Francesca Lucia: What’s The Latest?
Needle Felting Class Wells, Maine
Our second Needle Felting Class was smaller by one, but was mightier by two. There was a repeat customer who did advanced work with a larger picture with three iris flowers. The first timer was full of enthusiasm as she emailed me before and after the class. I was so happy that she found a fiber activity and class that she really wanted to learn. I truly enjoy these people and all of my students. What a wonderful week with two classes, Monday and Tuesday, and many more to go! Welcome to Wells-Ogunquit Adult Education classes Fall, 2024.
Mandala Rock Painting Wells, Maine
A wonderful full class of women, young and old, got creative and artistic with Mandala Rock Painting. There were lots of discussions on how to do this, what is okay, and in the end art isn’t always a craft. This art is an expression of a human interpretation or an application through a visual process for beauty or emotional power. These women went beyond the craft experience and into the artistic experience. How can you tell? Take the directions, choose colors, designs and put your own skills on your work! How much fun can you have doing this? Lots and we all had fun Monday night!
Needle Felting Wells, Maine
This Monday was the first class of 2024! What a wonderful night of talking fibers and doing it, too! There was a small, but powerful group of women who jumped in on a very creative level. We had photos to work from, but what each person decided to add to their designs made each one their own. Crafting produces the same product. Art is creating your own interpretation of an idea. I truly enjoyed our first class of the Fall season with these three exceptional students.
Rock Painting with Fabulous Friends
Yesterday we gathered on a rainy day to craft. It was so much fun for me to host my friends in a Mandala Rock Painting day. Everything was ready except for the good food and energy that the ladies brought with them. We spent sometime getting to know each other more, sharing stories, eating and painting. A simple yet perfect day. We sure wish everyone could have been here with us!
Creating Art Glass at Wells, Maine
It was a wonderful small evening group to end my last fall adult education class, 2023. We were all willing to take a framed piece of glass and make it into a beautiful view. Having a blank canvas whether it is glass or another medium, our minds are stretched to create. My tag line is, “Let’s Create for Useful’s Sake.” Creating art is very personal and the use of the final product is different for everyone. Tonight’s group was stretched to make their blank canvases meaningful and useful to each person. I truly enjoyed experiencing the learning process tonight and seeing all of the completed art work.
Felt Quilting at Wells, Maine
A friend of mine, who is a former teacher and an outstanding knitter, asked me how many students would be in my class tonight. I said that there is only one. She said that if it were her, she would have cancelled the class. A mentor of mine long ago, told me that we don’t cancel, let them do that. I believe that and hold that true. If one person wants to learn something that I offer to teach, then I will teach it.
Tonight, I had a wonderful student. We talked and shared some of our most personal experiences as professionals and people. It was the best experience having one student. Often, we teach but we can’t go deeper into content or process. Tonight we went deep and it was awesome. By the way, the designing and quilting was fun, too!
Tangle Art at Wells, Maine
Teaching two classes in one day has been a lot of fun! First, there was Mandala Rock Painting and tonight, it was Tangle Art. Every time that I teach Tangle Art, I learn something new. Learning is not just for the students, but for the teacher as well. Tonight’s student had some background experience and together we decided to present some tangles that we had not done that often before. Every class and every student presents something different. Taking the students where they are and leading them to a new experience with success is a teacher’s greatest feat. Thank you for a great experience tonight.
Mandala Rock Painting at Ferry Beach in Saco, Maine
Today was an absolutely gorgeous day on the coast of Maine. The October leaves are changing colors, there was a little breeze and the sun was shining brightly. Over 20 non-profit leaders were participating in a retreat at the Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center. It truly was a retreat setting with many zen type activities like reflexology, massages, hat craft making, etc., but let’s not forget to mention, Mandala Rock Painting! I enjoyed teaching, the simple but artistic techniques, of rock painting. Thank you Virginia Hodgekins Somers Foundation for the invitation to present!
Mandala Rock Painting at Wells, Maine
Well, we all got acquainted with each other learning middle names and how everyone ended up in Maine. “We travel so far to get here”, as Mary Chapin Carpenter sings. So many lives and journeys ending up in the same room, at this particular time, on this particular day to paint rocks. Most of us creatively followed the format while others went their own way. If nothing else, all learned the process of Mandala rock painting. The circle is the center and all comes from the circle. I often think of the ripples that I have made in my life from touching others in one way or another. Then, that person teaches someone else what they have learned. Then, the ripple continues out into the world as they share what they have learned. As Joni Mitchell sang, “We go round and round and round in the circle game.”
Mandala Rock Painting at Kittery, Maine
It was a full house tonight of people ready to paint rocks. The tips that make the job easy are simple: wash the rock, let it dry and then coat the rock with a layer of paint. Often, in order to complete a product, it is the preparation that makes all of the difference. As the participants decided on their paint colors, the formats evolved into a a variety of approaches while using the same procedure. Please take a moment to see some of the creativity that flowed out of our class while still using the Mandala Rock Painting technique.
Let’s Cross Stitch Kittery, Maine!
It was a nice quiet group of women concentrating on their counted cross stitch hearts. We are all awaiting what might happen Saturday with Hurricane Lee’s landfall. A little therapeutic stitching was the answer to the approaching low pressure zone!
Making Fresh Pasta at Kittery, Maine
I enjoyed telling my history of how I was named. There was Mama Mugavero, Aunt Frances, my mom and dad all huddled in the hospital room deciding my name. My dad wanted to name me Bette after Bette Davis. My mom wanted to name me Bettye (Betty with an E). My Godmother Frances wanted me to be named Frances. Mama Mugavero wanted me to be named Lucia because I was born on St. Lucy’s day (December 13). When all was said and done I was named Bette Frances Lucia, thus the name of my teaching site: Francesca Lucia.
Tonight we had a great group of pasta makers. We mixed semolina flour, white flour and salt. We mixed eggs, oil and water. Voila! Pasta dough. It is hard work. It requires commitment and muscles. It takes us all back to the days when dough was kneaded. Way back before mixers could make dough in five minutes. Wow! How easy was it to make pasta with a Kitchen Aid? We saw how easy it was at the end of class. The choice lays now with the class chefs on how they will make fresh pasta in the future…by hand or machine.
Fresh Pasta at Wells, Maine
We had a wonderful group of 14 people getting their hands in flour, eggs, oil and water to make a delicious ball of fresh pasta dough. Once the dough was kneaded and rested, we cut it into sections and made noodles. We all wish we could have eaten the pasta cooked right then and there. A brief overview of my family heritage was presented. My sister Nancy was always a proponent of our Mugavero history. She created her own cookbook to share with all of us before she passed away this August from ovarian cancer. I mentioned her a few times tonight, but not as many as I could have. May you rest in peace Nunziata.
Let’s Mandala Rock Paint!
I had another wonderful visit to Ms. Susan’s 3rd grade class at Coosa Valley Academy. We learned about dots, painting a big dot, making a crown, and walking the dot. Everyone graduated to painting the swish on the their individual rocks.
We talked about having the center dot represent God, and all of the dots that flow out, are the good works that people do. Some of the students were very thoughtful in making this connection to their prayer. We played spa music to make this class even more meditative like Mandalas are supposed to be. The class was very informative, creative, thoughtful and fun!
After our class photo, I was presented with my favorite, chips and salsa! Thank you so much for a great class!
Teachers Are Lifelong Learners!
What a wonderful day! I reconnected with teachers that I worked with years ago at Concord Elementary School. We gathered for a Munch Lunch bringing appetizers to share. With lemonade and ice waters in hand, we enjoyed the learning of Mandala Rock Painting. We told teaching stories, we discussed important topics of the day and shared our family love! Thank you all for the years of teaching together. This is definitely a special group of people!
Kirigami Valentine’s Day Cards
What a wonderful visit today at Coosa Valley Academy! We made special Valentine’s Day Cards for the special people in our lives. I learned all about the pets that the students have! Also, I learned that not are all cats and dogs!
I found this special project on YouTube from Parents Magazine! Paper Snowflake Heart Cards. A special thank you to Mrs. Rutledge!
Making Fresh Pasta for Great Works Land Trust Auction Winner!
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner! Instead it was Fresh Pasta! It was a beautiful day and location for making fresh pasta. To tell the truth, I had had a rough Monday and was really looking forward to meeting new people. Among the four creative and interesting women my age, I felt a kinship that I really needed. Also, we can’t forget the lone male who was obviously the strongest and made the most beautiful ball of dough. We were all in awe of his kneading skills.
Lately, I had not had the creative stimulation that I need. I have to remember balance in my life and life-long learning. This group brought it out in me! There was an introduction, my family story on my mother’s side, a pasta making demonstration by hand, and then the making, and tasting! As Ina Garten says, “How easy is that?” It was a fabulous day and I can’t wait until I have another adventure with this group of wonderful people.
Let’s Paint a Mandala Rock
This past Tuesday, November 16th, I received a text at 4:15 p.m. that Sister Mary Vernon Gentle, RSM, a teacher, had passed away. At 4:45 p.m. I was in my car to teach the 5:30 p.m. class. Of course, I immediately had to shift gears and teach. This is not the first time this has happened (upsetting news before teaching), nor will it be the last. I proceeded to teach Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. There were two women who came together Tuesday night. During introductions, the younger of the two said that she came to class tonight to spend time with Carol. I asked later what was their relationship. Jackie said that Carol was her heart mother. I then shared with them that my heart mother had passed away right before class. This was an aha moment for all of us listening, and I was immediately grateful for the message sent from Sister. Both classes went great and they were fun! Even two of the three administrators from Wells-Ogunquit Adult Education showed up to class! You know who else showed up at class? My mentor, heart mother and friend showed up in spirit - teacher to teacher!
Let’s Spa!
We enjoyed making spa treats, and we began discussing Christmas gifts. It was fun to make these spa treats for ourselves and others. These are very simple recipes, but become such special treats. We made sugar scrub, lip balm and bath fizzyies!
Let’s Knit a Hat!
What a wonderful group of women! We were ten strong working our needles and helping each other learn how to cast on stitches! It seems that the knitting part came easy, but casting on happened one stitch at a time. I like that Jolene helped me figure out the best way to make a pom pom! Also, I learned that the class could have been longer. There were so many good conversations of getting to know each other along with knitting questions and answers, that we needed more time for instruction. I truly enjoyed each and every minute. Everyone seemed happy with their finished hat! I am enclosing a photo of our group tonight showing everyone’s completed homework! Way to go ladies! Check out the photos of the knitting process and the final product!
