"HatMaking" Penland School of Crafts Penland, North Carolina Summer 2013
Instructor - Wayne Wichern, California
I had a magical experience going down the mountain to the river or creek nearest the Penland Post Office. I traveled on foot through the brush to the creekside and there in all the sand lay at least 50+ monarch butterfly wings. It was 55 to be exact. The same amount of half eaten Monarch wings as many years as my Mother had lived. Only half lives for them all. The strangest thing, my Mother loved those butterflies. I prayed for a vessel to place these fragile wings in and lo, and behold, there was "like" a miner's silver shallow pie pan perfect for holding such perishable treasures. At the same time I also found a "redneck tiara" which was an old giant tin can ring rusted away from the actual can with remnant of metal left in a tiara design. I was taking the Millinery class so I was blown away! I stayed up until about 4 a.m. gluing the wings so they would be ready for the Penland School of Crafts Auction the very next following night, a Thursday. I was honored when Florence Hardyman purchased it and had a glass blower artist make a custom glass capsule so it is encased for all time. It is now housed in the most appropriately named house at Penland School of Crafts, "Heaven's Above." I cried when I walked to room there as a distinguished Art Model that summer of 2015 and saw my art in the house I would inhabit that session. Blessings Always Occur at Penland! What a most Incredibly magical place for creativity and creation.
Instructor - Wayne Wichern, California
I had a magical experience going down the mountain to the river or creek nearest the Penland Post Office. I traveled on foot through the brush to the creekside and there in all the sand lay at least 50+ monarch butterfly wings. It was 55 to be exact. The same amount of half eaten Monarch wings as many years as my Mother had lived. Only half lives for them all. The strangest thing, my Mother loved those butterflies. I prayed for a vessel to place these fragile wings in and lo, and behold, there was "like" a miner's silver shallow pie pan perfect for holding such perishable treasures. At the same time I also found a "redneck tiara" which was an old giant tin can ring rusted away from the actual can with remnant of metal left in a tiara design. I was taking the Millinery class so I was blown away! I stayed up until about 4 a.m. gluing the wings so they would be ready for the Penland School of Crafts Auction the very next following night, a Thursday. I was honored when Florence Hardyman purchased it and had a glass blower artist make a custom glass capsule so it is encased for all time. It is now housed in the most appropriately named house at Penland School of Crafts, "Heaven's Above." I cried when I walked to room there as a distinguished Art Model that summer of 2015 and saw my art in the house I would inhabit that session. Blessings Always Occur at Penland! What a most Incredibly magical place for creativity and creation.
