Deadline to register: December 3, 2024. Ages 12+. Though initially created from book pages and gum wrappers, in recent years Christmas chain garlands have been created from wrapping papers. Whether you want to use up your pieces of current paper stash or buy new in specific colors, you’ll quickly learn to assemble a beautiful chain which can be used for any festive occasion as a tree garland or one for the mantle, staircase, doorframe, etc. It will become a family tradition…an heirloom. Come for two hours of fun!
 
Location: Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
Instructor: Rhonda Nass
Cost: $40
Sponsor: River Arts Gallery
Website, email, 608-643-5215

Learn to use India ink and watercolor to create drama and mystery from nocturnal and low-light subjects in this one-day, intensive workshop. Develop a drawing on rag paper from your photo references then layer ink and watercolor to develop a deep, rich surface. Add gouache and drawing media for contrast and definition.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Kowbuz
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Join us for this exciting class with Julie Schroeder. Discover and energize your inner artist and loosen up with exciting new watercolor techniques. This will be a fun class with watercolor techniques. Using color, texture, layering, expressive mark making, & splattering, we'll be experimenting with different professional papers. In this workshop, our main project will be a lovely landscape created with handmade papers on 140lb watercolor paper. We'll be layering on beautiful rich color in a wet into wet beginning with a special technique combining papers layered onto the watercolor paper. This creates a beautiful textured 3-D look! Experienced painters as well as those who are new to watercolors will both enjoy this fun and exciting exploration of watercolor.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Julie Schroeder
Cost: $180
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

You'll create a wonderful coastal seascape with colors and the lighthouse of your choice! We will be achieving textures with many layers of paint and media. We will experiment with torn papers, string, napkins, stenciling, glue, paint, glitter and a variety of other interesting materials. Come let your creativity loose and have fun making this 3-Dimensional piece of art! Students should bring $20 cash to pay instructor for materials, which will all be provided for you.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Julie Schroeder
Cost: $60
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Enhance your creativity with the highly individual medium of collage! Learn how to bring together random materials to create your own unique images, patterns and textures. Alicia will guide you through the process as you compose a layout, create surfaces, gather materials according to color, texture and pattern, and paste up your composition. Enjoy a day of artistic exploration and have fun discovering the numerous ways to manipulate paper, cardboard, fabric and more!
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alicia Mino Gonzalez
Cost: $85
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Get to the heart of your authentic work and your personal style by: 1) Making a lot of work (Quantity over Quality) - This quiets the internal critic and gives our unique ideas a chance to breathe. 2) Having a deadline: The best antidote to procrastination and “waiting for inspiration”. 3) Focusing on process over product. I'll do a demo of a painting for the first half of each day, with the students painting the second half of the day. Attendees may use oils or acrylics. Students should bring their own photos or still life objects to work from.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Patrick Lee
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Drawing what you see and not what you think is an important learning tool in the visual arts, but it can be a bit tedious. Join Debi as she walks you through contour drawing and mixed media techniques that will take an average fruit drawing to the next level! Both beginners and seasoned artists will enjoy this low-pressure workshop as Debi encourages students to try new techniques with your drawing and measuring that might be outside of your comfort zone but will result in a one-of-a-kind masterpiece! In addition to the registration cost, students should bring $10 cash to pay the instructor for materials, which she will provide for you. Please bring exact change to ensure a timely start.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Debi West
Cost: $40
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Join your child on a nurturing creative quest. Whether your child has already begun to show an interest in art or you are looking to introduce them to new media in a structured yet nurturing environment, this class allows even the youngest students to discover their creative side. Students work with air-dry clay, collage, paint, chalk and more. Our early childhood teachers encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly words related to colors, shapes, textures, and emotions. Children learn to follow directions in a social setting with support and encouragement of their caregiver, serving as the perfect precursor to preschool. This is a 10-week, 1 hour class.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sharon Henderson
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This class will nurture the innate curiosity of your young artist that helps them to develop an understanding of their world. While exploring their creativity through a variety of art mediums, your child will benefit from all that early childhood art education offers, including fine motor skill refinement, cognitive development, math and language skills, and of course, the joy of making art. In this class, children learn "to see" differences in art. Exploration of bright vs. light, colors, line differences: straight/curved, short/long and thick/thin and include them in their artwork. Employing a wide range of mediums, including drawing and painting, printmaking and mixed media, kids and parents can have a lot of fun! This is a 10-week, 1.5 hour class.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sharon Henderson
Cost: $260
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

In this two-day workshop, we will explore the many different sides of art journals from getting past the blank pages to tips and techniques in capturing your words and imagery. An art journal is a combination of visual and written imagery that captures thoughts, ideas and images in a visual way. They can be travel logs, dream diaries, art techniques, therapy logs, storybooks, or anything. Anything goes in an art journal from using mixed media and collage, to paint, to pen and charcoal. For more information, visit lesliewoodarts.com.
 
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Instructor: Leslie Wood
Cost: $350 Museum members/ $400 non-members
Sponsor: Huntsville Museum of Art
Website, email, 256-535-6372

This workshop will explore the potential of mixing different media in your artwork. A theme may be used to create a piece e.g., faces, stairs, doors, flowers, etc. or it may be developed by layering and exploring. This course is appropriate for students of all levels, even beginners. In addition to the registration fee, students should bring $20 cash to pay the instructor for materials, most of which will be provided for you. Students are still responsible for bringing additional items with them. These items are listed on the website.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Rose Cofield
Cost: $150
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Expand your artist’s eye by learning different ways of seeing, loosen your grip on realism, and move into an exploration of essence. In this workshop, you’ll interpret your observations of the surrounding natural environment to create abstract art that is wholly your own. With an iterative approach, you’ll lean into different mediums, including watercolor, graphite, oil pastel and cut paper, to distill the characteristics of landscape. Along the way, creative process insights are shared that can free your hand and strengthen your visual voice. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Meg Kaczyk
Cost: $350
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Join award-winning artist Kathie George for this fun mixed media class. Day 1 – Watercolor Batik with wax and watercolor. Put the two together on textured rice paper and wow! You get a look you cannot achieve any other way. Kathie will lead you step-by-step through the process, teaching all the important skills you need. No watercolor skills are necessary. Day 2 – Sunflower Mixed Media Collage. We begin by building a beautiful background with colorful art tissue papers. You will learn how to stain your own papers, too. Then we’ll dig in and have a blast learning collage, “pulling” our subject from the background. Then work along with Kathie step-by-step as she demos how to paint the beautiful Sunflower.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Instructor: Kathie George
Cost: $310
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

This course is taught by local artist Joan Moreau McKeever, who is here to teach you how to create your very own realistic or abstract collages using washi tape! Washi Tape is a not-very-sticky masking tape made from rice paper. It comes in rolls of solid colors, as well as patterns, and provides adherence to a variety of surfaces. Washi Tape is primarily used for crafting, but in this workshop, we are going to take it to a whole new level! Students will learn the technique of creating with this new art form. Landscapes, Flowers, People, Abstracts.... No limit! No experience necessary! Students should bring $30 cash to pay for materials, all of which will be provided for you.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Joan Moreau McKeever
Cost: $150
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

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

In this exciting and inspiring art adventure for budding artists, teens will tap into their creativity as they learn to express themselves through art. Receive one-on-one customized art instruction with professional artists. Explore a variety of painting, drawing and mixed-media art projects, materials and technique. Explore acrylic paint on canvas, oil pastels, charcoal, mixed-media expression, ink, portraiture and more! Learn artistic techniques such as line quality, composition, shading, texture, personal expression, color, art history, realism, abstraction and more! Celebrate with a group art exhibition of artwork created. Classes are offered on Mondays and Saturdays.
 
Location: Bryan, Texas
Cost: $35 per class or $95/month
Sponsor: Degallery
Website, email, +1(979)704-3090

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