Upcoming Zoom Workshop With Maria Shell, "Making Prints Out of Solids" + Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds Exhibit

You guys, I am SEW excited to be taking a 2-part Zoom workshop this month with quilt artist Maria Shell!  And there are still a few spaces available in the class in case any of YOU would like to join me, from wherever you are in the world!  But hurry if you're interested -- Maria will be lecturing at the guild meeting tomorrow night and the class will probably sell out once members see her work and hear her speak.

Maria Shell, "Making Prints Out of Solids" Workshop September 9th and 16th

This workshop, "Making Prints Out of Solids -- Lines, Tracks & More" is being offered by the Charlotte Quilters Guild and I helped our Programs Director set this up months ago when I was still the guild President, before moving to Florida.  I believe there are still spaces available and registration has now opened up for nonmembers.  At just $50, this is an absolute steal for a two-part workshop with a teacher of this caliber.  The workshop will be conducted via Zoom from 7-9 PM Eastern Standard Time on Monday, September 9th and Monday, September 16th, and you can register here.  There is no kit or pattern required for the class; you just need a copy of Maria's book Improv Patchwork that is available on Amazon here (affiliate link).  

So...  I have the book, I read the book, and I'm nervous about cutting without rulers (!!!) but excited to give it a try and see what happens.  My homework to prepare for class was to put together a palette of solid colors to work with, all pulled from my stash, and prewash half yard pieces of each color.  Here's what I have so far, subject to change of course.  I did have to dash out to JoAnn's for a half yard of brown fabric: 

My Fabric Pull for Maria Shell's Workshop

I have lots of other options littering my worktable, too.  Who knew I had so many solids tucked away in those fabric bins?!

Alternate Options For My Workshop Palette

Students were instructed to create a palette of solid fabrics consisting of White, Black, Gray, Brown, Red, Orange, Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Turquoise, and Purple.  Just those twelve colors, but you're supposed to make sure you have a variety of values and intensities, and also try to avoid having any two fabrics in your palette that are too similar to have any contrast if placed next to one another.  I wish I had more "muddy" solids to mix in with the vivid colors, and there are a couple of colors (green and purple!) where I had a really hard time choosing between two or more shades that I love.  I am hoping that we are allowed to enlarge that color palette and sneak in some additional colors during the workshop, because this time I am determined to follow all directions and learn as much as possible from the class.  I am such a huge fan of Maria's work.  Wanna see some more?

Boulevard, 32 x 48, by Maria Shell (2011)

This is the kind of work we'll be learning to create in class.  From reading Maria's book (from cover to cover, the moment it showed up on my doorstep from Amazon), I know that we'll be piecing strips of solid fabrics together to create our own custom stripes, then subcutting and rearranging the striped units on our design walls (so glad my design wall is installed and ready to go!) to create interesting compositions before piecing them together into a finished quilt top.  I love the energy and playfulness of every one of her pieces, and I love the wonky crookedness that results from her method of cutting her fabric strips imprecisely, without a ruler.  I am even more intrigued to learn how she does this after watching this interview with Ricky Tims, where he marvels at how FLAT her improv piecing is.  Because, seriously -- how can you cut wonky strips of fabric, sew them together and press them, and not get a lumpy mess?!  I am going to find out!

Dance Party at Tamara's House, by Maria Shell

I was surprised to read that Maria considers herself "taught to quilt by the Quilt Police" and that she lists precision patchwork piecing books by Sally Collins in her Recommended Resources section.  I always thought that improv piecers and Seekers of the Perfect Scant Quarter Inch were completely different species of quilters, and I'm interested to find out how Maria went from very structured and technical traditional patchwork to the free-spirited improvisational work she does today.

Bits and Pieces, 24 x 24, by Maria Shell

Go Bananas, by Maria Shell

Maria Shell + Pablo Picasso?

So here's a connection I just made: About a year ago, Bernie and I saw the exhibit "Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds" when it was at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.  I snapped photographs of several paintings for my inspiration files because they made me want to play with techniques like collage, appliqué and improvisational piecing in new ways.  Looking at those pictures now, I'm struck by the similarities in both their color palettes and the playful energy of "wonky" crooked lines in both Shell's quilts and Picasso's landscape paintings.  Doesn't this make you want to piece stripes and checks and plaids like Maria Shell, and then cut them up to make them into landscape paintings like Pablo Picasso's?

Detail of Mediterranean Village by Pablo Picasso

After reading Maria's book, I'm looking at this painting again and analyzing Picasso's color palette.  He's got that full range of colors that Maria asked us to pull in fabric for our workshop, with the neutrals and even the brown that I hate so much, it's the one color I had to go out and buy specifically for this class, and here it is in Picasso's Mediterranean Village painting where I never paid attention to it before:

Mediterranean Village by Pablo Picasso, Oil on Canvas, 1937

Doesn't this next painting remind you of Maria Shell's wonky pieced stripes, cut without a ruler?

Detail of Landscape of Juan-les-Pins by Pablo Picasso

Landscape of Juan-les-Pins by Pablo Picasso, Oil on Canvas, 1920

Detail of The Vert-Galant by Pablo Picasso

The Vert-Galant by Pablo Picasso, Oil on Canvas, 1943

Although this art exhibit has long since ended, you can find these and other landscape paintings by Pablo Picasso in the accompanying book Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds.  Ask for it at your library or find it here on Amazon.  

Alright, it's after 7 PM and my husband is making grumbly noises like blah blah HUNGRY and blah blah WHAT'S FOR DINNER?  I responded something like blah blah CEREAL but that didn't go over very well...  ;-)

I'm linking up today's post with all of my favorite linky parties listed below, and then I'll be working on my stuffed berries after dinner tonight!

MONDAY

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs  

TUESDAY

To-Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt  

WEDNESDAY

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

THURSDAY

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation  

FRIDAY

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre

Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty

 TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday

SUNDAY

Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework