In this issue...

• Making Do
• Upcoming Events
• Instructor Spotlight
• Upcoming Workshops
• Creativity Circles

My mom is the Queen of Making Do. A few days ago, she told me about a dish she had prepared the other night. It was based on a quiche recipe—or, rather, multiple recipes, as my mom never sticks to just one—that called for bacon. She didn’t have any in the house, so she decided to make a substitute: hot dogs. Before I got too grossed out, she assured me that they were kosher hot dogs, as though that made a difference! (We're Jewish, though, clearly, not very observant!) My step-father said that the quiche really wasn’t that bad, but, then again, he’s used to a lot of strange concoctions. 

In truth, I’ve always admired my mom’s willingness to experiment in the kitchen. Unlike me, who rarely veers from a recipe, she loves breaking the rules and coming up with her own signature dishes. Sometimes they’re “interesting,” but, other times, they’re far better than average. At the very least, they’re always original.

With her make-do attitude, my mom doesn’t really mind following our current Stay-at-Home orders. She didn’t have a lot growing up, so she’s used to getting by with what she has.

The pandemic has forced all of us to improvise. While it can be challenging and downright frustrating at times, it can also produce some wonderful results.

Yesterday, for example, I was complaining about having to postpone my husband’s and my vacation because of the virus. We had planned to spend two weeks hiking the Picos de Europa, a mountain range in northern Spain, later this month. Our morning walk reminded me of what we were missing. Then, I got an idea. I told my husband that we needed to imagine that we were, in fact, walking up Pico Jano in Dobarganes, rather than Sunset Mountain in Asheville. We were only to speak in Spanish for the rest of the walk—which, to my husband’s delight, allowed him to practice his grasp of the language but limited my vocabulary to about 20 words! While it certainly wasn’t the same as hiking the Picos, it made our walk a lot more enjoyable!

Making do can also lead to some unexpected, but welcome, artistic outcomes. For instance, I just finished sewing a slew of face masks for family and friends. While everyone insisted that they didn’t care what fabric I used, it was fun to rifle through my leftover material to come up with the perfect match: a spring bouquet for my aunt; dog paws for my sister-in-law; brightly-colored fish for my handywoman. Had I been able to buy material at the quilt store, I probably would have selected a safe, one-print-fits-all fabric. Instead, I made do with what I had, and the results were a lot more interesting!

At Purple Crayon, we’ve taking advantage of the “pandemic potential” by moving some of our in-person workshops online. Although taking a class from your kitchen, bedroom, or wherever you’ve temporarily set up your studio (mine’s in my living room) doesn’t feel quite like the real deal, there are definitely some benefits besides flattening the curve.

For one, it makes it easier for out-of-towners to join us. Last month, we had participants from Florida, New York, and Massachusetts dial-in, and we’re hoping to expand our reach even further in May.

Some students say it also helps them focus. Since they can't just glance over at what their neighbors are creating, they find they're less distracted. 

Finally, the online environment encourages us to run more fine arts workshops, something we’ve been lax about at the studio. In addition to running virtual Zentangle®, drawing, and collage classes, we’re considering adding an introductory watercolor course and, possibly, beginner quilting or intermediate drawing courses, this summer. If that’s something that interests you, please email me at pam@purplecrayonavl.com and let me know which courses you’d be interested in and what days and times would work best for you. We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences.

Stay well, and I’ll look forward to creating with you—in and out of the studio!

​—​​​​​​Pam Robbins, Owner

Upcoming Events

Instructor Spotlight

Upcoming Workshops

Creativity Circles