Weaving words with Marina Soria

 This was the second time I had her workshop. She changed it a bit and it was good. From a cloth to making letterforms and words. These were my solutions from a print found at a fabric store..see center and my letterforms at top and my words on either side. 

Letters California Style with Marina Soria

This was my third time taking a class with Marina. She always has a great way of getting inspiration and extending it to make art. We were asked to bring in a piece of printed cloth or a print of a pattern that resonated to us. I had many, and with her help,

picked out one piece that was going to be thrown out by a sewing contractor friend. We were asked to study the colors and pull out no more than 6 colors from it. Mine was easy, it only had 6 colors. The pattern was our inspiration to use the colors and interpret them in various ways.

mixed colors of the print

first study

Empty space study with shape of the paisley

Study with Gilbran quote

letterform inspiration from Benoit Furet - anachropsy.com

using folded pen

Letterform I made up with inspiration from one I found online..no attribution.

study using resist

woven words from two studies

accordian book of printed pages with printed covers of fabric.

The fabric I chose and my study pages

Marina and the classmates. Great bunch of women.

My table mates, Sunny Ba and Kathy Wafer.

Calligraphy in Blossom with Marina Soria

 Marina Soria from Buenos Aires, Argentina, through the Society for Calligraphy, came to Pasadena to inspire and pass her expertise in developing letter forms from nature and flowers. Nineteen creative participants and I were lucky to be able to take this three day workshop.  Magic happened for all of us with our brush and pen strokes using sumi ink, walnut ink, and watercolors.  By the third and last day, we all made our garden books with our developed letter forms.  Everyone was successful.

Our first letter 'd' samples, after our initial stroke practice of an ikebana arrangement.

Chris and Janet doing their pieces

Chris Ewen's

part of JanetTakahashi's beautiful efforts

Marina showing Victoria suggestions

Victoria Kibildis

Sabina Bronner and her piece

Stephanie Chao with her piece

Nancy  Kazanjian piece

Jane Kim to finish

Audrey Kincaid's piece

Michelle Cabala's beautiful texture letter forms

Carrie Imai's work in progress...

smiling Debbie Powell and Kristi Darwick

Debbie Powell's piece

Kristi working on her piece

Barbara Close's garden book

Carole Johnson's piece

Wendy Watson-Dietrick

One of Britta Brice's pieces..she made three!

This is Audry Kincaid's piece...

My book with front cover I painted and wrapped with seam binding

back cover umwrapped

my letter forms with my attempt at haiku...gold brittle grasses cracking to the earth, another broom...

opened accordian..with a verse of mine..sew a thread of golden words to weft and warp of a paper loom, spin a yarn and weave a tapestry of collected memories....

Beautiful ladies who got to play with Marina Soria.  Muchas Gracias Marina!