Goodnight, Virginia...

Wow! Look at all these amazing instructors we had at our Virginia Beach retreat for another uplifting, creative, soul-soothing week of mixed media workshops at one of our all-time favorite locations. So much talent in one room! Our time alongside the Chesapeake Bay was delightful as always, although it was also bittersweet... but we'll get to that in a minute. Let's talk about all the fun we had first...

As always, there were a fantastic array of classes on how to make mixed media jewelry, assemblage, dolls, painting, books, metal etching, sewing, collage and so much more at our event this year. The wide range of offerings brings in an even wider range of attendees, who are always up for going outside their comfort zone to learn something new. One of the things I absolutely love about our Art & Soul tribe!

Take those brave and willing students and combine them with dozens upon dozens of the most talented, patient and nurturing instructors and what you get is some gorgeous artwork. I absolutely love to see what each of the attendees creates, because every one of them brings their own personal tastes and experiences to the projects being taught. It's kind of mind blowing! And also very rewarding. It makes my heArt sing!

The overall vibe at Virginia Beach this year was filled with the usual camaraderie of friends and love for the sacred time we all take to feed our creative souls. But this time together was a bit more precious than in previous years. You see... the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel — that we've called home for a week each year — has been sold and will be completely refurbished. An endeavor that may take almost 2 years. At that time, it will become part of the Marriott franchise.

The hotel was beloved by so many of us. It was old, quirky and, eventually became in need of renovation, but it was also a quaint beach resort. A little hideaway small enough that we didn’t overlap with many guests and pretty much had the entire facility to ourselves. The staff became family to us and took excellent care of Art & Soul. Even with much of the hotel in a state of inevitable pre-closing repairs and limited staff (as their jobs would be over at the end of our stay), we all had a remarkable event. We relished our time together and grew in so many ways that week. I cannot even begin to thank all of those who joined us for that cherished time together.

Boy, not only will we miss the hotel, but how about this gorgeous view? But it's time to say goodnight, Virginia... at least for now. Once the new hotel is up and running, whether they will be willing or able to accommodate Art & Soul is an unknown. But fret not! We have done our homework and found another seaside location for you in Ocean City, Maryland...

That's right! We are so fortunate to have contracted the next 2 years with the Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort Hotel. They are so excited to have Art & Soul, and have already connected us with The Ocean City Center for the Arts, who will be hosting an open house one night during the retreat next October. It's really a remarkable location and I hope that many of you can join us there! We are currently working on the final details, class information and schedule and hope to have our inaugural Maryland retreat live on the website mid-November. If you want to stay up-to-the-minute on all the details, be sure to get on our mailing list so you can receive our newsletters.

And once again, a huge hug of gratitude to each and every one of you who joined us in Virginia recently, or any other year for that matter. We know your time is precious and that you choose to spend it with us speaks volumes! We look forward to seeing you in Portland, Colorado Springs and Ocean City in 2019!

Glenny
xo

photos courtesy of Lynne Suprock, Jen Crossley, Jacqueline Sullivan, Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort Hotel.

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Susan Shaffer

We're so excited to have Susan Shaffer — the owner of Joyful Arts Studio — teaching at our Virginia Beach retreat. She firmly believes that art transformed her life, allowing her to reveal herself to the world. Susan also believes that creativity is within each of us and it's her goal to help others discover how to find it and use it. She wants others to have the same opportunity she did, and to explore their own creativity to find which art form they most enjoy. Susan is a nationally exhibited and decorated artist and is passionate about the power behind the creative process. She hopes to inspire wellness through art within each of her students. Here's what Susan has in store for you at Virginia Beach...

Perfection Is Overrated
Join Susan for a day of fun therapeutic art exercises as she talks through ways to overcome that pesky perfectionism, which can negatively affect our art and life. She'll encourage you to concentrate on the creative process and how it feeds your soul. In class, you'll have fun sloshing around in paint with brushes, fingers, plastic gift cards, water spray, lace, onion bags and who knows what else! You'll create layers and layers of acrylic paint using lots of surprising techniques. We'll leave the perfectionist behind as we practice painting without rules! Everyone will leave with their own unique, one-of-a-kind painting, reflecting their own personality.

Creating Your Way To Joy
In this class you'll experience a day of fun that's all about letting go, giving up control, laughing, collaborating, camaraderie and learning to follow your intuition. Like Susan's Perfection class, you'll be sloshing around in acrylic paint with brushes, your fingers, plastic gift cards, water spray, lace, onion bags and lots of other items for unique and interesting techniques. This loose style of painting will force you to go with your gut instinct, and you'll have a blast creating a work of art that is distinctly you!

Cardinal In The Snow, Watercolor Batik
In this workshop, you'll get to discover the combination of watercolor and hot wax resist on rice paper. You will paint a vibrant red cardinal hunkered down in a snow covered Juniper tree, using multiple layers of watercolor paint and hot wax. You may also try your hand at using watercolor crayons and pastel pencils too. Susan will gently guide you through all the tips, tricks and techniques to creating this wintery masterpiece and you will be thrilled with the end result!

We're so excited that Susan is here to not only teach you creative techniques but to make sure your heart and soul are involved in the process. No matter what level of art experience you have, you will surely be uplifted and changed after one of her classes! For more information on Susan Shaffer, her classes and our Virginia retreat, visit our website...

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel  

In addition to having nearly 30 years of experience as an art instructor, Susan is a former health care informatics professional, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art/Studio Art, with a concentration in Watercolor, a bachelor’s in Business Management with a concentration in Information Systems and a minor in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship from Wilson College.

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Lisa Chin

We're so happy to have Lisa Chin as a member of our Art & Soul Virginia Beach family! Lisa has been an artist and maker — of one kind or another — for her entire life. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Art from the University of Utah and has explored many art forms through both formal training and self-taught opportunities. After being introduced to fabric dyeing in 2005, she quickly became obsessed with surface design and discovered a multitude of fun and interesting ways to accomplish her visions. And at Virginia Beach, she's going to show you how to bump up your game when it comes to custom mark-making on surfaces! Take a look at what she has to offer this October...

Basic Stamp Carving
In this Monday evening workshop, you'll learn the secrets of stamp carving, which will allow you to create one of kind stamps for use in all of your paper and fabric art. Knowing how to carve your own stamps is a skill you'll be able to use forever. There is nothing better than being able to use your own images in your artwork again and again!

Hand Carving Repeat Patterns
Motifs arranged in a regular pattern are often used as a background, filler, or the main focus in our art, collage and other mixed media projects. In this full day class, you'll take your stamp carving to the next level by learning to draw and then carve a repeat pattern stamp to be used on paper, fabric or clay. Lisa will guide you through all the nuances of making your patterns look consistent for absolutely stunning results.

Mixed Media Travel Dumpling
For those who have sewing experience, in this all-day workshop you'll create a mixed media travel dumpling (is that just not the cutest and most appropriate name for this kind of mini travel bag?!). You'll start by collaging your favorite paper ephemera using stamps, stencils, paint and markers to create a lovely piece of "fabric". Then you'll sew your collages to create your very own dumpling. The finished bag will be a one-of-a-kind mixed media masterpiece and it's the perfect size to store your miscellaneous art supplies, or any other small items you need to corral on your travels. So adore-able!

 
SunLess Printing
Creating sun printed fabric is an easy and beautiful surface design technique, but has it’s limits. In this Thursday evening workshop, Lisa will show you an easy way to “sun print” in any type of weather, and at any time of day. The results are just as fabulous, and you'll gain one more rainy day activity!

So, as you can see, Lisa has some great workshops to offer at this year's Virginia Beach event. What I love about the classes she's offering is that for every single one of them, not only can you use what you've made over and over in your artwork, but you can take what you've learned to create an unlimited array of mark-making tools for yourself. The possibilities are endless! And that's what we love about our Art & Soul workshops... they're not just a one time thing. You can take this knowlege home with you and take your art to the next level. So, go ahead and check out Lisa's classes... and for more information about our Virginia Beach retreat, visit our website...

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel  

 
Lisa has been a guest on Quilting Arts TV, taught classes on Craft University, had her art published in several books and written many articles for magazines such as Quilting Arts and Modern Patchwork.

Highland Fling... What's Your Thing?

If you've ever been to an Art & Soul retreat, you know that every year we have a specific theme for our retreats, and for 2018 it's Highland Fling! We love to carry that theme throughout each event in lots of creative ways... our event programs, class tickets, opening night party, dressing up, trades, and even some of our classes and vendors feature projects and products based on that year's theme. We really go full tilt! Or should I say... full kilt!

There were so many reasons to choose the Highland Fling theme.... ummm... being Outlander fanatics was probably high on the list. We love the struggles and triumphs of this land and it's people, the amazing costumes from that time period, and the lush landscape of Scotland. But it's so much more than that too. Scotland is rife with a magic and lore all it's own, which is why shows like Outlander are even made. From the gorgeous stone castles, the significance of tartan garb, kilts and clans, to myths of mystical fairies, legends of giant sea creatures, and how an indiginous thistle plant could stop an entire invasion, well... there's so much to love about this highland country.

So what we want to know is... What's your thing with this Highland Fling? Are you an Outlander fan? What do you love about Scotland? Have you ever visited the country? And if you've been to any of our retreats this year, how did you express your Highland self? We'd love to hear your stories!

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Libby Williamson

Growing up with creative, artsy parents, Libby Williamson’s childhood was a world of fabric scraps and yarn, pins and needles, paint, Elmer’s Glue, and a whole lot of Scotch Tape. At any given time, there was always needlework projects in the works, time spent fashioning doll clothes from remnants, embroidering on anything that could hold a stitch, and learning the art of patchwork quilting. As an art major in college, Libby focused on printmaking but still found time for knitting and fiber arts. Her printmaking background led to a passion in surface design on fabric, which is reflected in her current work. She is a proud hoarder of all things “fiber” and thrives in a world of stitch and sew.

What that means for us is that Libby is one diversely creative soul, with a unique mix of classes to offer our Virginia attendees this year. Having such an inventive childhood, combined with formal training in the arts, she is constantly thinking outside the box, which you can see by what she's planning to teach at our Virginia Beach Art & Soul Retreat this fall. Check it out!

Paint-Collage-Stitch-Magic
In this full day class of Libby's you'll explore a variety of painting techniques as you create a stash of luscious papers that are enhanced with delightful textures and patterns. You'll work on unique substrates such as... deli food wrap, vintage ledger pages, old maps, phone book sheets, and a wide selection of paper ephemera, altering them with gelatin plate printing, stamping and stenciling. Then you'll use your custom papers to create collages onto fabric. You'll get to enhance those magical images and bring them to life with the addition of free-motion machine sewing. Your finished piece can be made into a journal cover or hung as wall art.

Tea Bag Revival
Oh, the sadly neglected, used tea bag... fret not! It will be resurrected for all it's glory in this full day workshop! When dried and emptied, tea bags become the foundation for a precious piece of art that you get to create. Each tea bag will be enhanced with a collage of hand-dyed fabrics and specialty papers. And with the added detail of free-motion machine and hand stitching, it will unify your collection of tiny tea bags. You'll leave class with a wondrous miniature art quilt!

Paint Brush Palooza
In this Tuesday evening class, you will deconstruct a paint brush and then perform a make-over with a riot of color and texture. Yarns, ribbons, shredded fabrics, wire & beads, ephemera, and found objects will replace boring bristles, transforming the brush into a whimsical showpiece. Hidden treasures can be added to complement your personal style.

 
Vintage Bedspring Christmas Tree
If you're looking for a fun evening mixed-media workshop, this is the one! Using a rusty, vintage mattress coil as the foundation, you'll transform an unlikely substrate into a magical, whimsical Christmas treasure. Easy, wonky, bead wrapping will convert sparkly beads and baubles into ornaments, and an old fashioned star tops the tree with a feathered friend along for the ride.

So, as you can see, Libby has a quite an array of unique workshops to offer at this year's Virginia Beach event. For more information about her classes and our Virginia Beach retreat, visit our website...

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel  

Libby Williamson's current focus is in the making of art quilts using layers of hand-painted and dyed fabrics, appliquéd layers of free-motion stitched components and embedded found objects. She teaches art quilting and sewing to students of all ages in her studio in Orange, CA and at destination retreats. In her world, not much can trump paint caked beneath her fingernails, needles and thread, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream. You can find out more about Libby Williamson by visiting her blog.

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Jean VanBrederode

 

Well, our roster of attentive, caring, nurturing instructors would not be complete without Jean VanBrederode, who literally shines in these categories! As a longtime Art & Soul teacher, Jean is our resident enamel expert. She's taken the art to a whole new level by turning it into creative mixed media jewlery. And she's taken many of our students under her gorgeous (enameled) wings. With her exuberant nature, excitement about her craft and attentive guidance, Jean's classes are always a joy in the discovery of making. And keep in mind... Beginners are her specialty!

Jean VanBrederode was trained as a teacher, but art has always been a part of her life. She feels fortunate to have found an art form — enameling, along with mixed-media jewelry — that brings excitement into her life each and every day. Her work is always changing, always a surprise. Having been seduced, empowered, enriched, & invigorated by metals & glass, she happily dedicates herself to creating and teaching others the joys of enameling!

Bee Keeper
This class was inspired by a workshop with enamelist Ken Bova at the John C. Campbell Folk School last summer. Throughout the day, you'll learn basic simple metal sawing techniques as well as how to create a variety of extraordinary colors on copper using only liquid enamels. You'll learn application techniques along with torch firing skills. All of this and you will leave with a finished Bee Keeper Necklace!

Enameled Bib Necklace
A combination of enameling techniques merge beautifully in Jean's Enameled Bib Necklace workshop. In this full day class, you will learn basic torch fire techniques and how to work with basic mesh enamel, liquid enamel, sgraffito (scratching patterns in enamel), wet packing, and necklace assembly skills. And you will leave this workshop with a finished enameled bib necklace (you'll probably walk out of class proudly wearing it!).

Branching Out
Some things are just better in Black & White, right?! This workshop's Branching Out enameled pendant combines metalworking techniques along with enameling and jewelry design to create a stunning black and white tree pendant. In this class you'll learn how to create an enameled copper design using a torch, vitreous enamels, and liquid enamels as well as how to master the ancient art of sgraffito (scratching into enamel). And like all of Jean's workshops, you will leave with a finished necklace that's just so much fun to show off.

So whether you're a newbie or a novice at enameling or mixed-media jewelry in general, in Jean VanBrederode's workshops you will learn how to create a one-of-a-kind enameled pendant necklaces that will have people asking, “Where did you get that?” and you'll be able to proudly say, “I made it myself!” For more information about Jean's classes and our Virginia Beach retreat, visit our website...

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Jean VanBrederode's work has been featured in 500 Art Necklaces, Steampunk Magazine, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Cloth Paper Scissors, and Green Craft Magazines. When she's not teaching workshops or hosting other instructors at her Charmed I’m Sure Studio in south-central Pennsylvania, she is tending to her Etsy shops – Enamel Warehouse, and Charmed I’m Sure Studio.

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Eric Scott

We love having Eric Scott teaching at our events! He is one half of the Journal Fodder Junkies, and he's dedicated to helping people discover their artistic potential and cultivate their creativity. He is a mixed media artist, an educator, and an author. He provides workshops, presentations, and seminars all across North America on the visual journal and mixed media art.

For Eric, the visual journal is vital to his mixed media art. As a place to explore and experiment, to document and reflect... he sees the journal as a testing ground for ideas, techniques, and imagery. All of these ideas and notions ferment in the journal before they begin making their way into separate pieces of art. Eric is an expert guide into the unknown, and he'll make you feel comfortable and free there! Check out what he has planned for you at Art & Soul Virginia this year...

Luminous Liquid Layers
In this full day workshop, you'll be pushing your creativity as you delve into the world of liquid acrylics. You'll explore a multitude of exciting techniques as you paint, drip, scrape, splatter, and stamp. Sure, that may sound like the basics, but you’ll also learn to use a wide range of unconventional tools and materials to create exciting textures and luminous layers. You can even throw in some of your favorite images and personal ephemera to add a mixed media flair to your work, or you can simply focus on building your painting skills. Either way, you’ll learn to open yourself to a new painting process as you build texture, embrace color, and develop rich layers. You'll definitely get to see how easy it is to develop dynamic images as you work, and you'll walk away with vivid pieces of art ready to hang on the wall.

Monster Maker Workshop
Eric's 3-hour evening class will help you unleash your mad scientist. You'll bring a variety of creatures of the imagination to life in this fun mixed media workshop! You will learn how to conceptualize and create cute & cuddly, or scary & menacing monsters with pencil, ink, paint, and collage. Build your creations from stock parts or invent your own. Customize your monsters with a variety of details, textures, and accessories, and walk away with your own menagerie of little beasts. Evil laugh is optional. Muah-ha-ha-ha!


Stencil Savvy
Stencils have become increasingly popular over the past few years, and we all look forward to the latest releases by our favorite mixed-media artists. But what if we could design and make our own? What if we could use our art, our handwriting, and our photographs to make personally meaningful stencils?

In this hands-on evening workshop, you’ll see just how easy it is to create your own distinctive stencils and templates. You’ll start the day by working with simple shapes and designs, and wrap up with using more complex artwork and photographs. You will leave with a variety of unique stencils and templates ready to be used in all of your mixed-media endeavors. That's pretty awesome!


So whether you love journaling, stamping, painting, drawing, stenciling, or just want to be brave and try something new, Eric has something for everyone. The great part is that everything you learn can translate to your own mixed media practice. What a great way to uplevel your art! For more information about Eric's classes and our Virginia Beach retreat, visit our website...

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

As a former public school art educator, Eric Scott frequently travels and provides workshops on the power of art and the visual journal to schools and education organizations. In 2005 he officially teamed up with friend and artistic accomplice David Modler to present at a variety of venues, conferences, and retreats on visual journaling and the importance of authenticity in art education. Eric is coauthor of the bestselling books, The Journal Junkies Workshop (2010) and Journal Fodder 365 (2012), both released by North Light Books. He lives in Purcellville, Virginia with his wife and their menagerie of animals. You can find out more about Eric by visiting the Journal Fodder Junkies website.

Virginia Teacher Spotlight: Chad Alice Hagen

We are so happy to have Chad Alice Hagen as part of our Art & Soul family! She has been happily and intensively exploring resist dyeing and surface design of hand felted wool since 1979, and delved into the amazing world of Bookmaking for the last 12 years using her resist dyed felt as the covers. She loves teaching how to use textiles — new and found — as the covers of journals and sketchbooks using different binding techniques. Textiles, fiber, fabric, material, felt, cloth – these words are more exciting to her than “You have won the lottery!” Here's what Chad Alice has in store for us at our Virginia Beach Art & Soul Retreat this year...

Miniature Book Necklace
How would you like to rite your secrets and daily thoughts on these adorable little books?! In this workshop, you’ll have the chance to make 2 tiny books, professionally bound in leather or paper. Each miniature book will have about 50 pages, and will feature a different binding style. You will learn how to tea stain paper, add ribbon bookmarks and two different closures, and finish your mini books with chains for wearing.

Perfect Little Notebook
You may not realize it, but most of the paperback books you handle in your daily lives have a glued binding, and to Chad Alice Hagen, that’s the perfect binding. When used in a handmade notebook, it becomes extraordinary. In this workshop, you will make a “Perfect Little Notebook” using this quick and marvelous binding technique as well as learn how to tea stain paper, create a cover from your favorite fabric, and make a ribbon & button closure.

My Favorite Perfect Sketchbook
There are sketchbooks and there are sketch books, but this particular one has become Chad Alice’s favorite... and we bet will be yours too! It opens totally flat, can be made from easy-to-find materials, and is finished with a textile cover. In this workshop you'll be making a 6" x 6" sketchbook with 120 pages of multi-media paper. You'll learn all the book making basics and then some...picking the paper you want, folding and tearing sheets with knives, gluing, piercing, sewing, all the fabulous bits that go into making a well-made, useful and enjoyable sketchbook/journal.

Whether you are a book lover, enjoy journaling, or having a unique way to jot down notes throughout the day, making your very own sketchbook from scratch with Chad Alice is going to be so very rewarding! So be sure and check out her classes and our entire Virginia event for this Fall!

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Chad Alice has written extensively on art and feltmaking and her artwork has appeared in and on the covers of several well-known books and magazines. She’s taught hundreds of classes and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Holland and Germany.  Her large scale felt work can be found in major collections including the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, NC, The Knoxville Convention Center, TN, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. B.F. Goodrich Corporation Collection. She maintains a full-time felt and book studio in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find out more about Chad Alice Hagen by visiting her at chadalicehagen.com

Our First Colorado Retreat!

Wow! Our inaugural event was everything we could have hoped for! The vibe was incredible and everyone attending was as excited to be there as we were to bring our unique mixed media retreat to them. The location was picturesque and calming. Colorado Springs embraced us with amazing weather and beautiful scenery.

The range of workshops we were able to offer at this new location made me so very happy, and the students as well. We are just so lucky to have the caliber of instructors that we do. Professional on every level but at the same time so down-to-earth and nurturing. What a perfect venue for these generous souls.

Students enjoyed the wide variety of workshops and created some stunning works of art. I loved the immediate camaraderie of the attendees and how they recognized they had found their tribe of like-minded art souls.

And while each student had their own personal experience, the chemistry among attendees overall... was palpable. I know Colorado Springs is a magical place, but it was more that that. It was getting to watch these adventurous and creative individuals have a necessary play date with their inner child.

From the wide variety of workshops, all kinds of whimsical creations were made... like these tiny houses from Ruth Greening's Precious Metal Clay workshop.

And this adorable bunny with a little bit of attitude, from Helen Shafer Garcia's Animal Crackers class.  

And these visually poetic, Juicy Affirmation Cards made in Jennifer MacLean's class. But for me... most of all... it's the smiles on the happy faces of our attendees that make my heart sing. I applaud them for taking the time from this hustle-and-bustle world to give back to themselves. They really do deserve it. You all do!

The classes were so enticing, even the instructors took some time from teaching to have fun and learn something new... like Erin Keck did, when she made these gorgeous earrings in Mary Johnson Hettmansperger's class.

And, our instructors, well... they love to have fun! As much fun as their students. It's their ability to laugh and play and be lighthearted in their approach to teaching, that they are hand-picked to be a part of the Art & Soul family. And we hope to include more local artists in next year's lineup (yup, we're definitely coming back). Many of us visited the Cottonwood Center for the Arts as well as the gallery crawl and were blown away by the exhibits. So we'll have lots of talented artists to choose from!

Let's not forget to mention our amazing on-site store and the pop-up, one-night-only Vendor Extravaganza. It's wonderful to have these amazing shopportunities come right to our doorstep to satisfy our needs for those art supplies and one-of-a-kind items we absolutely can't live without!

I must say that it was a genuine pleasure to have our event at the Hotel Eleganté. The staff went above and beyond to take care of us. Classrooms were cozy and had great lighting. The food was excellent. And ummmm... how many of us hit the Sweet Shop for ice cream? I won't tell how many times if you don't. I loved that the Hotel is surrounded with greenspace, especially the tranquil pond — complete with mama and baby ducklings. There were lots of places to sketch or just relax, and many attendees took side trips to see Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and hiking! I'm anxious to return and spend more time in the area. 

At the Colorado event, there was inspiration everywhere, in everything. That's how Art & Soul retreats are. It's where we honor the creative life we want to live full time. It's where we get little glimpses of how to do that, so we can bring it home with us and start the process of filling up our souls.

And yes! We will be returning to Colorado Springs next year, so... mark your calendars. You'll definitely want to be a part of this relaxing, inspirational, creative retreat next year. We hope to have classes available on our website by the middle of July. Watch for a newsletter announcement coming to your inbox soon!

Art & Soul Colorado Springs, CO

May 29 - June 2, 2019 at the Hotel Eleganté

Thanks again to all of you who attended and everyone who made this first Colorado event such a great success! See you soon...

Glenny
xo

Colorado Art & Soul... Two Weeks From Today!

Oh, joy of joys! My dream realized — an Art & Soul event in Colorado — is happening two weeks from today! I truly and sincerely can't believe it's actually here already. I'm so excited and I hope you are too! One of the very special things about having our retreat in Colorado Springs, well... it's not just the absolutely gorgeous location, it's also that this area allows our event to become a fully immersive experience.

Art & Soul Colorado Springs, CO

May 29 - June 3, 2018

at the Hotel Eleganté

Of course we have a fabulous lineup of mixed media workshops in all your favorite categories... collage, assemblage, painting, sculpting, bookmaking, journaling, jewerly, fabric & fiber arts, Zentangle... but there's so much more!

The Hotel Eleganté itself is glorious. The rooms are large and comfortable with plenty of space to lay out your supplies for nighttime art-making and impromptu get-togethers. In addition to an inviting full service restaurant and lounge, they have an outdoor patio with an amazing view, a Sweet Shop that includes a bakery, ice cream parlor and a Starbucks. They've got indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, a full-service spa and more.

Then there's our kickoff party, the well-stocked on-site store, our unique Vendor Night Extravaganza (open to the public for all you locals!), pop-up parties, restaurants to gather with friends and share your experiences. It's a non-stop gathering of your tribe from morning to night, and it's so much fun to be around like minded souls. 

In your down-time, there's so much to see and do in Colorado Springs. You can go hiking, zip-lining, kayaking, and horseback riding. Visit a castle, historic towns and villages, old west museums, or go see a rodeo. There's even railroad tours of the mountains and surrounding areas. And really there's so much more! If your week isn't filled with classes and even if it is, there's tons of reasons to explore the area.

And our Colorado location brings with it some unique local opportunities. We'll be working with Cottonwood Center for the Arts — a two story arts complex inside a refurbished office building in downtown Colorado Springs. They'll be hosting a First Friday Art Show, featuring gallery shows and open studios for you to explore and meet local artists. We're also working with the Textiles West Innovation Lab who'll be facilitating Peggy Dlugos' Eco Dying class. This center has the capability of allowing students to utilize all kinds of space, amenities and specialized equipment used in the art of fabric printing.

So, as you can see, there's a whole lot of reasons to join Art & Soul in Colorado Springs. If you haven't signed up for classes yet, some of your favorite workshops are still available. You can check out our Colorado Retreat online or contact us directly with any last minute questions you may have. We're looking forward to seeing you there and making this a permanent location in our retreat lineup!

© some images courtesy of The Hotel Eleganté, Cottonwood Center for the Arts