Transform Your Silk Paintingfrom Hobby to Mastery

"As someone who was primarily a self-taught silk artist, joining SPIN and taking classes has really accelerated my ability to master painting on silk in a way that I didn't even know was possible. I spent many years lurking in silk painting groups trying to absorb techniques and ideas from other artists, but my transformation as an artist began when I took one class from an MSP and discovered how the community of artists and wide array of resources at SPIN could accelerate my artistic skills. I attended the SPIN festival for the first time in 2022 and never experienced such a welcoming community in my life before. It wasn't just the phenomenal classes I attended, but how much I learned from all the other artists attending Festival. That learning intensified when I joined a chapter that gave me increased motivation to have a piece to talk about at the next meeting. Even though I had another full-time job, those connections caused me to be more artistically productive than ever before."

"I can't express enough how much I have personally learned from the SPIN organization. I first found SPIN when I took a local silk painting class from an Oklahoma artist who was also a member of our local SPIN chapter, Silk Painters Guild of Oklahoma. Our local chapter gets together for food, friendship, and sharing. Festival is five days full of learning, connection, great food, a jaw-dropping art show, a stunning fashion show, and more fun than you can imagine. The icing on the cake is being involved in several virtual chapters, where I have learned a variety of techniques and much more about sewing with silk. It is also the perfect place to make friends across the country and have recurring meetings where you can ask specific questions about anything related to silk and dyeing."

"SPIN has broadened my knowledge, my network, and my resources, allowing my business to grow. This community is incredibly sharing and motivating to one's creative process. Not only have I gained many talented friends but also a large customer base. It's been a joy!"

"When the medium one works in is somewhat rare, with few local colleagues to consult or see work by, it's invaluable to have such an active and open SPIN community for support. The group helps make me more inventive and solve challenges like supply shortages by finding substitutes. It's important to see work by so many other silk painters, see how artists design and evolve, and see how the medium affects design so powerfully. Because silk painting is so technical, methods are shared openly and ideas circulate quickly. It's wonderful to have a Facebook group, a website, a journal, and big gatherings like Festival."