Empty Spools began over thirty years ago and I've been hoping to attend almost that long. With young children, tight budget and half a continent of distance it was a pipe dream. Secretly I promised to attend when the children were grown. Not only have they been grown {for quite a while} but we now live in California part of the year. And I still didn't attend.
Gayle mentioned that
Valerie Goodwin's class, The Complex Composition, still had openings. Valerie visited our guild two years ago and neither of us could believe her class wasn't full. It was a
sign to sign up immediately. We packed machines and fabric and off we went.
Julia Morgan designed the first buildings in the
California Arts and Crafts style using local wood and stone. Fireplaces are the centerpiece of almost every structure. We checked in at reception in the Phoebe Hearst Center (Julia was Phoebe's protege.)
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| Phoebe Hearst Social Hall, Asilomar |
and found our rooms at The Lodge.
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| The Lodge (photo by Asilomar Conference Center) |
This building was constructed after important visitors from New York found the tent buildings too primitive for their tastes. My room was simply furnished: single bed, small bathroom with shower, desk and dresser but faced the ocean. I left the windows open nightly to enjoy the sounds of the waves.
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| Simply furnished single room at The Lodge |
Empty Spools centered on Merrill Hall and our class was held in an anteroom. From there we could see the ocean through the trees.
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| View of the Pacific Ocean from our classroom |
Late one afternoon, we took a walk along the shore for a closer look.
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| Monterey Peninsula shoreline |
Caterpillars covered the grounds. We had to step carefully to avoid crushing them. I'm not sure the species but
another site suggests they might be tiger moths.
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| One of the many caterpillars on the grounds |
Valerie led us through individual samples and a group project before we started on our own maps. Since she had a tremendous amount of detailed information to impart, they were important precursors.
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| Technique sample from Valerie Goodwin's class |
Here's my initial draft, overlaying topographic maps and photographs of San Francisco.
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| Initial draft combining topographic maps and photographs |
Enjoy the day,
Ann
"If silence seems to give approval, then remaining silent is cowardly." Eleanor Roosevelt
