Connections #2 - Carol Trice
A couple of years back I was teaching at Quilting By The Lake. As the workshop participants filled the class I was aware of one student in the class who seemed to carry with her a sense of great urgency and intensity. This was not demonstrated through any sign of anxiety but rather through her general expression and demeanor. The student was Carol Trice.
Carol's materials for the week had not arrived and for many people this would have been devastating. While not happy with the situation, she scrambled around and gathered what she needed to work and had a most productive week. (Her boxes arrived later but she was already on her way to finding a direction for her work.) Working with Carol that week was a pleasure. She fully participated in the class which for me means that she listened to what I had to share, absorbed it and refined the information through her own experiences.
I just recently ask a few students to write a recommendation for my teaching and today I want to share what Carol had to say.
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Carol Trice
For years, I have admired the work of Terry Jarrard-Dimond with her use of strong graphic shapes and confident use of color. When I saw that Terry was on the instructor list for Quilting By the Lake in 2011, I was absolutely going to do whatever it took to attend her workshop. I didn't even care what the topic was... I was going to take that workshop.
Terry is an extremely patient instructor providing guidance, encouragement and instructive critique to help further your growth as an artist. The exercises had clear instructions yet left plenty of room for individual creativity.
Most current work by Carol Trice
Throughout the week, Terry presented exercises to stimulate creativity while exploring line and shape. I rarely produce anything in a workshop that I complete into a finished piece. However, a piece from Wednesday's exercise exploring silhouettes is hanging in my bedroom. But, it was the very first exercise that had the biggest impact on my art. The exercise was completed in black and white fabric with torn strips sewn directly onto a solid fabric background. Up until this point in time, I was a devout piecer; however, this exercise with Terry was freeing. I loved this process.
Design exercise from workshop. Carol Trice
It didn't happen overnight. But, I was searching for an idea to start a series. I noticed that I was attracted to a lot of things black and white. Since many instructors have recommended working in Black and White to concentrate on improving on the design principles, I decided to take on that challenge. I eventually decided to use a cross hatch as my basic inspiration and using torn strips, not piecing. That first exercise in Terry's workshop was the seed to my Connections series. Connections #2 has been juried into two national shows. But, the most recent piece off the design wall is the most directly related to the workshop. I won't divulge the exercise, but I used a similar premise to begin my most recent piece. It is not finished yet, but it is one of my favorites in the series so far.
I have taken numerous classes with well-known instructors, but Terry's workshop has had a profound impact on my art. I admit I didn't realize all that I had taken away from that week with Terry until later, but the ideas that were generated in that workshop continue to impact my work. To me, that is the definition of a good design workshop. I couldn't ask for more.
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Thank you Carol.
Please take time to visit Carol's website where you can see more of her work and read what she has to say about the work she is doing.
I will be teaching at QBL this summer and my workshop is Line As Language. I invite you to come and join me. In September I will be teaching Design Bootcamp One: Design Is the Foundation at the Crow Timberframe Barn.
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