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Time flies and the NIADA conference 2009 is coming up. The conference will be held from September 8 through 13 in Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts near Knoxville, Tennesee. The conference is open for everyone, not only NIADA members, and I heard already from several of my Texas friends and many others that they will be there. Great!
The conference is set up a bit different than other years. September is so much more convenient for me than mid-summer. In summer I always had to choose between my family holiday and NIADA, and choosing for NIADA could lead to a divorce.
The setting is choosen because this will give us plenty of room and occasions to have contact. It will be so much more intimate than staying in a big hotel. During and around the conference there are several interesting workshops set up. You can also take these classes if you do not attend the conference. Also the Gallery Show on Sunday will be open to visit for everyone. Check the Niada website for all details. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you might have any further questions.
I will be there for sure together with Ankie Daanen. We already booked our flights. And we hope to see you there. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet so many wonderful NIADA artists, to see their beautiful work, to learn from them and to have a lot of fun.
Marcie Hart has sent me the Byrum Spiritual Art Award. This award means: “You make a difference…… I know, because you have for me! Thank you for being such a creative and wonderful person.”
I really feel honored. Now I may send the award to six other people. Hard to choose. There are a lot of artists I admire and am fond of but I decided to honor and thank all the students I have met in the “Meet the Dutch Touch” class and my other classes. I would like to thank them because they are so patient, grateful and enthusiastic. It is always a joy to teach them and to be with them. And also I would like to honor all our “Meet the Dutch Touch” hosts. I have met so many wonderful people, so sweet and hospitable. I love you all.
To honor all students and hosts I would like to pass the Byrum Spiritual Art Award to:
Janet Bodin, who introduced us to Houston
Jane Darin, who was our very first US host
Barbi Kantor-Goldenberg, who is an absolute darling
Rosie Rojas, who is my favorite student
Marlene Slobin, who is the sweetest and a wonderful organizer
Lynne and Gene Olson, who turned Seattle into heaven for us
Thank you very very much for your friendship.
You all make a difference…. I know, because you have for me!
Marlaine
After a very successful DABIDA Day last April we accepted two new DABIDA Artist members: Kamilla Meesters and Charles Stephan.
Kamilla Meesters is a very talented new young doll artist. She makes realistic portraits with a twist in Living Doll polymer clay.
Charles Stephan sent in his Lamb Elfin for the 2009 DABIDA Doll Award and won second place.
Both artists work in styles that were not yet represented within DABIDA. We are happy to welcome them and we look forward to meet them and their work on the next DABIDA DAY on April 11th 2010.
Yesterday I finally called my old friends Jane and Joe Darin, who live in San Diego, to hear how they are doing these days. Jane Darin makes cloth dolls and is a sculptor. They hosted the very first “Meet the Dutch Touch” class in the US for Ankie Daanen and me many years ago. And not only that, but right before this class they took us on an unforgettable road trip from Albuquerque to San Diego visiting a.o. the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. So calling them brought back so many good memories. Sometimes having a real conversation on the phone works better than email contact.
One of the running gags during this road trip was that Ankie and I, never been in a desert before, wanted to see a “real” cactus. The one with the arms. Years later we finally saw them in Tucson, Arizona and that is where this picture is taken. It is amazing where the dolls can bring you and how many “middles of nowhere” there are in the US.
