Art & Soul, Inspirational Mixed Media Retreats

Painting BIG on Paper & Canvas

Portland Spring 2026 is NOW OPEN

Andrea Chebeleu
9:00 - 4:30
Wed March 18
$185.00

Does a large, blank canvas leave you feeling intimidated or stuck? In this immersive, full-day workshop, we’ll shift that fear into creative flow through a playful, process-driven approach to painting BIG—both on paper and on primed canvas.

Morning Session: Big Play on Paper

We’ll begin by working in rotation on two full-size (parent sheet) pieces of paper using a wide range of mixed media: watercolors, inks, water-soluble crayons, and mark-making tools. We’ll build expressive layers using both spontaneous marks and intentional shapes, incorporating painted collage elements and ephemera as we go. You'll leave this session with two richly layered pieces—perfect as-is, or ready to tear down into art journal pages, cards, or collage fodder.

Afternoon Session: Fearless Canvas Exploration

In the second half of our day, we’ll move to working on a large (approx. 30" x 30") primed canvas. Through guided prompts and demoed techniques, I’ll show you how to approach a big, blank space with curiosity instead of fear. We’ll layer intuitively with acrylics, gestural marks, stencils, and mixed media ephemera to create an abstract expression uniquely your own. Your finished canvas can be framed, stitched, reworked, or displayed just as it is.

This is a joyful, low-pressure workshop that celebrates exploration and encourages you to trust your creative instincts. The focus is on process over product, making space for personal expression and playful discovery.

Materials Fee $25 paid at beginning of class includes:

Primed Canvas and parent sheets of Watercolor Paper, Custom designed stencil, collage ephemera packet

Supplies Needed  to bring for Class:

5 acrylic paint colors plus black and white, favorite color in acrylic ink or high flow acrylic, chosen mark making tools, variety of brushes, water spray bottle, water container, water soluble crayons (caran d ache Neocolor 2, Stabilo Woody or similar), 2-3 oil pastels (cheap ones are fine!)  Matte Medium

 

To pre-order supplies, click on this link for Runaway Art and Craft Studio...


Click here for a printable page