Want more expressive art? Want more confidence in yourself and your art? Want to have a transformative experience with like-minded people? This class will take you beyond predictable painting methods. We will experiment with innovative techniques and a mindset of relaxed awareness, which have been designed to cultivate curiosity and self-confidence. Inspiring demos, lots of time to paint, and group critiques will reinforce design and mindset objectives. Critiques will model how to discuss paintings with non-judgmental language that educates you to “see” more and to appreciate whatever might show up so that you and your art will flourish. Discussions will address confidence, procrastination, vulnerability, curiosity, courage, inspiration, and more! All levels of experience are encouraged to attend.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Joan Fullerton
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

For me there is nothing more joyful and relaxing than making art! I love allowing my intuition to guide me as I develop a work of art. I also find so much inspiration in nature, and I love including natural forms and textures, along with botanical elements, in my artwork. I invite you to join me to develop a series of abstract watercolor & mixed media paintings. Over the course of the workshop, I will demonstrate and provide guidance through many of my favorite painting techniques. We’ll create custom blends of color, learn techniques for layering and adding texture to our watercolors, explore the fundamentals of composition, and take lots of inspiration from the Connecticut springtime blooms.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Jocelyn Benford
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

A mixed media workshop discovering your language though materials, process and observation. This workshop is based on demonstrations of a variety of materials, prompts and exercises to get to the core of personal meaning. The focus is on exploration, intuition, and pushing out of your comfort zone. Directives include formal elements such as line, shape, space, color, and composition with fast-paced timing based on discovery rather than finished products. Techniques will focus on markmaking, layering, collaging, excavating, combining materials, and more. Materials include: dirt, coffee, natural materials, inks, acrylic mediums and paint plus cold wax and R&F Pigment Sticks. Participants will create many small works to let go of the "precious" mentality. Freedom of expression is emphasized!
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Lisa Pressman
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

During this exciting retreat, you will learn to paint florals, looking at colour, composition and techniques and how to approach flower painting creatively with a focus on the process rather than the outcome. Victoria will demonstrate a wide variety of materials and show you how to be explorative and experimental, letting go of the fear of making mistakes. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced level artist, you’ll develop the confidence and skills to creatively loosen up, be more spontaneous, and let go of self-doubt. You’ll be provided with a huge array of gorgeous flowers as inspiration. Quick and easy exercises will introduce you to collage and mixed media techniques. Victoria will be on hand, offering support and advice.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Victoria Johnson
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Why flowers? I have always been drawn to painting flowers in my work. To me, flowers represent the healing power of beauty. I believe that the world could use a little more beauty (and art). I am delighted to share my love of flowers and my process of painting with all of you! Come arrange, sketch and paint flowers with me. During this five-day intensive workshop, we will explore shape, line, and color through a variety of expressions, including sketching, collage, and painting. We will use mixed media techniques to layer and create beautiful expressive florals. I will be walking artists through exercises to loosen up their process, create from a place of joy, play with color, and explore composition.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Wendy Brightbill
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Explore textile pattern design using DIY acrylic inks and textile paints that will leave your fabric with a soft hand and give you exactly the colors you want. Explore a multitude of ways to create richly textured “base” fabrics by applying acrylics inks with different types of brush-strokes, sponges, altering ink and water ratios, adding salt, mono-printing, and scrunching, as well as pleating, stitching, clamping and pole wrapping fabric with a variety of shibori techniques. Learn how to successfully print with foam, rubber and wood stamps. Master screen printing with thermofax screens, then apply pattern design principles using various types of repeats to print on your textured “base” fabrics. It’ll be a blast of inspiration, innovation, information and fun.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Judy Coates Perez
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

I am constantly in awe and inspired by nature and I believe she’s our best teacher! I cannot wait to lead you in this exploratory workshop where we will use and study elements from nature to create a wide variety of beautiful art. From watercolor and stamped flowers, pressed elements and mark making in sketchbooks and journals, to mixed media, collage work and pattern play… it will be a wonderful, creative time together!! Whether you haven’t picked up a paintbrush since elementary school or you create art daily, I love teaching new techniques, sharing my process and favorite materials and I promise you will learn a lot, love what you create, and have fun and be inspired by nature!
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Caroline Simas
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Join me and immerse yourself in the creative process. The experience begins the moment you register as you source, find, and gather your own personal collection of papers, fibers, ephemera, and other bits & pieces that will become the basis of your creation. As the workshop begins and unfolds, we will gather together, both within the workshop space at The Connecticut River Valley Inn and at some special, local locations. You will spend your time transforming your treasures into a series of what might loosely be called artist books. Instruction will cover the range of techniques used in mixed media: surface designing, using paints and inks, hand stitching, book binding, rusting, dyeing, embossing, mark making, gel printing, collaging, creative layering, and more.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Seth Apter
Cost: $975 + Materials fee & CT Sales Tax
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Learn a non-traditional approach to oil painting or explore oils for the first time. Cold wax medium is an additive that thickens oil paint, speeds up the drying time (a bit), and neutralizes the paint so there’s no concern about “fat over lean” rules. We will be using R&F’s Pigment Sticks (compressed oil paints) along with tube oils to create paintings without brushes or smelly solvents. You will discover new tools and methods for creating rich and authentic small works on paper and Ampersand’s Gessoboard. With Arches oil paper as our primary substrate, you’ll have several paintings going at once. This workshop is fun, a bit messy, and will change the way you think about oil painting.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Julie Snidle
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Open to students of all artistic levels, Paper and Book Artistry is for those who are ready to ditch perfection, get messy, and play with no rules. Roben-Marie’s teaching style is friendly and easy going with a focus on having fun and playing with supplies in non-traditional ways. Join Roben-Marie in a lovely historic inn located in The Connecticut River Valley for an inspiring and joyful workshop designed to help you with creative play, building up a stash of amazing art papers, and exploring the mixing of different mediums and journal making. Paper and Book Artistry is more than creative time…it’s time brimming with togetherness and friendship.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Roben Marie Smith
Cost: $975 + Materials fee & CT Sales Tax
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514

Jodi Ohl, the artist and author of “Abstracts in Acrylic and Ink,” will guide you through a variety of inspiring chats, comprehensive demonstrations, and provide personal guidance daily as you immerse yourself in the creative process of abstract painting with elements of collage and mixed media. Students who have a desire to find their own personal voice and style, will find many opportunities to flourish in this robust workshop. Students can expect to work on multiple pieces on both paper and canvas (or hardboard) as they learn to build stronger compositions and incorporate design principles.
 
Location: Glastonbury, Connecticut
Instructor: Jodi Ohl
Cost: $1144 + Materials fee
Sponsor: Artists Rising Creativity Retreats
Website, email, 860-916-0514