Festa del Ricamo 2013: we're glad and proud to introduce you to...

Our welcome guest: Joan Elliott!!!

So, here she is Some of you had already guessed, actually, from the "clues" - or the projects, I'd rather say - we had scattered in our previous post and newsletter... And it's definitely her

This great artist and very pleasant lady is going to share with us our next Festa del Ricamo, on Sunday 9th June 2013, straight from New York to Arezzo!!!

And here we are already with the "to be continued", which you were waiting for and that, for sure, it's going to make you happy and longing for June to come, just like we are looking forward to it

She's going to introduce and tell you her story herself, talking of her work, her places and inspirations, during our event and - believe it - from the pictures and the varied material Joan has already started forwarding us about her wonderful universe, that's going to be a lovely story to listen to, for this sparkling New Yorker seems definitely to recap in herself the whole, somehow magical halo, "enveloping" her amazing fairies! Just look in her eyes, in her portrait pictured here, and you'll see that lively - and sweet, at the same time - creative flair, feeding this magic!

Anyway, could we ever avoid giving you some anticipations?!?!? Certainly not!
So, from her very own words, everything started - quite a long ago - when a little Joan was bewitched by a TV show, talking about Japanese brush painting... Just a few weeks after, her father came home with a surprise for her: her first brush painting set! "... That was the moment, when I first considered myself 'an artist'!", says Joan

Just like the beginning of a pleasant fairy tale, then, which Joan refined a lot, while growing up, by studying so much - in the most prestigious art schools and colleges in the Big Apple, but not only - and always keeping a careful glance on the shades and flavors of nature, that she loves, to then turn them into the whole magic of her cross stitch charts, often representing fantasy characters, such as fairies and elves.
Even in this case, she's claiming that, sometimes, while devoting herself to gardening in her countryside house, she can actually feel the presence of these fantastic and good natured beings all around her

However, Joan Elliott is a 100% versatile designer: in her long career, she has definitely created projects for all tastes and at our Festa del Ricamo you'll have the opportunity to see them from real, realizing that - as already underlined - you must have stitched something of hers, some time, maybe even without knowing

It'll be a great opportunity, we're already sure about that, to spend a day with a truly special lady, who has given so much to the art we all love, but who's also so charming because of her friendliness and creative flair, pleasantly matching the simplicity and kindness of the real genius!

Welcome you all, then, in these weeks of "getting ready" that... Are going to fly, just like her graceful fairies

Hugs!