I am getting psyched about the SPIN Silk Painters International Festival at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee this fall! I am planning my workshops, trying to figure out what to bring, what to share: I think we are going to have a lot of fun. I’m going to bring lots of painted samples to look at and think about, and share how to thicken paint, how to paint woodgrain on fabric, block printing on fabric, using stencils and thickened paint and more. I might even share some Broadway secrets….shhhhhh….
This autumn’s Silk Painters International (SPIN) Festival promises to be fun!
The Festival will be at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, September 28 through October 5.
There are lots of great teachers doing workshops that week, all about painting on silk. The week is appropriate for beginning silk artists as well as experienced ones, and you can meet fellow enthusiasts and exchange tips and techniques. I am teaching two workshops that week and will also be the keynote speaker! I will be talking about my 30+ years of painting silk (and nylon and wool and lots of other things) for Broadway theater. Check it out at the link above!
Karin Patton is my Crows: An Egg-to-Sky Story Giveaway Winner! Congratulations, Karin! I have reached out to you in an email and will send you an autographed copy.
Thanks to everyone who entered with their crow stories. It is so interesting to learn about these amazing birds from interested birdwatcher reports from all over. I have learned from this giveaway that they like to eat Braunschweiger (thanks, Karin!) as well as peanuts and stale peanut butter cookies. I have heard from people who have received gifts from crows, including hairpins, buttons, coins, screws and washers. I heard a great story about a crow that took a five dollar bill out of a dropped wallet! I have heard that crows develop relationships with pets and play with them through a window or interact with them in the yard. Everything I hear about these complicated animals just enchants me further.
I have always been fascinated with crows, since I was a little girl. I loved to watch them in the cornfields from the bus window on the way to school. Whether they were playing in updrafts on a windy day, feeding their ever-growing giant chicks, or fussing at intruders from high perches, they were constants in my daily life. When I moved to the city, I was happy to find so many urban crows to watch and wonder about. In honor of them, I wrote and illustrated Crows: An Egg-to-Sky Story, published by Muddy Boots Publishing, an imprint of Globe Pequot.
GIVEAWAY: And to celebrate, I would like to give a copy away! Enter a comment below, or on the corresponding Facebook or Instagram posts–tell me if you have had a favorite crow encounter. Your name will be entered for a drawing on July 9, and I will send a book to the winner! US and Canada only, please.
“Heavy outlining and decorative borders give this detailed lifecycle story by Peot the feel of an illustrated manuscript. Each spread marks a stage of crow upbringing. Male crows court females, mates build nests together (lined with “soft grasses, moss, or fine bark strips”), and eggs are laid, warmed, and hatched. Unexpected crow trivia abounds: older siblings often return to help the parents care for chicks, and when fledglings land on the ground, crows work together to mob would-be predators. At last, fledglings fly and then roost, and the cycle begins anew. Two additional sections and a bibliography conclude this close-up view of intimate moments in a crow family’s life. Ages 6–9.”
― Publishers Weekly
Crows: An Egg to Sky Story is available to purchase at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and wherever books are sold.
New from @Muddy Boots Books! And available to pre-order at Amazon!
“Heavy outlining and decorative borders give this detailed lifecycle story by Peot the feel of an illustrated manuscript. Each spread marks a stage of crow upbringing. Male crows court females, mates build nests together (lined with “soft grasses, moss, or fine bark strips”), and eggs are laid, warmed, and hatched (“Both parents clean and fluff the nest around the babies and make sure they are clean”). Unexpected crow trivia abounds: older siblings often return to help the parents care for chicks, and when fledglings land on the ground, crows work together to mob would-be predators. At last, fledglings fly and then roost, and the cycle begins anew. Two additional sections and a bibliography conclude this close-up view of intimate moments in a crow family’s life. Ages 6–9.” –Publishers Weekly
Summer fun possibilities with three new stencils from @StencilGirl Products! Another set of nine backyard birds including the Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Twohee, catbird and white-breasted nuthatch. A set of woodpeckers from the gigantic Pileated Woodpecker to the tiny Downy Woodpecker, plus some pawprints to pad their way through your journal pages. https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencils-margaret-peot-s/2039.htm
Nine of your favorite visitors to your backyard bird feeder! Add to journal pages, print on tea towels, greeting cards. Backyard Birds is available from StencilGirl Products:
