Eric has been working hard, making the materials for his upcoming week teaching at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. After a day of bending wood, I took this shot, above, of the various sizes of Eric’s basket rims drying on forms.
We will be traveling to western North Carolina in less than two weeks. And I honestly confess that I’m looking forward to it! I have never been and I hear it’s a wonderful experience. However, I am cautious at the same time since they clearly state on their website that there is no tv, radio, internet connection, etc. in the living quarters. I think it will be great to disconnect for hours at a time but I do not go anywhere without my mac laptop and blackberry. I even take my computer with me camping!
And notice how I said “hours.” Because if I don’t get internet connection, I will need to drive to the nearest populated neighborhood and try and get connected. If I did anything other than working as a freelance graphic artist, I could keep the electronics home. But having your clients not be able to reach you is a sure way to the unemployment line!
Below is a collage of images I grabbed off their website. And I hope to apply some of my rusty photography skills and share some snapshots while we’re there.
With all those rims I’m trying to envision the baskets that you will be teaching. Great job.
Hi Joanne: He is teaching various ones. Some I do know are the Carrier, the Mail, Wine Tote and his line of smalls.
Hey there Lynn and Eric,
Looks like you are bending multiple rims in one long piece or are my eyes deceiving me ;^)
Anette
Hi Anette: Your eyes are deceiving you. One rim for one basket. Most of the pins that are holding the ends down are in the back (not seen in the photo) so it looks like, from the front, that many pieces are continuous!
Thanks for reading! Lynne
The Keith house is open 24/7. You can only get in the offices from 8 – 5 but you can pick up the wireless router in the livingroom at anytime. At night I will sometimes park in the Housekeeping parking right outside the livingroom and log-on while I sit in my car in my jammies and listen to my xm radio. While you’re there, try to get to Morning Song before breakfast, especially on Monday. Our Director plays the banjo and tells the history of the Folk School. I’ve heard it about 60 or 70 times and still look forward to it. He always tells it a little bit different. I hope you have a blast and I can’t wait to hear about it. I’ll probably be up there on Tuesday or Wednesday to see you guys. ooxx
Good to know I can sit in my car in jammies and work! It will be just like home, minus the car of course. Thanks for letting me know Pattie! And I was hoping we would see you! I love getting pictures of the GBA President!
Cathryn is correct, there is free WiFi in the Keith House. That is normally were I say. That building is right across the street from the basket studio, so it should be easy for you to bop back and forth. Also the cafeteria is right down the hill. The picture I had for a while as my cover pic on my Facebook page, the one of the rocking chairs with the mountains in the background, was taken from the Keith House porch. You should be quite comfortable there. They have a nice library room with comfy chairs and tables that you can set your laptop up on.
Thanks Tony. Yes, people have been sending me comments and emails that Wifi is in the Keith House! Yah! I’m saved. I like the idea of sitting in the library. I’m sure I’ll get lots of work done in a short amount of time than being home. No distractions like taking the dog out, seeing what’s in the fridge to snack on, surfing what’s on TV, fielding telemarketing calls, doing laundry…
Lynn,
The John C. Campbell Folk School is a magical place that I’m sure you will really enjoy. And I believe you can “hook up” on the computer in the main building, if memory serves, it’s called the Keith Building, where the main offices are. Resident basketmaker Patti can help you out and get you on the net again.
I taught a week long wicker furniture repair class there in September of 2001 and took a long, trip back home to Minnesota, going through the Smokies and visiting my online chair caning and wicker repair friends all along the way. I still have pictures, will have to post them again on my blog, although there are still lots of pictures of the class in the Archives for 2001, I’m sure!
What fun that was to see people from my chair caning forum and the subscribers to my newsletter that I had only communicated with online until then! The Wicker Woman-Cathryn Peters
Thanks Cathryn! I hear it is awesome. And you are correct. I learned that internet is in the Keith Building. That’s what I like about some of these trips to workshops – some of them we take “back roads” and be tourists. Last year, after Tony Stubblefied’s workshop, we went through the mountains in Kentucky and Tennessee. It was so relaxing! But we don’t know anyone in KY and TN so we had nobody to visit!
Thanks for reading wickerwoman.com !! -Lynne