Arrowmont: The Instructors

While at Arrowmont, I met some really amazing and talented people. One of my favorite parts of Arrowmont, was that everyone there was so kind, so willing to learn and share. There were no cliques, no judgement, and no competition. Everyone was there to make art and friends. I have to say, it was very different from the realm of graduate school that I normally confine myself to. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to show you the work of some of the instructors that were there while I was there. They were all so nice and so down to earth, and after seeing their work, I came home very inspired.Michaelene Walsh was there teaching ceramics. These cups were in the faculty show. The images below are taken from the Dubhe Carreño Gallery website. "Elegy""Bittersweet""Ghost"Another instrctor that was there, was Jennifer Angus. I have to admit I was a bit starstruck when I met her...I only give lectures to my students about her work a couple times a semester! Jennifer creates huge installations using real bugs. She creates a wallpaper like pattern on the walls of a room using little insect bodies. Her work is beautiful. She was super nice and everyone who took her class had a great time. Check out her website here. This is one of her installations.This is a detail from a different installation. All the colors of the bugs are natural. Isn't it just beautiful?
Another one of the instructors that I really enjoyed meeting was wood artist and furniture maker Michael Mocho (his work above). While working on my undergraduate degree, I took many woods classes and was the wood shop monitor at ASU, so I have a soft spot in my heart for woods. Michael let me go down to the wood shop and bug him a few times. I am trying to talk him in to coming to AZ for our Yuma Symposium. Anyway. he too was very nice, and his work was stunning. I wish I could find more images to show you...
This was the wood shop where all the lathes were.
This is the shop where Michael was teaching box construction (and probably wondering why I was taking a picture of him from the looks of it). I wish I could have taken this class too! I got some images of his work (below) off the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship website, where Michael has been an instructor.
"Enso Flask #1""Bubinga Swirl"

David Ellsworth was also there teaching wood turning. I didn't really get a chance to meet him, but I enjoyed listening to and watching his slide show. These are some of his hollow turned vessels. (above and below) I also got to meet Printmaker and Book Artist Diane Fine. (One of her collaborative works above). She was very nice and I really liked her work! Check out more images on her website.
And last, but not least, is Becky Chader McDonah. Becky is the metals professor at ASU, and the reason I was able to go to Arrowmont. The piece above is what she had in the faculty show at Arrowmont. It was hard to get a picture of because it is actually supposed to be mounted on the wall. Its a little cootie plaque. Becky's work always makes me smile.This is a raised bowl she made as a reliquary for dandelion seeds.

This one is a reliquary for mosquito repellant. It was really fun to get to spend the week with Becky, and all the other people at Arrowmont. There were other instructors there that I am not showing you, but these are the ones that I was able to meet.

I had a lot of fun last week and met so many great people. I know that I am changed from my experiences at Arrowmont.