I arrived at Penland around 5:00. It is a beautiful rustic campus in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. Here is a description of classes from the Penland website:
Each summer, the school offers 98 one- or two-week classes in books and paper, clay, drawing and painting, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking, textiles, wood, and other media.
In the spring and fall, Penland has seven classes that run for eight weeks. These long sessions, called Concentrations, are unlike anything else offered in craft: almost as long as a college semester with the focused intensity of the single-subject workshop. We also offer a few one-week classes in the spring and fall.
Tonight we had our introductory class. We met our instructor, an older woman named Pinky Bass from Alabama. She is full of energy and lots of stories. She showed us a variety of pinhole cameras she has made from things like oatmeal boxes, coke cans, a purse, and even a hollowed out bible. This is just the sort of creative environment I need to be immersed in. Looking forward to a great week.
