Upcoming Retreats
Harrisburg, PA May 2024 - May 13-19, 2024
Portland, OR 2024 August - August 11-18, 2024
Gubbio, Italy 2024 - Sept 1-18, 2024
Portland, OR April 2024 - April 14 - 21, 2024
Portland, OR 2025 - March 15-24, 2025
Harrisburg, PA May 2024 - May 13-19, 2024
Portland, OR 2024 August - August 11-18, 2024
Gubbio, Italy 2024 - Sept 1-18, 2024
Portland, OR April 2024 - April 14 - 21, 2024
Portland, OR 2025 - March 15-24, 2025
To begin registration for the Portland, OR April 2024 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!
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
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Vicki continually explores and experiments with fiber art approaches and loves to then share her techniques with her students, supporting them to create their own unique and gorgeous art. Along with teaching national workshops at locations such as Mendocino Art Center and Sedona Arts Center, Vicki exhibits her artwork in galleries and prepares you to create pieces so you can do the same.
I am a mixed media artist, designer and instructor from San Jose, CA (currently residing in Tempe, AZ) with a BA in Creative Arts. I believe that everyone has a unique style and desire to create and that we are born curious and creative. Over the years, many of us are discouraged from following our creative urges but I believe it is never too late to begin (or begin again!). I love to encourage my students to draw from their own experience when creating art and to have the courage to take chances. My art is messy, colorful, layered and fun. I have been drawn to the creative arts since I can remember. My first canvas was pretty much every surface in my grandma’s house: the walls, the books, underneath the marble coffee table in the dining room (she didn’t find out until YEARS later and it remains one of her treasured possessions!). I loved playing school and “art gallery” and my dream was to be an artist and teacher. I love the energy that my students bring to class;I love hearing their stories and guiding them through the fear and frustration and reflecting the joy they experience and cheering them on while they (re)discover their creative voice.
Website: https://www.kinueko.com
Orly Avineri is a mixed media artist, a teacher, and an author. She was born and raised in Israel, ended up in Southern California after living in the Netherlands for nearly a decade. Now living in the beautiful Willamette Valley in Oregon she teaches workshops and retreats in intimate settings, locally, in the US, and abroad. Orly’s work’s purpose is to advance the well being of those who seek it through unique and intimate natural and man-made processes and materials. Engaging in a world that is far more expansive than her own enlivens her to no end and she hopes to invoke that feeling in others by introducing and marrying multiple media to inspire freedom of expression and a deep belief in the possibility, the power, and the beauty of change. All for the sake of a deep sense of interconnectedness to all.
www.orlyavineri.com
Instagram: @orlyavineri
Facebook: @orlyavineri
Stephanie Burton teaches Hand-Building in Ceramics & Mixed Media (drawing and painting) Workshops in her peaceful unique home studio in Vancouver, WA and rents out her studio to Ceramic Artists. She has been working for Georgie’s Ceramic & Clay for 10 years as their Hand-building instructor. She sells her artwork at Clark County Open Studios, Portland Ceramic Showcase, Chehalem Mountain Art Affair, Art in the Garden,
Tigard Grange Show and galleries.
Stephanie is passionate about sharing her years of experience with others and you can see the joy and energy expressed in each one of her pieces as well as her student’s work. Stephanie’s Ceramic & Mixed Media Workshops are packed full of great techniques and creativity.
For more information visit Stephanie’s website and find her on social media.
www.stephanieburtonstudios.com
Instagram: @stephanieburtonstudios
Facebook: @stephanieburtonstudios
Andrea is a life long maker. From an early age there has been no material
that does not inspire her curiosity.
Starting A Work of Heart in 1998 Andrea's passion for making has blossomed
into creating an online community centered around a monthly membership called
Watch.Learn.Play. where she nurtures connection in community through bite sized
mixed media art & book making lessons. When she is not making art, designing
stencils or building custom art kits, Andrea enjoys fostering kittens for her local
county animal shelter
Pam is a full-time science teacher and a part-time artist, indulging her imagination by creating whimsical characters of polymer clay. After dabbling in many forms of mixed media art, Pam found her niche in polymer clay sculpture after taking several classes taught by Lisa Renner.
Pam enjoys trail running near her home in Northern California and was recently able to be a kidney donor.
Rochelle has always loved art – it has been a way to express herself and her style. Her road to creating jewelry began 12 years ago where she attended a chandelier class in Cortona, Italy. From that point on she fell in love with the art of soldering and jewelry making. It truly has been the best journey of her life meeting so many wonderful people, learning new things, and opening many doors to new opportunities.
In 2022 I turned 60…one of those milestone birthdays. That same year, I traveled to Paris for the first time since I was 21 years old. It was an amazing, joy-full, and life-changing trip. I played the part of an adventurer and instinctively set about my mission to document and observe my trip to Paris as if I’d never traveled before. I took notes. I collected things along my way throughout my days in Paris. I documented my findings in the biggest, juiciest, most beautiful travel journal to date. I noticed patterns in the wallpaper and tiles of the pied-a-terre I rented in Montmartre and copied them into my vintage travel journal. I traced typography from a women’s magazine advertisement from 1896. I focused on just one thing at a time. I recorded only what I was drawn to in those moments.
I came home wanting to keep that “Paris feeling” alive. That feeling of exploration, of discovery, of living in the moment. That’s when an idea came to me: sharing my love of travel and techniques I use in my handmade vintage travel journals to other like-minded and curious souls.
The No.1 Ladies Travel Chronicle Society was born.
I now teach workshops locally and internationally to other travelers. We find a vintage book, deconstruct it, then put it back together with layers and layers of vintage papers and ephemera, notes about what we see, feel, smell, and taste. We layer our pages with bits and flotsam collected throughout our wanderings. We tell our stories.
Email: good2btlg@comcast.net
Website: www.tammygilley.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.
Art is such an amazing gift. Whether we enjoy looking at it or participate in creating it. I have always had some form of artistic influence in my life in so many forms. Entertaining, cake decorating, wire wrapping, Precious Metal Clay and now Silversmith work.
I love learning from so many wonderful artists and creating works of wearable art, but the best is teaching someone else how to create their own artistic voice. Seeing that “AW HA!” moment when it all comes together
I look forward to working with you and seeing what inspiring pieces you have tucked inside your heart and challenging you to let it shine!
I am a mixedmedia, fiber and textile bookmaking artist. Making something out of nothing is my passion. When I'm in the zone on an art project, I feel a sense of presence that inspires and challenges me. Whether drawing, painting, paper making, fabric dyeing, stitching, or finding something to add to my work, I enjoy getting lost in the process. My bookmaking is always evolving. No two books are exactly alike. Each page is a different expression of shapes, colors, textures, and impressions from my life. I am always intrigued to find unexpected images presenting themselves in the finished piece. I enjoy when the viewer finds something personal in my work. I believe an individual’s view of art is as unique as their fingerprint.
Pamela Sue Johnson is a mixed-media artist and full-time creative. Known for her engaging teaching style, Pamela's workshops empower her students into more freedom with creative self-expression.
"All art making is about voice," says Pamela. "I love to help others find and use their voice through art, especially those who are just getting started."
Pamela makes her home in Vancouver, Washington. Her social media is as engaging as she is in real life as she writes about art, nature and the passion (and anguish) of her creative life. "I invite you to come prowl me as you decide to take one of my workshops," offers Pamela. "I love to be prowled!"
Find her online at:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pamelasuejohnson11/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pamelasuejohnson/
Website : https://www.pamelasuejohnson.com/
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.)
Since the early 1970s, Kat has been a believer in the healing power of the arts and creative self-expression. After retiring from a 40-year career as an Expressive Arts Therapist, her passions include teaching a variety of workshops such as creating art journals, collage, handmade books, Mixed Media arts, watercolors and doodles, and more. Kat enjoys exploring and experimenting with art materials, and sharing her discoveries with her students. She hosts a free Zoom session every Tuesday through her private Facebook group, “Kat’s Clubhouse.” When she teaches, whether it be virtual or in person, her two rules are: 1) You can’t be wrong, and 2) Have fun!
https://katkirby.com/
kat4clay@gmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/kat4clay/videos
https://www.instagram.com/2katstudios/
https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.w.kirby/
Art is our universal language. From pre-historic bison scratched onto a cave wall, to the fervent expression of religious faith brushed onto a chapel ceiling; humans have been driven to leave a legacy of their hopes and dreams etched in stone, wrought in metal or wood, woven in cloth or painted on paper and canvas. It is a unique characteristic of human nature to create visual form that goes beyond function into abstract thought. No culture, past or present, has failed to leave this expression of their existence and humanity. The message can be patently obvious as an epic battle immortalized in a Medieval tapestry or as enigmatic as a legion of stone heads staring out to sea on a long deserted island. It can be as realistic as a photograph or as abstract as swathes of color. Art can be used to invoke spirits or exorcize demons. I am driven to speak with my hands, to translate my visions into a form that bridges all language barriers. My visions come from my perception of the world around me, dreams and faint remembrances of lifetimes lost in the past. I am a storyteller at heart and my quilts are my stories.
I was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, a beautiful area that served as an inspiration to set me onto a creative path for life. From a very early age I showed a keen interest in art, starting with drawing and painting and exploring different mediums for my self-expression. In the early 70's, I turned my attention to fiber and fabrics with a focus on quilting and embroidery. For the last 40 years or so, fiber and quilting has been my primary focus and passion.
In 1991, we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I began teaching fiber and quilting classes in 1999. Over the years, my work has won awards at local, regional and national shows and the recognition has served me well in promoting myself as a teacher. In 2006 I received a nomination for the ‘Teacher of the Year’ by Professional Quilter Magazine another teacher ultimately won the top award but to be nominated was an honor itself. Some of my quilts have appeared in the pages of books and the cover of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine; and I have written articles for various magazines and currently design quilt patterns. This year, I became a fabric designer for Northcott Fabrics and my first line came out in May of 2018.
In addition to art and quilting, I have a passion for gourmet cooking, books (the only place I can get into worse trouble than a fabric store), films and music.
Trish McKinney, is a national and international award winning artist who loves to tell a story through her paintings. She is a Signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society, was published as the featured artist/author of an article in Art Journaling Magazine and won numerous awards in national and international exhibitions. Trish describes herself as a Teacher, Painter, Dreamer, Believer, and Artist. One of her favorite quotes is “Instructions for living a [creative] life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” Mary Oliver. Trish loves to inspire students to do these 3 things.
I have been a professional artist for more than forty years. My work has been shown in galleries in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. I served as the director for the Lubbock Arts Alliance for several years and taught Art Appreciation at Texas Tech University for 18 years.
For over 20 years, I have led various art workshops in Texas, New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Mabel Dodge Luhan House, and other retreat centers there), Washington, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I’ve taught many different kinds workshops: painting, shrine building, mixed media construction, SoulCollage® and spirit dolls.
I thoroughly enjoy being with workshop participants as they discover new levels of creativity and personal insight. It feeds my soul.
After many years of experimentation with fabric; dying fabric, creating custom fabrics for high-end designers, making wearable art, designing luxury clothing, and making gallery quality wall art; I have found the creative medium that brings a smile to my face, creative fabric collage. It is also known as art or collage quilting or painting with fabric. Whatever you choose to call it, it is a combination of the traditional techniques of collage using the materials of fabric and thread. Using commercial and hand died cotton fabrics, acrylic inks pens and crayons, digital manipulation, raw edge applique and free motion stitching, I create colorful, layered, and often whimsical collages. Being in the studio surrounded by brightly colored fabrics is both peaceful, challenging, and happy making!
Lora Murphy was born in Ireland and educated in Ireland, USA and Italy. Trained as an oil painter, she now works primarily in Encaustic and Mixed Media. Lora teaches workshops in contemporary portraiture in Encaustic throughout the world. She created Essence of Mulranny studios to develop workshop programs in Mulranny, Ireland . “Mulranny is a place not just to visit because it is so beautiful, it is to be experienced” she says, “To be in a place providing so much inspiration with varied landscape (and weather) and ever changing sea and sky, is a privilege, and to be able to share it with people who want to create in this space is a real joy.” In 2021 she created the Painting with Fire online workshop program featured the world's
best encaustic painters .
Her life journey gives Jacqueline Newbold a never-ending source of inspiration to represent gems of the world in her color-filled paintings. Her watercolor journal has become a visual diary and constant companion everywhere she travels. Using a warm and playful color palette, Jacqueline enjoys capturing a moment in time by painting the dappled sunlight on a field of lavender, or the brilliance of a tropical beach. She introduces color in the shadows and sun-drenched areas, which creates a luminous glow in her paintings. Primarily a watercolor artist, she uses her watercolor journal as a springboard for exploring creative ways to incorporate mixed media into her art and providing the bases for her larger creations.
Jacqueline is a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, the Northwest Watercolor Society and the High Desert Art League. She teaches watercolor workshops locally, nationally as well as leading painting workshops in France and Italy. She has several articles published in the mixed-media magazine, Cloth-Paper-Scissors about creating art while on your journey. Jacqueline has partnered with Daniel Smith Art Supplies to create a watercolor traveling kit. Her self-published book, Watercolor Journeys is a helpful guide for beginning to advanced watercolor enthusiasts and her workshop DVD with Interweave has just been released: Art Journals On-The-Go: How to pack, prep, paint, and more.
Website: www.newboldart.com
Blog: http://djnewbold.blogspot.com
Roxanne Padgett has been creating “stuff” and making “messes” since she was 4 or 5 years old using whatever materials she could find. She does the same thing today, but now it is called mixed media art “I enjoy experiencing the creative process with others and I believe that everyone is creative and not just a special few. My personal motto is “Fear No Color”.
Roxanne teaches a variety art classes for adults throughout the Bay Area and at art retreats around the country. In addition, Roxanne is the Creative Director at the Museum of Children’s Art . Roxanne’s art work has been featured in a variety of publications such as, Somerset studio, Sew Somerset, Stuffed and Green Craft. Roxanne is also the author of “Acrylics techniques in Mixed Media” Layer, Scribble, Stencil, Stamp published by North Light Books.
padgettroxanne3@gmail.com
Jesse Reno is a self-taught mixed media painter. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil, and painting and exhibiting his works since 2000.
Jesse has amassed over 3000 paintings in the last 12 years, and has exhibited his work extensively across the US and Canada as well as France and Mexico. Jesse's work has been covered in various art publications including Juxtapoz, Artnews, Artension, dpi and Somerset Studio just to name a few. One of his largest works can be seen in Winnipeg, Canada where he was commissioned by the Province of Manitoba to create a 25 x 40 ft mural as a reminder to the cultural importance of the Native American people in the region.
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."
Carol’s painting journey started when she learned to paint with acrylics during her lunch hour at the office where she worked. If not for the step-by-step process of decorative painting, she would not have been introduced to the world of painting. In 2000, Carol started painting primarily in transparent watercolor and her teaching career was launched. Carol paints primarily with watercolor accented with multimedia.
Carol’s workshop is a perfect opportunity for the beginner as well as the experienced painter to learn techniques enabling them to complete successful paintings. Carol shares her step-by-step approach to painting with students of all levels. All projects include written instructions, a line drawing and a color photo. Drawing ability is not necessary, allowing the student to focus on the mechanics of painting.
The creative backgrounds in Carol’s paintings set her artwork apart from other artists. Her use of color and textures invite you into her joyful paintings. Each lesson is designed to introduce the student to a new technique or way of looking at art. Students paintings are successful when they “trust the process” of Carol’s methodical instructions. No two paintings are alike, and that is a good thing!
Carol recently retired to be a full time artist and instructor. Painting is her joy and often times, her therapy. As much as she enjoys painting, Carol’s first love is teaching painting to others. Carol is a popular instructor at community education classes in St. Paul, MN, decorative painting conventions and travel workshops throughout America, France, Italy and Canada.
A lifetime resident of Minnesota, Carol lives in a 125+ year old house in Saint Paul, Minnesota with her husband Coz and their two cats, Mickey and Bailey.
Becky Joan Springer is an “accidental” and intuitive abstract painter, largely self-taught and still (un)learning. She studied art in undergrad, but didn’t pick up a paintbrush again until her mid 30s. She was a longtime college educator and counseling instructor working with marginalized communities, burnt out, and far removed from creative spaces.
When she followed the whispers and invited art back into her life as a daily practice, everything changed. Her colorful and bold art tells her story as a recovering perfectionist, with learned vulnerability, and untethered joy. ?Creating became a salve for the soul and has evolved from a hobby to a thriving daily practice, with the creation of a studio where she teaches in-person painting workshops and retreats.
She believes that we’re all artists, that art is healing, and that creating in community can be transformative. Her classes integrate a mind, body, and soul approach to intuitive painting. She strives for welcoming spaces where students are encouraged to be brave, to let their stories inform their art, and to play in paint together.
Becky is represented by the Artistic Portland Art Gallery and her work has been featured in exhibitions at the Helzer Gallery, Cambium Gallery, Radius Gallery, Om Base Gallery, as well as Quartz, a multimedia arts
magazine. Her paintings have been purchased for the City of Portland Public Art Collection. Additionally, she has a licensing partnership with the online platform iCanvas.
She lives and creates in Portland, Oregon.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckyjoanspringer/
Website: https://www.beckyjoanspringer.com/
Jacqueline Sullivan expresses her creativity through mixed-media, acrylic, and calligraphic paintings and books. Her works are unique expressions of adventure and discovery, each piece experimenting with texture, layers, color, unusual materials, calligraphic marks, and words. In addition to technical precision, personal artistic development is intrinsic to her practice. She earns her living as an artist educator as well as maintaining an active studio practice to develop personal work.
In her 30 years of teaching, Jacqueline has developed and presented many classes. She is a certified GOLDEN Artist Educator, making her a specialist on acrylic products and techniques. She is a member of the education teams for Marabu Creative, Ampersand and Silver Brush. Her workshops are multi-disciplined and given online as well as at top art retreats and for art, book arts, fiber and calligraphy guilds and conferences in the US , Canada and Europe.
Jacqueline’s work has appeared in many publications, including Astarte’s Mega-Zine, Cloth Paper Scissors, Pages, and Somerset Studio, as well as many calligraphic journals. Her work has been published in Acrylic Works 4: Captivating Color the Best of Acrylics. And Acrylic Works 6: Creative Energy, the Best of Acrylics both published by Northlight books. Her bestselling DVD, Acrylics: Textures, Layers, and Metallics, is published by Creative Catalyst Productions.
Jacqueline has a degree in graphic design, working for many years as a publication, marketing, and advertising designer. She is the recipient of top national awards for the fashion publications that she designed. She uses her knowledge of graphic design to help her students improve their paintings. She paints and lives in Cincinnati, OH.
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Dina’s colorful, expressive style is anchored by her design hallmark, the creative use of white space. Her personal, organic design aesthetic strikes a balance between “artsy” and “classic”.
Dina is a mixed-media artist and teacher. She loves everything about art: creating it, thinking about it, looking at it, and teaching it. She has been scrapbooking since 1995, stamping since 1996, and art journaling since 2004. She believes in writing yourself down, expressing yourself, and making your mark on the world. As a Ranger Signature Designer, Dina designs a line of mixed-media art supplies that includes acrylic paints, mediums, brushes, rubber stamps, stencils, and more.
Stephanie Wolcott, an artist from Nebraska. I love to teach a large variety of workshops from my studio. The workshops range from pottery, impasto painting, cookie decorating, gardening, fabric and textile dying to soap making…. Workshops are in person and on zoom. I have been teaching workshops in person and on zoom for over ten years.
My inspiration comes from nature and spending time outdoors.
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.
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