Folk School Fun

Anita Mayer instructing in surface design

My last week at the Campbell Folk School has been very busy. My niece, Bretta Ogburn, and I took this course together. It has been so much fun learning together. I love watching Bretta's great talent and creativity at work as she continues to grow as a fine artist. Our instructor for the week was Anita Luvera Mayer. Anita designs (and wears) beautiful garments that she finishes and embellishes by hand. Her work has been included in national and international shows and one-woman retrospectives. She gives lectures and workshops on individualized clothing, women's issues and creativity. Anita has travelled widely and collected sources and resources for the fabrics, materials and stitches she uses in her creative work.

Vest created and embellished by Anita Luvera Mayer

What I learned from Anita in this week which left my fingers sore and needle punctured is this: "It is not about the end product; rather it is about the journey you take as you get there." Along the way in creating and executing a design there are decisions to make, mistakes made which can become a disaster or a "design element" and new discoveries that offer opportunities to grow and learn. We created several things this week from a book / sampler of embroidery stitches to a "passport case." We dyed silk, learned to work with beads and studied the process of surface design. Anita shared her life, her experience and her guiding hand.

Our passport cases lined up on the counter for viewing

I won't make you guess at which one of the above is mine! I will include the picture of it below. I wanted to create a design that reflected the journey I have been on in this sabbatical time. I think I succeeded in doing that and in the process it included "changes and chances" that challenged me in all kinds of new ways. Once again I had the privilege of listening to the stories of those around me as we all reflected on the "journeys" of our lives.

My passport case designed and made this week

Today at the closing celebration where each class exhibits their work, the dulcimer class played two selections. The first was "Greensleeves" and the second was called "An American Hymn." The second piece was written at the end of the Civil War and attributed to an anonymous composer. I felt the sting of tears in my eyes as I sat listening to the music at the end of an incredibly historic week. The inauguration of Barak Obama as the 44th President of the United States has great potential for our country. I wonder if we will allow that potential to develop? I wonder if we will allow a spirit of unity to pervade? I hope, pray and find myself holding my breath to see if we can truly pull ourselves in a new direction.