To begin registration for the Harrisburg, PA retreat: click on the class that you're interested in and it will take you to the class description--scroll to the bottom and, if there's still space, it will say "Register for this class"--click on the link and it will put it in your shopping cart. Repeat the process until you have chosen all your classes and are ready to 'check out'. If a class is full, it will indicate that at the bottom of the description page, and it will not let you choose it.
All registration is Online ONLY!
I am a mixed media artist, instructor, designer, shopkeep, and author from New York City. I came to the world of art later in life, transitioning from a full-time career as a psychologist to being a full-time artist and maker. My artistic practice is based on the concepts of community and collaboration, and I believe in the power of art to bring people together. My work has been exhibited in multiple exhibitions and can be found in numerous books and national magazines. I have also published two books of my own, The Pulse of Mixed Media and The Mixed-Media Artist, with North Light Books. My love of the creative energy that occurs when artists are brought together has led me to spend a great deal of time teaching workshops - both online and in person across the world. As a designer, I have created collections with many companies over the years, including FreeSpirit Fabrics, Impression Obsession, StencilGirl Products, Spellbinders, Emerald Creek Craft Supplies, WOW, Aladine, and PaperArtsy. Art for me is everything and sharing the process in all these different forms makes it even better.
Hailing from Salt Lake City Utah, Thomas Ashman now lives and works in the magical town of Taos, NM, and is a book binder, doll maker, and mixed media artist who likes to create with one foot in the light and one foot firmly in the dark. Reveling in the irony of juxtaposition, Thomas starts with forgotten toys, discarded dolls, rusty metal, and other resurrected materials, then breathes a new and interesting life into these abandoned objects by transforming them into macabre story-tellers and unexpectedly complex studies of the literary characters and supernatural deities that inspire him. The haunting images adorning the covers of his glass and metal journals give his work a kind of classical darkness that conjures a spooky and ‘old-fashioned’ aesthetic.
Coming from an academic background with a degree in English literature and music, his visual art explorations began back in the early 2000’s, and have allowed him to travel all over the country to teach his original “no-sew” metal book binding technique, and other workshops, at local shops and national retreats such as Artfest, Art & Soul, Art Unraveled, Create, Art Continuum, et.al. Thomas exhibits locally whenever he can, and has had his work published in Cloth, Paper, Scissors, and Somerset Studio magazines, and has received a few awards in juried exhibitions.
When he isn’t in the studio, Thomas enjoys camping, kayaking, skiing, reading, educational podcasts, horror movies, live music, and banging his head and his drums, as often as possible (with a particular affection for classic heavy metal skullduggery). Thomas also loves just hanging out in his his 100+ year old adobe abode, baking cookies, growing flowers and vegetables, and watching true crime shows with his four favorite ladies. Leighanna, Lily, Peetie, and Jessie, and an ornery ol’ gato gordo named Hairy B.
ThomasAshmanArt@yahoo.com
www.blacksheepartist.com
Michelle Tade Banton was a new instructor at Art & Soul (Harrisburg, 2024) but she’s been teaching over 20 years in the US, Canada, and Ireland. She’s generally taught non-traditional quilting designs and techniques, but is expanding the scope of her teaching to include other mixed media. Michelle’s style is relaxed, encouraging and hopefully a bit entertaining.
There is too much in life that we HAVE to do. Michelle hopes her classes are something you WANT to do.
Lisa Bebi, since a small child, has loved two things: looking through snapshots in her family album and painting as expression. For over three decades, the San Diego native has married these two things together, and her work has received international awards and recognition for its content, style, and color. Lisa received her BA in fine arts from SDSU, where she developed as a colorist, straddling representation with abstraction. Daughter of a journalist, Lisa always finds ways to tell the untold story she sees in snapshots. “I love the authenticity of the snapshot. It’s a single moment in time but by painting it I can extend that moment, revel in it and bring to life characters and scenarios that I fancy. Working this way gives me enormous pleasure.” She extracts the “behind, the behind” using innovative techniques and finesse. Over the course of her life she has received awards, accolades, and endorsements. She has been a longtime contributor to many international mixed-media magazines and several books; has taught in artist residencies locally and internationally; is a Golden Paints educator; and is often a local juror.
Laura is a lifelong creative who has always thought outside the box…but believes in keeping the box to make something with it! Her education and corporate work in Interior design and architecture contributes to her style in book making and 3D constructed projects. Her nearly life long sewing skills lead to a long time business in quilt design and teaching as well as doll and teddy bear making. She left corporate interior architecture work in 2000 when her youngest child was born. In 2009, when dealing with health issues with her kids, she moved to paper crafting for its easier portability. She quickly fell in love with bookmaking and put her architecture skills to use designing and creating 3D buildings from chipboard and paper. Also known as “Following the Paper Trail” on social media, she was a pioneer in the early days of live streamed teaching. The kids who used to interrupt and show pets during live streams are now grown and in college.
She puts her skills learned from formal art classes in college, her curiosity for all sorts of mediums, and her innovative book making skills to good use to create fun and interactive books and journals that look complicated but are easy to construct.
Laura grew up in Alaska and currently lives in the Seattle area with her husband, fur babies and those two college age kids.
Ingrid has developed a unique, sometimes quirky and playful form of journaling that is uniquely her own. Her work has been shown in Galleries throughout the country and is held in private collections throughout the world. Ingrid has had her work shown in numerous books and many other publications. Ingrid’s focus over the last several years has been on teaching workshops from her private studio in Michigan and throughout the country sharing her passion for visual art journaling.
The senses become mixed and intertwined in the mind of the artist. Sounds appear in colors, numbers sing songs and frequencies dance in her head. Synesthesia is a crossing of the senses. The paintings and sculptures are a beautiful blending of sounds, science, and nature.
Sandra Duran Wilson comes from a family of artists and scientists. She grew up in a world where everything was possible, where she would look through the microscope in her father’s office and then draw what she saw. Sandra’s early years were spent on the border of Mexico where the people, animals, landscape, drama of the religious rituals, and stories of the curanderas shaped her reality. Years later she would return frequently to Mexico and South America to absorb the culture, traditions, and art. Her spirituality combined with her scientific studies has directed her work from realism to abstract mixed media.
Her work is influenced by theoretical scientific concepts in physics, biology and chemistry. The pure fun of exploring what paint can do and her natural curiosity keeps the work fresh and lively. Her work is represented in the US and Australia and is found in many corporate, civic, and educational collections and in private collections worldwide.
She experiments, paints, writes and teaches at her studio in Santa Fe, NM, and teaches around the US, Europe and Australia. She is the author of six art technique books and several instructional DVDs.
: Sulie Girardi was born in Chicago, but has lived in Vienna, Austria for the past 30 years, where she owns and operates Vienna Expressions Studio. Sulie has obtained the Art Clay Levels 1,2 and Teachers Certificate/Higher Diploma, as well as the Metal Clay Diploma from the Cornwall School of Jewelry. She teaches in her own studio and is also a frequent guest instructor in the US. Sulie’s work has been published in numerous magazines in Europe and the US, and has won awards in the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Jewelry Competition and Bead Dreams. She is featured in a number of instructional videos on Craftcast.com.
Micah Goguen grew up in Central Georgia and obtained his Bachelors in Art and Art History and his Masters in Art Therapy from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. He focuses primarily on bringing art to the community and using art as a form of communication for those struggling to understand and cope with life situations.
Goguen produces work while teaching art to both adults and children. He also volunteers time at the local community center and works with adults in alcohol and substance recovery as well as uprooted and traumatized children. Using mural work, art for entertainment and art therapy for healing, Micah collaborates with school systems, local shops, and non-profits to help unify and most importantly “spread a message”. The overall vision is to focus and rededicate back to a buy local, shop local mentality that strengthens community through unity and purpose.
Dar James is a full time working and teaching artist, the writer and illustrator of six picture books for children, a teacher of innovative mixed media techniques and approaches, and an educator for GOLDEN Acrylics and Silver Brush Company. She lives in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley where she participates in regional shows and exhibits, facilitates regional annual art retreats for women and produces two, exploratory online courses. The focus of her instruction is to help participants to expand color understanding and to develop foundational understanding of the many acrylic mediums available through creative experimentation, playful exercises and mini projects.
About her own work she says: The foundation of all of my work has always been color, so starting there is always a way for me to move beyond my apprehension and initiate the action of creating. To me, a piece of art is very much like a puzzle to be solved. Every time I make a mark or a shape, it gives me a place to put another mark or shape, and every step along the way connects the beginning to the final dot or line—a logistical process I think of as “rocks to sand." The natural world is what inspires me most— leaves, flowers, rocks and the things of the Earth— but the things I paint are things of my imagination. Being an artist, to me, means living a life of wonder and I enjoy sharing that with others!
An Assemblage Artist residing in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Erin Keck's artwork results from re purposing found discarded objects. She loves to breathe new life into castaways from yesteryear. Erin's artwork is shown and sold in three prestigious art galleries in Pa. The 2nd Floor in Mechanicsburg, Pa, Village Artisans Gallery in Boiling Springs, Pa, and Perry County Council Of The Arts in Newport, Pa. She has been a Featured Artist in two of the galleries with Private Showings. Recently Erin's work has been published in the book, “1000 Steampunk Creations” by Grymm. Seven of her pieces were chosen for this book. She has taught community craft classes on a monthly basis from 2007 – 2010, and has taught classes at the Charmed I'm Sure Studio owned by friend and colleague and fellow Art & Soul instructor, Jean Van Brederode. Erin has lectured at the Central Pa. Bead and Jewelry Society, and has also taught private classes in her home studio. She has attended Art & Soul retreats for the past three years, and values the inspiration and knowledge that she has received from the Art & Soul instructors.You can see more of Erin's artwork at www.EKCreations.etsy.com. (be sure to view her sold items.)
Professional Artist and Educator for GOLDEN Paints
This is a hard working disciplined full time artist with a full time day job. Her work can be seen at Nationwide Insurance headquarters and many businesses in and around Columbus, Ohio.
Paintings can be seen at Studios on High Gallery and Gallery Art Center in Columbus, OH and Owl & Rabbit Gallery in Burlington, NC, and at SusanRossiter.com
Susan worked her way through college at Millersville University, PA and has an extensive education in drawing, painting, printmaking, fine art metals, design, photography, art history and sculpture. Skills from multiple genres and a little art history are integrated into her workshops. Online or in-person, Susan’s classes are relaxed, fun and informative for any skill level.
Follow Susan for weekly posts and studio schnauzer puppy photos: @soozrossiter
Or on Facebook: Susan Rossiter Artist
Random questions: Susan.Rossiter@yahoo.com
Collage is a wonderful way to wake up the sleeping artist within. Collages are unique individual expressions, just like the artists are. I am exploring a range of subjects without a political agenda, welcoming the technical challenge of making realistic renderings from recycled materials. I enjoy making something attractive from discards, appropriating images and putting them together in intriguing ways. Like any artist, I am especially thrilled when my work calls to a viewer to come closer and spend some time engaged in the piece. While my pictorial collages are best viewed from a distance, a close up inspection can reveal a very different piece of art.
"My goal as an artist is to let my work bring joy to the viewer."
Lynne Suprock is a creative mixed-media designer, writer, and instructor, making a difference through art. She believes through art, the opportunity for emotional or physical healing truly exists.
As a mixed media artist, Lynne uses a variety of products in her work, such as enamel, metal, clay, paint and fabric.
Her work has been published extensively in several journals published by Stampington & Company, as well as in Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Lark Book, Showcase 500 Art Necklaces.
She served as a 2015-2016 design team member for Amazing Casting Products, and has been the featured fabric artist for Gel Press.
Lynne has been recently featured on seven episodes of the PBS show, Make It Artsy, (Season 3, 5, 6 and7) which aired between 2017-2019. Some of those episodes can also be found on the Make It Artsy website at:
www.makeitartsy.com
For your convenience, you may pre-order your materials for classes! Your materials will be waiting for you at the retreat. And you can always purchase additional materials at the retreat.
Runaway Art and Craft Studio is our onsite store and sponsor for Portland, OR Retreats.
Visit Runaway Art and Craft Studio...
