June Colburn
Seminars
Kimono Confidential: Centuries of Surface Design
Long before our country was founded, Japanese artisans were designing works of art for the body. Some of the finest textiles in the world were crafted using techniques we now call “surface design”. See and wonder at the stunning effects these masters perfected, including Yuzen dyeing, screen printing and stenciling, hand-embroidery (which later was replaced by machine work), and modern experiments using heat-fused metalics. An eye-opening adventure to thrill any budding textile artist! Bring your camera to save and savor the techniques exhibited in this trunk show of fine examples.
3-4 hours
Myths and Legends In Japanese Textiles
A textile anthropologist at heart, June is a great teller of stories, especially those woven and dyed into Japanese textiles. Learn about the mysterious Ho-o, or phoenix, sipping The elixir of immortality, the dragon with body parts from seven different animals, the crane and tortoise and how they are related to pine trees. Plants provide important symbols, too—the graceful bamboo, stunning chrysanthemum, regal paulonia, all featured in fabrics to express the wearer’s taste, sensitivity and aspirations. View the fine silks featuring these extraordinary images and many more!
2 hours
Kimono Textiles: Wonders of Weaving and Dyeing Arts
For centuries the Japanese have perfected methods to create fine textiles. Take home a notebook filled with kimono sample swatches, as you learn to identify many of their greatest achievements. In hour one, explore the weavers’ art by examining obi brocade, gauze weaves, kasuri, and more. In hour two, study many artful dyeing techniques, including Yuzen and shibori, and how they were achieved. Textile
2 hours