Western California. There is something about being right on the edge of the continent that is appealing and even a little thrilling. West from here is just water.
I am currently just north of San Diego teaching my second of three workshops this week. The first was in Los Angeles and it went quite well. Smart and innovative people. Great questions. Fun times.
photo: Leslie Rodier
That mic made me feel like a rock star... or maybe a news anchor. The workshop was held at the San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center which was a beautiful space with a nice art show surrounding us.
Michelle makes jewelry. She also makes herself tapestry tools like this gorgeous silver-decorated beater. And she brought me a marvelous gift, the idea of which was grounded in a comment from the online class about her ability to build a house in silver faster than she could weave one. I will treasure it and will not forget her presence in my online classes or this workshop... speaking of brilliant and innovative people.
And I found another innovator in Dave who has done a marvelous job teaching himself to weave tapestry. And that after he built himself a fleet of copper pipe looms. They are marvelous in their detail and functionality.
There were fifteen other people in the class each with their own amazing thoughts and creations. I enjoyed all of them a great deal.
The San Diego guild is proving to be a whole different crew of people. I'll let you know how it goes. This guild is held in a Weaving Barn full of some amazing looms. I will be taking a lot of photos.
On the flight from Denver to LAX, we flew right over the route I hiked in August. There was Twin Lakes! Just a few minutes to fly over something that took 9 days to walk. This, my friends, is why I always get a window seat if at all possible. The world looks different from 35,000 feet, though you do have to be more careful planning your bathroom stops when you are in a window seat. There is nothing I hate more than asking sleeping people to let me out (unless it is the actual fact of the airplane lavatory).
This is what I worked on on the trip to California. We'll see how much is done by the time I'm sitting at LAX to go home. Before I get there, I have another workshop in Palm Springs. Pacific Crest Trail anyone?
