THE FIRST OCEAN CREEK RETREAT - JANUARY 2011

                                 January 27, 28, 29 2011     Myrtle Beach, SC

 We will offer two full days of relaxed, unhurried classes, meditative walks on the beach and even weaving

                                                                                                     CLASSES ARE DESCRIBED BELOW 

                                          Click here for information about 2012

SHADES OF BROWN in Black Ash - $90/00 Approximate dimensions 7" x 7" x 1.5" "SHADES OF BROWN" is one of my newest trays. The pattern is similar to the other 4 point start trays. You will be supplied with graph paper and colored pencils and time for you to try to create a pattern of your own within the confines of the colors I have dyed and their lengths. The Most amazing things happen when you just allow your imagination to run wild. Mindful weaving means thinking aboutand really observing what you are weaving. Observing yourself and what you are feeling is a form of mindfulness. This is normally a full 8 hour class and with our frequent breaks to do other things,we can finish the basket completely....and for the "speed weavers", you will be able to think about and the possibility of starting another (smaller) basket. The class basket is made entirely from 3/16" black ash (dyed in 4 shades of brown) and one row of ¼ heavy false rim row with Pine needle rim lashed with needle and waxed linen. It is approximately 9"x9"x2" deep. It is a joy to watch the levels recede into the distance and others raise up to give you dimension. It is also a large joy just to work with the most perfect weaving material in the world.

LYN SYLER  I wove pretty much "mindlessly" for many years, but now, I consult the Universe before I start a new basket. I make sure my intentions are pure and I am filled with "Right thought". If that is the case, you can do no wrong. It isn’t a "MUST" to meditate while you weave, in many ways, my weaving becomes meditative just because the rhythm of it often lulls me into something of a meditative state. I find I am able to open up the channels of creativity often times by examining the world around me and indeed myself.

SPECIAL RIBBED EGG OR MELON BASKET in reed - $65.00 Students will have a choice of weaving a melon basket or a flat bottom egg basket, both constructed on 8" hoops. The melon basket will begin with a braided God’s Eye. The flat bottom egg will feature a three point ear and upon completion be embellished with a decorative lip. Emphasis for both baskets will be on shaping

JUDY WOBBLETON Basketry artist and Martin County native, Judy Wobbleton, has been creatively weaving baskets for over 25 years. She uses traditional techniques to create functional pieces influenced by Native American and traditional Appalachian designs. The woven baskets are then dipped in a homemade walnut stain similar to what our ancestors would have used and signed by Judy. Judy’s work has been featured in several publications including The Basket Book, Basketmakers’ Baskets, Craft Works in the Home, A Basketmaker’s Odyssey: Over, Under, Around & Through, and The Ultimate Basket Book. She is also a highly sought after teacher at conventions and seminars. In addition to weaving, Judy devotes a great deal of her time to the Martin County Arts Council and The North Carolina Basketmakers Association, which she cofounded. She strives to pass on the appreciation for the arts and particularly the art and tradition of basketry to future generations.

PAINT AND WEAVE A WATERCOLOR PAPER BASKET - $65.00   Carolyn will help students paint their own 120 lb. watercolor paper and then have a selection of patterns to choose a basket they will make, The Boutique Tissue by Patti Quinn Hill is one of the most popular but students may pick another.	CAROLYN KEMP About the Artist: Carolyn Kemp lives in Canaan, NH, having recently moved from NC. She attended college in Ohio where she grew up and started painting many years ago. Carolyn loves watercolor and has found new inspiration in weaving with the paper she paints. Carolyn has been making baskets since the early 1980's when she and Lyn combined talents in writing basketry instructions, together they wrote the series "How to Make Baskets", "The Basket Book", "Handmade Baskets", "A Basketmaker's Odyssey...Over, Under, Around & Through" and "The Ultimate Basket Book". Carolyn is a charter member of NCBA and has contributed her art in many forms to the organization.

DESIGN A WHITE OAK BASKET - $90.00  Students will participate in the design of their own white oak baskets. Time will be spent on the basic design process considering the materials, basket use, and construction difficulty. This picture shows examples of the variety of basket types that can be made in this class. Students will design, carve and bend their own handle(s) and prepare the rims. Time will be taken throughout the class to teach about the selection and preparation of white oak and learn about the various tools that are used .

JOEL & DAWN SIMPSON Joel and Dawn have been teaching basket classes since 1994 and focus on oak and ash baskets. Although both have full-time jobs, baskets are a creative and fun alternative to their "real work." They love teaching together and enjoy helping students master new techniques and or materials

FOR MORE INFORMATION and a REGISTRATION FORM  CONTACT US AT