Art Classes & Workshops
Elaine Luther is an art teacher with 20+ years of experience supporting students’ creativity. Available for weekend and week-long workshops at folk schools, craft schools and guilds as well as classes and workshops at libraries, guilds, and art centers.
Now teaching:
- Shibori Dyeing with Procion Dye or Natural Indigo
- Rust & Blues: Iron Buff + Indigo Dyeing on Fabric
- No Mordant Natural Dyes
- Photograms on Fabric with Solar Fast Dye and/or Cyanotype
- Story Quilts
- Update Your Wardrobe with Dye
- Learn to Sew
Shibori Weekly Class or Workshop
Learn the Japanese art of Shibori folding and dyeing. Learn the arashi, itajime, kanoko, and ne-maki styles of folding/tying.In addition, learn two all-over patterns for two color dye processes. Learn to dye with Procion fiber reactive dyes. We’ll use simple tools and you’ll be able to repeat this at home on your own. Make gorgeous fabrics each week that you can use to sew into garments or quilts, or dye all bandanas and T-shirts, your choice!
Variations: This class can be taught using Procion fiber reactive dyes, or natural indigo (I use an organic 1-2-3 vat).
Class Length: This can be presented as a multi-week, weekly class, or workshop that could be: one day, one weekend, one long weekend, or one week.
Elaine Luther started out as a metalsmith and has loved printing designs on fabric using copper and iron for years. More recently, her artistic practice expanded to include the fiber arts and her lifelong casual tie-dyeing became more serious as she studied shibori, adire and finally natural dye and natural indigo.
Class Length: This can be presented as a multi-week, weekly class, or workshop that could be: one day, one weekend, one long weekend, or one week.
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Solar Fast prints by Elaine Luther, Copyright Elaine Luther 2022
Photograms on Fabric with Solar Fast Dye (or Cyanotype)
Solar Fast is a light reactive dye that you can use to make contact prints of anything flat – dried, pressed plants, lace, shapes cut out of card stock, anything!. Or you can print a transparency with an image of photograph, or with text. The possibilities are endless! Solar Fast is safe, non-toxic and comes in many colors. We’ll apply it to the fabric in semi-darkness and then expose our prints using special UV lights (provided by the teacher). What do you do with it? Solar Fast is extremely wash-fast, hence the name. It doesn’t fade in the wash, the dye is permanent. This makes it ideal for quilts, clothing and artwork. You can print on pieces of fabric (cotton, linen, etc., fabric must be natural) or directly on clothing. Solar Fast also works on paper, and students are welcome to explore this medium on paper.
In this class we’ll start with printing photograms of objects and then learn how to make and print transparencies (no advanced computer skills required). This class can be taught using the sun, with UV lights as back up, or with using UV lights as the plan.
Elaine Luther has been working with Solar Fast extensively in her artwork, printing images of vintage doilies onto vintage hankies, and printing text such as “Your Cashier Today was Self” on vintage doilies. These artworks have been shown in galleries in her recent solo shows.
Variation: Instead of Solar Fast, we can use cyanotype, which can cost less. The sun/UV light requirements are the same for both.
Class Length: This can be presented as a multi-week, weekly class, or workshop that could be: one day, one weekend, one long weekend, or one week.
Stretched quilt with cyanotypes by Elaine Luther, Copyright 2024
No experience necessary. Bring your photos on a memory stick to the first class.
Variations: 1. Historical Research. This class/workshop can be taught at historical societies, where students research a subject and make a piece about it using the techniques taught, and design methods taught in class.
2. Another variation is Snapshot of My Life, where students gather images from their phones, items from their house, purse, pockets, and make cyanotypes and print photos using those items. This fun, improvisational method works because the blue of the cyanotype is a unifying feature.
3. Celebrate Family. In this variation, students print in (digital) family photos, recipes, handwritten letters, and clothing, and create a piece that celebrates their family. While this can be a memorial piece, it does not need to be, it can be a celebration of family traditions.
4. We can eliminate the color photo and use all cyanotypes and fabrics instead.
5. The final product for this class can be a group-made, community project.
For Maker Labs with sublimation dye printers and heat presses – we can use that instead of the Transfer Artist Paper.
For historical societies and not for profits: this class is an excellent fit for a humanities grant.
Class Length: This class can be presented as a multi-week, weekly class, or a week-long or long weekend workshop.
Update Your Wardrobe with Dye!
Don’t throw it out! Throw it in the dye pot! Learn to use fiber reactive dye (the same high quality dyes used by professional tie-dyers) to update the style of a clothing item, cover stains or make the item look newer. Learn what kind of dye to use when and when RIT dye is the best choice. Learn the low-water rinse method.
Learn to Sew
For libraries and maker spaces with sewing machines. Total beginners learn to use the sewing machine and complete their first project. Possible projects include: Sew Your First Tote Bag, Sew a Scrunchie (or two), Sew a Quilt Block (and iron it onto a bag), Sew an Infinity Scarf.
Photos of student work available upon request. Have taught over a dozen workshops at libraries and students have all successfully completed their projects. Staff training is also available.
Artist-in-Residence
Elaine is available as an artist in residence, to work with your patrons or members over a period of time, to teach a series of workshops on a theme, resulting in a group-made communal project, or temporary display of individual projects. A customized program can be created for your organization.
Requirements for Classes that Involve Travel
In person classes/workshops requiring travel require a minimum of three days of programming. The host organization pays for air fare (or mileage, if under 300 miles away) and hotel accommodations. More information is available upon request.
Philosophy and Where I’ve Taught
You can read my teaching philosophy and see the extensive list of art centers, libraries and more where I’ve taught, HERE.
Start the conversation, message me HERE. Thanks!
