I am home again from the Tucson Seminar

It is difficult to believe that the ANG Tucson seminar ended 2 weeks ago. Time has gone so quickly!

The seminar hotel this year was such a nice one, easy to get around, no elevator waits and a tiny refrigerator in each room! The views of the desert were great. I have always loved the desert in the early morning and late in the afternoon because of the light. Desert light is just wonderful and desert colors so inspiring.

I enjoyed my classes. I tried to teach a little more than "up at one and down at two" stitch patterns. I always have thought there are two parts to needlepoint: the first is how do do it and the second is what to do with it once you know how to do it. If I were interested only in the first, I would have left long ago; it is the latter that has kept me going for more than 37 years.

My most successful class, from my point of view, was my second class. In that class, Kate Gaunt asked me a great question: she asked, if I were to stitch my project again, what would I change. My answer led to a number of students changing colors which is always exciting. I have only one rule that uses the word "never" and it is this: never work in colors you don't like. If you don't like the colors you won't do your best work.

Needlework offers some good classes in color and design theory but our field is sorely lacking classes about the application of theory to specific projects. With this in mind, I was excited to learn that Betty Chen Louis will offer such a class at Callaway. To me, Betty is the Queen of Line in needlework.

I came home from seminar with good feelings about the direction I hope ANG will take in the future. While I was at seminar, I talked to several people who are willing to serve on the board and whose ideas are substantial and creative. I hope these people do indeed take board positions and I look forward to hearing more about their ideas.

Gay Ann