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Tag Archives: TwispWorks

Fall Colors in Twisp

I’ve been working with a student at the Independent Learning Center (ILC) in Twisp this fall. He showed interest in photography early in the quarter and his teachers asked if I’d mentor him as he pursued this interest. We have spent time talking about photography, going on photo walks and working on the computer – learning about photo processing. I have little experience with teaching so it’s a learning experience for both of us. He is an eager learner, ready to pursue new topics and also a good listener. It’s been fun.

The ILC is located on the TwispWorks campus. We visited some of the studios on the campus and walked around the adjoining neighborhood and to the park at the confluence of the Twisp and Methow River. Hopefully soon we will have snow-covered backdrops to explore.

Looking through the photos from our walks, I miss the colors of fall. Especially on this foggy dark November day.

Flowers and a honeybee at TwispWorks
Samantha Carlin’s Lucid Glass
Chess set at the ILC
Neighborhood flowers
Old golden retriever
remnants of an old building at TwispWorks
Images from Nice Nests
Flowers in a dye garden
Artist’s brushes
And old printing press, still in use
Skeptical
Pottery wheel
At the park
Tough guy
Replica of a lookout at TwispWorks
Twisp River

Work Should be Fun – Do What You Love

At Saturday’s Phoenix Festival in Twisp I spent some time watching Samantha Carlin create a glass vase. Samantha’s studio, Lucid Glassworks, is located on the TwispWorks campus and she was doing glass blowing demonstrations. I’d never watched the process from start to finish before. She explained each step along the way and it was obvious that she really enjoys what she does!

The work table
Colors bits of glass to decorate the plain glass
Getting a gob of glass
Shaping
A finished vase
Adding color
Heating it up to keep it pliable
Shaping
Blowing
Shaping
Blowing
More heat
Looking like a vase
Getting ready to work on the top
Now she can shape the top
More heat
Viewed through the safety screen
Almost done

Phoenix Festival – Rising From the Ashes

We’re Not Burning Man was the theme of Saturday’s Phoenix Festival at TwispWorks. After this summer in the Methow Valley, folks came together from TwispWorks, Methow Arts, KTRT, The Confluence Gallery and others to create a reason to celebrate; to put this summer of fire behind us. It was a grand success! The music, the visual arts, the fun all put smiles on people’s faces. Spontaneous hugs erupted all over the place. We were able to enjoy fire – campfires, fire juggling, and later on (I missed these) fire dancing and a trumpet of fire!

There was music on two different stages from the start at 2 in the afternoon til way after 10 at night. All kinds of music. There were art demonstrations. There was interactive art. There were art vendors. Artist studios were open. Kids played with balls. Dogs were seen enjoying the scene.

Firefighters, the ambulance crews, law officers and a lookout were honored for their work during the emergencies.

People shared deeply personal art in the Share building. Some pieces were created for the show including paintings, collage, photos and poetry. Some were artifacts from the fires. It was all deeply touching.

Here are a few (too many) images from the event.

 

Olive is a service dog
The annual calendar from Door #3
Robin of Door #3
Rex
Eqpd has a ‘fix your gear’ night once a month. They will do simple repairs for free!
Daughter and mother
Basil
Lynnette and Roger
Even Superheroes need friends
Inside the Share room
Inside the Share room
My encaustic transfers inside the Share room. Two of them sold!
Inside the Share room
Splat!
Good thing there was a fire fighter around, just in case.
Patrick’s nest boxes – Nice Nests!
Patrick talks about his nest boxes
Sara Ashford’s Culler Studio
Carolee describes the natural dyes she uses on wool and hemp yarns
Twisted Knitters
Donna K, founder of the Methow Gallery
Drive in drugs?
That deer in the headlight look we all know so well around here.
Part of a raku pottery demonstration
Spontaneous hug
Multi tasking
Heeler/lab cross puppy
Local yoga teacher serves in the beer garden
Dusty 45’s
Spontaneous hug
Music hosts Don Ashford from KTRT and Superhero Danbert Nobacon
Jack, a hound/border collie cross
The popular free tour of TwispWorks
Short films in the Spartan Art Project
Rose and her daughter Magnolia return to the Methow. We miss you Rose.

Cahalen & Eli in Twisp

When I first thought about where I’d like to live, the Methow Valley was high on my list for two things – the terrific outdoor recreation possibilities (hiking, skiing, etc) and the arts. This area has a large number of creative people and it also supports the arts pretty remarkably for such a rural location. Last night we had the good fortune to experience a wonderful musical act – Cahalen and Eli in the Spartan Art Project which is currently located at TwispWorks. How can I begin to describe all of this? Let’s see – TwispWorks is housed in a former US Forest Service complex that was surplused by the federal government and put out for auction. A group of civic minded folks decided it could be a great incubator to support arts and small businesses in our valley and they raised enough money ($1 million dollars!) to buy it and then they had to start refurbishing the old buildings. Now it is home to art studios, classrooms, a natural history center, teen center and more! The Spartan Art Project is a 1951 travel trailer transformed into a gallery space supporting artists both local and from far away. It is the brainchild of three local artists. Last night Donna Keyser’s studio on the TwispWorks campus hosted a reception for the musicians and the audience.

Cahalen and Eli are two fine acoustic musicians based in Seattle. In the last week they have been featured on NPR and Folk Alley and probably other media outlets as well. They write many of their own songs and play mandolins, banjo and guitar and their harmonies are wonderful We were lucky to have such a talented duo in our tiny town of Twisp. One of the ways that the Spartan Art Project supports artists is with their ‘Intimate Performances’. This is the third one. As you might imagine, an old travel trailer does not seat too many people. However, the acoustics are wonderful and the chance to see these men performing up close was particularly entertaining. We reserved two seats so we could be up close and personal with the show.

Matt Armbrust, one of the three ‘spartners’ in this project introduces the musicians
After the performance, visiting with the musicians as snow falls.

The First Annual Big Wheel Derby at TwispWorks

Uh oh. You can tell that this winter is going to be a long one. The lack of snow is bringing out some real creativity in the valley.

Yesterday Jennifer asked me if I was going to race and I had not a clue what she was referring to. Then she said ‘bring your camera to TwispWorks at noon’. Hmmm. MA knew about the race too and apparently was thinking about entering. She and I had a dog walk this morning and, well, we were a little late but we figured, like many events around here, it might not start quite on time. We were wrong. By the time we got there, most contestants had already had their practice run and their competitive run. MA was convinced to join in the fun and did really well, coming in third place out of about a dozen qualifiers. There were a few rules. Knocking over a cup would cost you time. Going off course would get you disqualified. Costumes were encouraged.

The judge
All the media turned out for this event.
Game Face
Jennifer had a great costume
A silent spectator
Jennifer gives pointers while MA gets outfitted for the race
Equipment adjustment
Practice run
Uh oh
Good thing it was practice
Ready to start for real
It takes some effort to get the thing moving
On the back stretch
Kelly tries again after disqualifying earlier.
Mo won. It was her machine and her idea!

Steve Foreman’s video from the Big Wheel Derby can be seen at the Methow Grist.