Larkin is the perfect teacher to bring a sense of creativity and excitement to students in your guild or store. She was surprised to find herself teaching in 1992, but found she loved the challenge and excitement of the classroom. As recognition for her art quilts and wearable art have grown she has been a stimulating and unselfish guide to hundreds of fabric and fiber fanatics in the Pacific Northwest.
Larkin is a mixed-media textile artist working in the areas of art quilts, beadwork, wearable art, and liturgical art. Each piece represents the combination of her imagination, inspiration from the world around her, and her strong sense of drama. The intense forms and colors of her work are sometimes a response to the grey Pacific Northwest winters, other times they reflect the natural energy of spring and summer. Whether exploring the variety of textures found on the island – the waves and tidelines, wind-bent trees, strata and fissures in the rocks on the seashore – or the inner landscape of emotions, spirit, and self, it’s all about texture. Larkin wants her work to have as much interest for the fingertips as for the eye – hence the decision to work with fabric, fiber, beads, and found objects. She is also drawn to the alchemy and serendipity of dyeing and painting her own fabrics and yarns to create her “paintbox” of materials.
As well as producing her own creations, she is in demand as a teacher and
lecturer among quilters, fiber artists, and beadworkers. Her second book, “Beading
On Fabric” was released in 2006, and she has also published patterns
for wearable art garments and fabric vessels.
Her work has been displayed and won honors both regionally and nationally.
In 2007, Larkin made her sixth appearance in the Bernina Fashion Show (and
its predecessor, the Fairfield Fashion Show), where she received the 2002
Judge’s Merit Award.
Locally, Larkin is a member of the Contemporary QuiltArt Associations, a past President of the Pacific Northwest Needle Arts Guild, a founding member of the Wearable Art Study Group, and founder of a group for beadwork enthusiasts on Whidbey Island, The Bead Nuts. She is active in a small art quilt group, Three Uppity Women, which exhibits locally and participates in fundraising for humanitarian causes. Additionally, she is a member of the International Quilt Association and the Studio Art Quilt Associates.
In addition to her fiber artistry, Larkin is an accomplished vocalist. She lives on Whidbey Island in Washington State with her husband/photographer/webmaster, Van, and her eclectic collection of fabric, fibers, and beads.
Larkin's popular classes include:
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Embellished Journal or Sketchbook Fabric Collage: Don't Toss That Scrap! |
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Project du Jour: Larkin will be happy to tailor a class to the desires of your students. Please call or email to discuss your needs for a classroom project or retreat. Lectures for Guilds: If One Is Good, Twenty Is Better: I am a great believer in embellishments, texture, color and having fun with fashion. Come hear my theories and insights, and enjoy an overview of my wearable works of art. Shattered Circles: What happens when you take a simple circle and start to dissect and separate it into seemingly unrelated shapes? See the progression from "what if" to "WOW!" Fabric and Beads - A Winning Combination: Fabric artists using beads! Bead artists working with fabrics! What fun! This lecture is an overview of the possibilities of combining these two exciting media. |
The Details:
Teaching: $600 for
a 6-hour teaching day, $350 for 3-hour teaching day
Lecture: $300
A 30% non-refundable deposit will be required, based on the total of all class and lecture fees plus estimated expenses.
Transportation (within
driving distance)
Ferry Fare: $16.50 round trip
Mileage: Standard IRS mileage allowance ($0.505/mile in 2008)
See Lodging and Meals below.
Transportation (out
of town)
Round trip transportation to Sea-Tac Airport, including ferry fare, mileage
(129 miles round trip) and parking or shuttle. (For an extended trip, the
shuttle may be less expensive than mileage to and parking at the airport)
Air Fare from and to Sea-Tac Airport - If there are several legs to a trip, involving several guilds or shops, total travel costs may be split among them.
Lodging
I would prefer a private room (non-smoking) in a motel/hotel/B&B.
I am not completely averse to staying in the home of a sponsor, but I need
privacy and quiet in a non-smoking/pet-free environment.
Meals
As I have specific dietary restrictions, this may best be handled
by per diem. However, if meals will be provided by the sponsor, I will
be happy to send a list of things I may not eat.
To Arrange Classes
Please send e-mail with your desired program, location, dates, and other
details to larkin@larkinart.com to
start the ball rolling. You may wish to review the teaching contract in Acrobat
format here. When plans are set, you may
print that, fill out the program plans, sign two copies and mail it with
your deposit. I will sign and return one copy immediately. I will then be
looking forward to meeting you and your students and members.