Camp and Create with Susan Eiseman Levitin! August 17 – 23

  My wheels have been turning, planning the art-making I will do at Searsport Shores next week. I hope you will join me! Each day, we will explore the beauty all around us and reflect what we find in our work. One day, we will make collages and sculptures using found objects from a nature walk. Another, we will batik, and yet another, we will paint silk. We will also leave our mark on the grounds by creating a communal weaving on an Earth Loom.

I am a self-taught fiber artist who grew up surrounded by art. My grandmother was a children’s clothing designer and art collector. An aunt on the other side is a professional artist.

I thought of myself only as a crafter for many years. I was convinced that I needed to follow someone else’s pattern. I thought I would have nothing to bring to a blank canvas.

I finally began to grow into myself as an artist in my 30s, while I was mothering babies. (This may not be a coincidence.) I began painting murals, both public and private. I began painting silks about ten years ago, creating tallitot (Jewish prayer shawls) as well as scarves. A batik class at Fiber College widened by horizons and I began combining batik and silk painting techniques in my work.

I have been an avid knitter for some 15 years and I adore hand-painted yarns. The experience of leading a fiber arts study group in our home school co-op showed me how much joy there is in dyeing yarn, so I added that to my repertoire as well. I have just begun dyeing spinning fiber this year. As you can see, I continually push myself to learn new techniques and new media. I always want to see what else I can do with my art. To that end,

I will be bringing some of my batik work with me to the Artist’s Studio at Searsport Shores. I have found some lovely woven wool and I want to see how I can transfer my silk-based techniques to a different fiber surface. I will also be bringing some wet-felting materials and perhaps some fabric-marbling supplies to experiment with combining techniques in some new-to-me ways. I invite you to drop by to see what I am up to!