consecutive years and others for 25, 18 and 10 years. That’s a legacy.
Coincidentally, Susan Hoffmann who was here teaching her Landscape ‘Painting’ with Fabric class, recalled being in one of Mary Jo’s batik classes 20 years ago!
We remember when Susan came for the Landscape Quilting class with Natalie Sewell in 2008. She loved ‘painting’ with fabric and we loved the piece she made in class. Instead of quilting it, she decided to frame her artwork and her journey in this unique art form began.
In class, students created their own landscapes based on Susan’s original artwork ‘Fernwood’.
Cutting, arranging and shading the fabrics create each student’s singular variation of the woodland scene.
Each year time flies by more quickly than before. The only good part about that is, before we know it, we’ll be right back to this same week again!
Absolutely beautiful
Thank you Becky, we agree!
Inspiring work!
Thanks, Charlene! Two very different art forms, but equally wonderful!