January 2023 Program

JOIN US ON MONDAY, JANUARY 9TH, for the first meeting of the new year – and it’s all about Gelli Printing!
Lyn and Jean are putting on their teacher hats to lead us in a hands-on Gelli Print make-and-take for our January program.

Gel-plate printing has taken the mixed-media world by storm. Ready-made silicone plates make it incredibly easy to create monoprints with paint, stencils, stamps, and more. You can print on paper and fabric. A little practice is all it takes to become a pro at printing on gel plates, which can also be made from scratch.

 

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS

DECEMBER PROGRAM – Holiday Potluck

How long has it been since we last shared FASA fun, food, and festivities at the Garden Center?? Well, that’s TOO LONG!

Join us on December 12th from 10-12 for a Holiday Party full of wonderful ways to celebrate – at last!

First, we’ll have a Pot-Luck Brunch. You can read more about this below in Peggy Baxter’s Membership column. You’ll also find a link there to sign up to bring food to share.

Next, there’s a Gift Exchange of mystery fiber-related Grab Bags. You’ll just fill a standard HEB brown paper lunch bag with fiber goodies that you know your FASA pals would love, seal it, then bring it to the party. We will number each bag, give a corresponding numbered ticket, and we’ll exchange the mystery Grab Bags by random drawing.   

Then in the spirit of giving, we’ll have a brief program by Charlotte Bell, advocate for the Las Rancheritas program in Central Mexico. Part of the program will be a Raffle for one of the delightful hooked rugs made by women from the village. Tickets are $5 each and all proceeds go the the artisans.

NOVEMBER PROGRAM (and private tour . . . .)

Monday, November 14: WE ♥ JANE BISHOP

Artist Jane Bishop started Mockingbird Handprints to follow her passion to create unique fabrics for furniture. Since 1999, she’s worked with recycled vintage and antique furniture to bring one-of-a-kind pieces to life. Her shop features an eclectic collection of local and regional art, specialty gifts and custom upholstered furniture.

OCTOBER PROGRAM

JOIN US ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 10TH FOR THE ONE, THE ONLY —

FASA COBWEB SALE!

This sale is always so much fun – sometimes members sell a treasured item only to buy it back the next year! As a buyer, you’re sure to find inspiration, and as a seller, you’re sure to enjoy the feeling of de-stashing.

We will take a break in the sale from about 10-11 am for our Business Meeting – there’s lots of new information about upcoming events and exhibitions that you won’t want to miss.

Here’s the Schedule for the Sale and Meeting:

9:00 set up tables
9:30 to 10:00 open for sales
10:00 to 11:00 General meeting
11:00 to 12:00 open for sales

There will be a FASA table for donations by FASA members.  Items will be offered for sale and proceeds will go to the FASA treasury. If you reserve a table, please contribute an item to this table – and all FASA members are encouraged to add their contributions to the FASA table. THANKS!!

Monday, September 12

DAVID CHIDGEY: TAPESTRIES OF INSPIRATION

David writes: For me, beauty is not necessarily about something being perfect or whole. Perhaps this is why I am so drawn to the medium of mosaic. Individual fragments, imperfect and broken, can be combined and interwoven in such a way as to reveal a rich tapestry for the senses. I explore the dance between light and shadow, shape and texture, brilliant color and muted tones, spontaneity and balance through the language of mosaic.

I am so excited about the opportunity to talk to FASA since my mom was an early member in the mid 70’s until her death in 1986. I will be to sharing my passion of the medium of mosaics, paying tribute to those who have had a significant influence on my evolution as an artist and discuss and show how I make various mosaics including the creative process and inspiration. I will bring some of actual mosaics, tools, and materials that are used in the process.
I have long admired contemporary tapestry and want to further explore creating the essence of tapestry using the medium of mosaic. After reviewing my mom’s fiber work I discovered a small tapestry my mom created long ago. It is actually my favorite and hangs in my studio.
David will be joining us in person at the San Antonio Garden Center.
Business meeting at 10:00, program at 11:00.
3310 N New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209MAP

MONDAY, AUGUST 8th

Our Guest: Marnie Simpson

Have you ever attended the Battle of Flowers Parade or Coronation during Fiesta, seen the beautiful gowns on the Order of the Alamo Duchesses, Princess and Queen and wondered about the artistry to goes into creating these fabulous designs? When looking at the photographic spread in the San Antonio Express News, have you asked yourself “who came up with this theme and named all these different dresses”? 

 

Come to the August meeting and learn more about the Fiesta Gowns – from concept to coronation. Our guest speaker for the August meeting will be Marnie Simpson. As Mistress of the Robes, Marnie was  in charge of the coronation’s couture look and theme for the Queen, Princess and 23 Duchesses in 2017’s Court of the Argentine Republic.  She will discuss the background of how her theme was developed and then go into detail about the work and thought process that goes into creating not only the dresses, but the overall concept of each year’s presentation. She will discuss the artistry and expertise of the individual dressmakers and their staff.

arnie will also bring several dresses and their trains with her so you can look closely at the workmanship and techniques that go into what we normally just see from afar.

Marnie will be joining us in person at the San Antonio Garden Center.
Business meeting at 10:00, program at 11:00.
3310 N New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209
MAP

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POLLY HANSEN – Quilled Gift Tag Make and Take
A hands-on mini-class exploring this fascinating paper fiber process

 

MONDAY, JULY 11 at the Garden Center

In July we will have a mini teach by our own Polly Hansen.Polly is known for taking strips of paper and curling them into art – quilling.Polly will guide us through various techniques resulting in art we can use or present in various ways.Quilling Supply Listyou will have several ways to participate in the Quilled Gift Tag Make and Take with Polly which will follow the Business Meeting.

  • First, you may just want to stay and watch. Polly will have a PowerPoint presentation that shows all the steps as well as a handout on the process. You can see what others do and decide if it’s something that you might want to try later.
  • Second, you can participate a bit by sharing one of the quilling kits that Polly is generously providing. You can get a taste of the process and see what quilling all is about.
  • Third, you can bring your own quilling materials. Here is the supply list. It’s very comprehensive.
  • Finally, if you want to go full-tilt boogie, you can reserve and purchase a kit of your own from Polly for just $12. The kits include quilling paper, a slotted quilling tool, a dedicated quilling template board and fine tip tweezers. It’s yours to take home. You will need to email Polly at least three days before the meeting to reserve a kit. pbhansen@runbox.com

Please note: This will be an in-person meeting without a live Zoom component. Since members will be doing detailed artwork at tables, Zoom would not be a useful way to participate and could be a distraction to the teacher. We will record the meeting and make it available for viewing after the meeting. Rest assured, though, that when we have out-of-town presenters and special events, we will make a Zoom link available! So come in person if you can.About Polly:Since the mid 1990’s, Polly’s main creative outlet was stamping greeting cards. As her interest
grew, she sought new ways to embellish her cards which included quilling. After retiring from
her radiology practice in 2018, Polly dedicated more time to quilling. Books and various sources
such as Pinterest led to more elaborate 2D and 3D designs. One of Polly’s 2D was published in
the American Journal of Neuroradiology in 2021. Her 3D sculpture of a hummingbird and
columbine flowers was selected for the 92 nd Annual San Antonio Art League and Museum Artists
Exhibition in 2022. Polly’s art is also featured on our website – The Samurai Soldier.Polly joined the Fiber Artists of San Antonio (FASA) in 2019 after learning FASA considered
paper a fiber. She is also a member of the North American Quilling Guild. Polly’s other
interests include gardening, Texas native plants, and wildlife, particularly pollinators. Many of
her designs are related to flowers, butterflies, or birds.

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MONDAY, June 13 at the Garden Center to meet our inspiring guest speaker

MICHELLE BELTO

THREE STEPS TO CREATE AUTHENTIC ART

 

 

 

M
MICHELLE WRITES:

“As artists, we know that our work is authentic in the legal sense of the word.After all, we made it! Right? Synonyms for authentic such as original, unique,or real have different connotations to us and can get us unnecessarily into a dither.While it is true that “there is nothing new under the sun,” we are acutely aware that our work should be original, meaning coming from our imagination and not copied. If that is true, than how do we ever find our own authentic work without ‘trying on’ other artist’s style or process “

In this presentation, Michelle will help you identify what makes your art YOU – it’s not the medium or the technique, but it’s the authentic experiences that you translate, sometimes unconsciously, into your artwork.

Please bring a notebook or sketchbook and something to make marks with: a crayon, marker, or pencil. You’ll come away with insights that will guide you toward your own authentic style.
 Michelle Belto is a full-time studio artist and international instructor. She authored a book about her signature process, encaustic and oil on custom handmade paper forms, Wax and Paper Workshop (North Light Press, 2012) and two instructional videos demonstrating encaustic painting process. (North Light Press, 2013) She has exhibited widely, most recently at the Francis Keevil Gallery in Sydney, Australia. Her most recent solo show was in 2017 at the Julia C Butridge Gallery in the Dougherty Fine Art Center, Austin, Texas. Her work is included in many private and corporate collections. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband and a menagerie of furry creatures.
Website
Michelle will be joining us in person at the Garden Center. Business meeting at 10:00, program at 11:00.
3310 N New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209
MAP
The ZOOM link will be sent out to members the day before the meeting by FASA Co-President Lyn BelisleAnd after our meeting, Susie Monday is conducting a FREE mini-workshop to share some clues about how to make our art a winner:
Need ideas? Trying to find a starting place? Want to see how work you have already created fits into our FASA Annual Exhibit? Susie will be conducting a free mini-workshop to help get you started with your exhibit entries after the next FASA meeting, June 13. We will join for lunch (bring yours) after the meeting and have a 1.5 hour work and play session from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. We will be working with preliminary design ideas with a variety of media. If you want to attend, just send an email to Susie: susiemonday@gmail.com, or call her if you have questions — 210-643-228