Ginni Fleck

Nederlandse vertaling onderaan

Ups and downs in Covid-19, constant adaptations to keep DIY Textile School running during the pandemic, and worries and responsibilities about the care for my elderly parents in the U.S. – it is not a good combination. But just when I started to doubt myself, wondering if I would have to give it all up, shut down the school, stop the madness, a sweet thing happened… I received beautiful handmade thank you cards that helped to remind me why I do this work, why I began this school…. Then came tears, and new, more inspired self-reflection. Big inhale….Lees verder

English text below

Covid-19 heeft alles op zijn kop gezet. Er zitten heel veel zorgelijke kanten aan, voor de samenleving en voor individuele mensen. Ook ik vind het zwaar; emotioneel – mijn ouders vallen in de risicogroep, ze zijn bejaard, hun gezondheid is fragiel en ze wonen in structureel belaste instellingen – en economisch – bij DIY kunnen we door de lockdown geen workshops meer geven. Hoe moet het nu verder met mij, met ons, met de wereld?

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English text below

‘Het leven is wat je overkomt terwijl jij bezig bent met andere plannen maken,’ schreef John Lennon. Mijn andere plannen – dat zijn mijn kunstprojecten; en ik heb ze even op een laag pitje moeten zetten want mijn ouders hebben mij nodig. Voor wie het niet weet: ik ben Amerikaanse en mijn ouders wonen in de Verenigde Staten. Ze zijn oud en ze hebben zorg nodig. Daarvoor zijn, ook in Amerika, zorginstanties. Maar het is heel moeilijk om die vanuit Nederland te bereiken. Er zijn allerlei regels over telefonisch contact met familie. Soms mogen de zorgmanagers alleen contact onderhouden met familie in de eigen staat; familie in het buitenland is helemaal een probleem. Vanwege het tijdverschil tussen Nederland en de Verenigde Staten is het contact al lastig. Voicemails achterlaten heeft geen effect. Ze zullen – of mogen – niet zelf contact met mij opnemen, zelfs niet bij een noodgeval, zelfs niet via gratis bel-apps (vanwege de privacy-regels). Ik moet al het bellen doen. Complicerende factor is dat mijn ouders zijn gescheiden en in verschillende staten wonen, met verschillende zorgsystemen.Lees verder

English translation is below

Ik doe de Batik opleiding met Rita Trefois – twee dagen per maand les en huiswerk. Het is soms lastig om mijn andere werk te parkeren en aan de slag te gaan met was. Maar ik heb het er voor over. Zelden heb ik zo veel, zo snel geleerd. En ik heb mijzelf opdracht gegeven om elke maand een batik-werkstuk te maken voor mijn Sea Life-serie, die ik wil laten zien op Textielfestival Weerribben (14 – 16 Juni 2019).Lees verder

(Nederlandse vertaling vind je onderaan de pagina)

#1: Put everything to good use (everything)
As a teacher at DIY Textile School, creativity is part of my work – like making samples with certain techniques for a class. Until recently, I used to look at those samples as not at all relevant to my creative work. These objects were not art, they were just illustrations of particular techniques. Until one day, I realized that as an artist, I can use everything! Lees verder

We enjoyed a positive, inspiring and very busy student exhibition with over 400 visitors in two days. It was a whirlwind experience, setting up on Saturday, and opening on Sunday and 6 hours on Monday. Lees verder

Did you receive your Spring 2014 newsletter?  SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER HERE!

OR BETTER YET: Get your creative juices flowing and join us next week in our ART JOURNALING class. We’re going to have let loose and have fun! In just 4 evenings you’ll have your own art journal, bound and ready for more creative input. You won’t want to stop, believe me, it’s addictive!

Check out our Winter 2013 newsletter hier. If you don’t receive the newsletter, send me an e-mail and I will put you on our list! Thanks!
(image: Nel v/d Meijden, Textile Art & Art Quilts 2012)

Despite the buckets of rain last Sunday – 13 October 2013, we still had a great showing of 200 people to the first student exhibition of the 2-year Textile Arts Program. Among the guests were Boukje Mulder, editor of Handwerken Zonder Grenzen and Henk Lijding, author of Art Quilts in the Netherlands. Boukje immediately wrote a great Tweet and blog post about the exhibition. I think she captured the story perfectly. Henk Lijding shared about our success in his readings during the EU Quilt Championship this past week in Veldhoven. Overall positive commentary!Lees verder

The new season at DIY Textile has begon. The 2012 Textile Art group returned for the 2nd year of their program. The new 2013 Textile Art groups start this week!

But best of all, the 2011 Textile Art group will be exhibiting their final projects on Saturday – Sunday, 12 & 13 October between 12 – 18:00 at the ABC Treehouse, Voetboogstraat 11 in Amsterdam. And YOU are cordially invited! 14 students will exhibit a variety of textile artistry! Come join us for our first student exhibition!

I visited the Lace museum yesterday for the exhibit Schitterend geplooied. It was very interesting – definitely worth a visit. Although there was much to see, especially in regards to the amazing handwork of the Chinese Miao and Dong people, I found myself most fascinated by the basic things right here in Hollandlong before machinery. I say this, because the museum has a rondleiding to explain all the equipment that produces lace products. But I was most curious watching the Dutch video explaining how flax was grown, harvested and turned into linen. What an amazing long, labour intensive process, and it happened here. I don’t need to eroticise another culture. I can be quite impressed with this one!Lees verder

We had a great journey with Cherilyn Martin over the last six months. Using mixed media and stitch, students completed many beautiful works of art. Here are just a few to capture the memories.

Thank you again Cherilyn! And job well done, group!
For those of you who missed out in 2013, sign up here for 2014!

Cherilyn Martin

Thanks to all the DIY Textile students who shared their artwork during the Open Atelierdagen!  It was a good mix of various techniques, materials, and formats, as you can see for yourself.Lees verder

In last weeks Stitch Art class, Cherilyn Martin supported students in transforming their practice stitches, into mini artworks. I’m so curious to see what amazing works of art will be created by our 6th and last lesson! Here are just a few examples of student progress from our last class…

In running a business, I find myself with constant chatter in my brain of things to do, people to talk to, visions to consider, e-mails to write, etc. Sometimes, I just need to go for walks and find my center. That is my way of meditating. On my last walk, my brain was insistently chattering so I repeated to myself,  here and now…here and now…here and now.  I took deep breaths, I smelled the clean air, I stopped and took in the small buds on the bare trees, and I listened to the birds sing. I found my center.

This leaf  dropped off one of my indoor plants and I decided I wanted to embroider on it. I pulled out my sketchbook to create a plan. I drew the leaf and the word NU (now) appeared on the leaf, then the word HIER (here). It was as if I was led to create this. So I did. Creating is one of the best ways to lose oneself into our center. I had forgotten that core message. Time to get back to my own creations.
Ginni

Johanna Wroblewska gave a hands-on tour at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Our Textile Arts students explored various aspects of modern art to improve their knowledge of composition and design.Lees verder

As part of the 2 year Textile Art program, Jette Clover came and gave a lesson on Markmaking. But of course before we started anew, we reviewed the masks everyone completed after Mirjam Pet-Jacobs enthusiastic Collage and Maskers class. I’ve chosen only a representative two…Lees verder

Exciting news! Kunstkeur has approved DIY Textile School for certification.

AND… MARK YOUR CALENDAR! 10 – 17:00 Saturday, 4 February is our OPEN DAY! The flyer will be in the mail to you soon or email us for more information!

Student artwork and student demos! Drinks, hapjes and gezelligheid!

I just put a new course up on the DIY website. It is a 2 year program in Textile Arts. I am really excited about it since there are so few programs on offer in this area. It will be absolutely fun to see this develop! I am in contact with teachers now and working out all the dates, so more information is still to come.

A number of years ago, I also was looking for a program just like this, a place to go as an older student, where I could learn about fiber arts. I wanted to learn about art and design theory, develop my skills in artistic design with textiles, and experiment, experiment, experiment. After taking a course here, a workshop there, a program here and lesson or two there…I decided it was high time to set up a school where one could really focus and develop their talents with excellent instructors, in a group with other like-minded people, with clear guidance throughout the creative process. With a Masters Degree in Creativity in Education and the teaching of many “bekende textielkunstenaars” in my repetoire, I am ready to offer you with the help of many of these same artists a top program! Check out www.diytextileschool.nl