Private Tutorials

Independent Project, EVFAC, May 2019

Independent Project, EVFAC, May 2019

One week private tutorials in Santa Fe are held in my studio. There is ample sketching space, a dye room, 3 looms and warping tools. 

Customized time with each student.   |    Come with a project in mind.   |    Work in silk on a kimono loom.   |    Learn the intricacies of ikat dyeing.   

Learn how to plan and dye an ikat design   |   Weekly Studio Fee $1,500 (includes materials fee) 

Ikat is an ancient and universal technique in which threads are bound and tied to resist dye in the dye bath. The process of tying knots along a skein or bundle of threads encodes each thread with a pattern that is revealed when woven. There are single, double and compound ikat techniques found in different textile traditions around the world.

I use the medium of ikat-dyeing to create a painterly image in woven form. Ikat allows the build up of layers of imagery as the warp and weft each have the potential of bearing their own image and emotional message.

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Testimonials

The week I spent with Polly was fantastic. She is a very generous teacher and I learned so much about designing for ikat that I feel confident in working through a project on my own.

Best of all I learned to deal with unexpected design challenges and to think outside the box when it came to problem solving. I plan to spend a lot of time working with this technique and will always be grateful for my time working with Polly. 

– Mandi

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After two great weeks working with Polly in her spacious and well-equipped studio, my expectations were exceeded. Polly is a wonderful teacher who is not only generous in sharing the techniques of her work but also her approach to design and color. Being in the creative environment of a working artist was a special experience. I learned not only by doing but also by seeing Polly's projects in various stages of development and by discussing some of her works. Every day was an exploration - design, skein wrapping, dyeing, weaving and problem solving. I marvel at Polly's ability to study a design, plan color placement to bring it alive yet recognize ways to improve upon it during the weaving process. 

Polly encourages the student to consider the whole project thoughtfully and creatively, to be open to surprises, and to relish the unexpected. I left with critiqued designs for future work and an enthusiasm and eagerness to get home and start working!
 
– Pat Spitz, student

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I have never spent five consecutive days working from 9-5 as a weaver, and one who was taken seriously by a gifted fiber artist. Working with Polly, seeing her dedication to the Japanese art of Ikat, working with the traditional Japanese tools of this art form that Polly acquired while studying in Japan inspired me to to return home and work as an artist with the same dedication and intensity I found in Polly. 
– Kathy Haynes, student


Here is my first ikat scarf. It is not a great picture but it is a beautiful scarf! I can't begin to thank you for all you taught me and for helping me to find a weaving niche - I may never weave anything but silk ikat again! You were so generous with your time and knowledge and made me feel so comfortable in your studio. My time with you was truly one of the highlights of my 20 year weaving experience! I was afraid of fine threads before I entered your studio - now I tell other weavers "it's just as easy as any other weaving" and I never thought I could master the concept of double ikat but you helped me understand and become willing to try it. Not only are you a wonderful and gifted artist but also a very good teacher.
Thanks Polly!
 
– Kathy Fleming, student

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