| Bio
I have always been fascinated by needlework and grew up
doing crafts of
all
kinds. My mother taught me how to do the basics of knitting at age 11
and
have tried all those crafts that were popular in the 1970s. But with
all
things at that age, I never stuck to anything, jumping from one venture
to
another. I graduated from a liberal arts college with a B.A. in Art
Studio
and have used many media. As for fine art, my current preference is
watercolor, pencil, and pen and ink. But I still had that urge to do
some
really fine needlework.
It wasn't until later in life I found a true calling with my artwork. I never
realized what I was getting into when one day I asked my mother-in-law to show
me how to tat. It was 1986, six months before Kim and I were to be married, and
was over at their house visiting while helping with the wedding plans. My wife
was at work and I was just watching tv, with my mother-in-law busily doing something
with her hands flying back and forth. I had to ask her what she was doing. From
that point on my life as an artist changed. She showed me the basics and within
the same evening I was starting my first project. A snowflake. She was making
tatted snowflakes as a Christmas gift for my future wife, and my first project
actually made it in the package! We still hang it on our Christmas tree, but
in the back ;) From there, my mother in law, seeing my potential, asked me to
design the tatted lace that was to go on Kim's wedding dress. I still was not
polished enough to put stitches to help in making the lace, but the designing
I enjoyed. So there is another factor in my life I didn't realize would make
a difference.
I didn't pursue tatting fully for a couple of years, except an occasional small
item for a gift. But in 1989 when I finally landed a job as a graphic illustrator
at a band uniform company, I found a couple of others in the office that tatted.
That sparked some new interest since I have found someone to tat with. During
my breaks I would tat and chat along with them. This was all before the company
had computers. And when they did, that changed everything. Even my workspace.
I was getting into computer graphics and developing skills and now can utilize
it to make my diagrams and pictures that I like to do. The computer also opened
up a wealth of info when stumbling across Tatchat and other groups online and
I got familiar with so many people over the world about tatting. I fiddled around
with computer graphics and came up with my own website to showcase and share
my knowledge with others (www.tat-man.net).
Also have a personal artwork page connected that shows the fine art that I occasionally
allow myself to do (www.tat-man.net/marxgraffix/index.html)
and also a family website
(www.geocities.com/crafts247@sbcglobal.net).
I am the webmaster for IOLI (International Old Lacers,
Inc.) at www.internationaloldlacers.org.
As time went on and after some encouragement from fellow tatters, I embarked
on a large journey of publishing some of my designs that so many have enjoyed
from my website. The book project started in 1999 and in 2001 "Tatted Gathering
of Angels" came to fruition! It was an experience to learn from and hope
to do many more. Currently I am involved in my second book project that I hope
will not take two years to develop. But one never knows. ;)
In the many years Kim and I have been married, we both had a love for needlework,
before and during marriage respectively. We combined our talents and made a small
business out of it and did the craft show circuit, selling craft items and tatting
and other needleworks. We finally got burned out of that phase after 10 years
and exclusively work on items we love to do. For me it is tatting and bobbinlace
and for Kim it is silk ribbon embroidery and quilting. We now only do demonstrations
at heritage shows across the Illinois and border states. I found publicly that
I really enjoyed teaching it. I have taught several over the years, one on one
and also to groups at local needlework shops. But with the use of the internet,
I am able to take my teaching skills abroad. Still a rooky at the tatting workshops,
I have taught at the Hector Tat Day (2003) in NY, at a tatting guild gathering
in Ft. Wayne, IN (2003), and the first and second Palmetto TAT DAYs in SC (2003&
2004).
And
I
look forward to coming to the events and meeting many more tatters out there
in this
big world!
Online Messengers:
AOL Instant Messenger: tat99man
MSN messenger: tatmantats
Yahoo messenger: tatmantats
Class 1 - Team
Teaching with Sherry Townsend
"Fundamentals
of Wire Tatted Lace"
Time: Friday, 1 to 3
Technique: Become familiar with the perks of wire handling
and how to tat with it.
Project: Beginnings of Wire Tatting
Intermediate Tatting and Beginner Wire Tatting Level:
Need to understand rings and chains using threads but can be a fairly
new tatter. Wire tatting is a slow step by step process and makes understanding
the "flip" easy. (Not recommended for real beginners just trying
out threads.)
Description:
Learn how to take your tatting skills into a new dimension with the fundamentals
of how to manipulate fine wire into tatted lace. The student will learn the
basic steps to control the wire to make lacey things for jewelry and 3 dimensional
objects.
Supplies:
30 to 32 gauge wire in colors of your choice
metal shuttles
pliers
cutters
band aids or tape
crochet hook, very tiny-14, 15 or 16
beads
jewelry findings
sewing needle
Note: The reason for metal shuttles is that the wire will grove into wooden
or plastic shuttles. So as not to hurt anyone's favorite shuttles, metal is
best.
Class
2 -
Team Teaching with Sherry Townsend
"Get
Wild with Wire Tatted Lace"
Time: Friday, 3:30
to 5:30
Technique: Wire tatting beyond the basics.
Project: Project with flare that is whimsical, yet
delicate.
Advanced Level:
If you have wire tatted before, "Come on IN!" (And that experience
could come from the above class.)
Description:
Learn beyond the basics by
manipulating the wire into
simple projects for jewelry and 3 dimensional objects. The student will
know how to use their tatting skills along with beads and other items to embellish, to give tatting a fresh and retro look.
Supplies:
30 to 32 gauge wire in colors of your choice
metal shuttles
pliers
cutters
band aids or tape
crochet hook, very tiny-14, 15 or 16
beads
jewelry findings
sewing needle
Note: The reason for metal shuttles is that the wire will grove into wooden
or plastic shuttles. So as not to hurt anyone's favorite shuttles, metal is
best.
Class
3 - Team Teaching
with Sherry Townsend
"Working with Wire"
Time: Saturday,
9 to 11
Technique: Tatting
With Wire
Project:
No new project is assigned for this class session.
This is a chance for students to continue working on the projects
begun in Class One or Class Two listed above. Students who have been
working in wire at home are
welcome to bring their projects to this class.
Intermediate through Advanced Level
Description: This
session provides additional instruction for the student who wants more
direction and time to complete a project begun in an earlier class.
Mark and Sherry will help you to refine the skills needed for tatting
with wire, and guide you in solving any problems you have encountered in working
with these materials. They can help you pinpoint the steps needed to complete
your wire project, and give you advice on the types of metals and tools needed
for your next project. Also, feel free to join this class if you’ve been
working at home on a pattern created by these designers, and would like some
guidance in its’ completion.
Supplies: Please
bring whatever supplies are needed for your particular project.
Conference:
Saturday, 11:30 to 1:30, with Karen and Gina.
Samples
of teacher’s work:
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