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.

Colorado Spotlight... Jacqueline Sullivan!

This year Jacqueline Sullivan will be teaching 4 workshops at Art & Soul Colorado Springs... Deli-collage, On The Horizon, Paper Pizazz and Acrylic Textural Painting. These workshops are designed for all levels of student from the experienced artist seeking a creative instructional opportunity to the person wishing to explore new techniques! Take a look at these fun and creative classes she's offering...

Deli-Collage
Thursday, May 31, 2018
6:30pm - 9:30pm

Deli paper - we've all tried it! But you've probably never done the things with it that we will do in this class. We will use all sorts of textural and acrylic media on our deli papers, creating a huge pile of collage papers! We will then choose our favorites and build a frame-able abstract collage. You'll learn a lot about acrylic paints and mediums in the process and go home with a lot of papers for future use!

Workshop Information:
See course page HERE for supply list, materials included, an opportunity to pre-order a kit from Blue Twig Studio, and to register for this class.

  

On The Horizon
Friday, June 1, 2018
9am - 4:30pm

Imposing order in a chaotic abstract work can often be difficult. Remembering the rule of thirds is always helpful when analyzing our work. Within that rule, there are several techniques that we can use to define a horizon line. Whether a low or high horizon line this technique helps to convey a sense of atmosphere and place in abstract works. We will begin our paintings working with fluid acrylics. Then we'll learn some mark-making techniques, using high flow acrylics to define the horizon lines in the painting. We will make our paintings on watercolor paper then crop/cut them into 5" x 5" squares and mount them onto cradled boards to stand on a mantle or shelf or hang on a wall.

Workshop Information:
See course page HERE for supply list, materials included, an opportunity to pre-order a kit from Blue Twig Studio, and to register for this class.

Paper Pizazz
Saturday, June 2, 2018
6:30pm - 9:30pm

Many people have tried paste papers but are not satisfied with the results. This class will help you to learn the proper techniques for making paste papers with a beautiful, smooth velvety finish. These papers are wonderful for binding books, making boxes, backgrounds for stamping and collages. Because we are using a methyl-cellulose paste the surface is great for writing on – making them good for calligraphy projects or beautiful journal pages! Students will work with a limited palette and simple color theories to keep their papers brilliant and beautiful. There will be lots of tools on hand for making various patterns and images in the paste!

Workshop Information:
See course page HERE for supply list, materials included, an opportunity to pre-order a kit from Blue Twig Studio, and to register for this class.

Acrylic Textural Painting
Sunday, June 3, 2018
9:00am - 4:30pm

This class is about building a painting layer by layer. Students will start painting with thin glazes of acrylic paint and then begin adding additional layers of textures and paint. Texture will be formed in many ways including use of miscellaneous acrylic media and various household items. Together these ingredients create a richly textured painting. Jacqueline will use her knowledge gained in her training as a Certified Artist Educator for Golden paints to help students develop an understanding of how to make many different acrylic mediums work better for them in their art work. Design qualities of an Abstract Painting is an integral part of the class. There will be a short discussion on color theory. Each student will receive extensive handouts with instructions and color photos for the various techniques that are covered in the class. Students will receive individual attention from the instructor, guaranteeing that their painting is a unique work of art.

Workshop Information:
See course page HERE for supply list, materials included, an opportunity to pre-order a kit from Blue Twig Studio, and to register for this class.

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You are invited to contact Jacqueline directly to discuss details of any of her Art & Soul Workshops or the retreat experience in Colorado Springs.

Art & Soul Colorado Springs
An Inspirational Mixed Media Retreat
May 29 - June 3, 2018
Hotel Eleganté Conference and Event Center
Colorado Springs, CO 

Set on seven acres of land just a few miles outside of downtown Colorado Springs, the Hotel Eleganté Conference & Event Center provides the perfect setting for business travel, family vacations and romantic escapes. Elegant, pet-friendly rooms and suites provide everything you need to relax, refresh and be productive, including pillow top bedding and FREE Wi-Fi access. Enjoy a meal at one of our on-site restaurants. Take a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool - enjoy!

Unable to join Jacqueline in Colorado Springs? She will also be teaching at the Art & Soul Retreat ~ Virginia Beach ~ October 1-6, 2018. Complete Retreat information HERE

Jacqueline Sullivan is a mixed media, acrylic and calligraphic artist. She is well known for her pieces that experiment with texture, layers, paint, unusual materials, calligraphic marks and words. Jacqueline’s work has been shown nationwide in galleries and juried art fairs. She is a GOLDEN ARTIST Educator and has a degree in graphic design working for many years as a publication and advertising designer. Jacqueline has also recently joined the teaching artist group with MARABU North America. For over 30 years Jacqueline has also been a teaching artist and currently travels throughout the US and Canada teaching artists of all levels to stay in touch with their creative selves. She has a special interest in healing, both physically and emotionally, through creative practice.  More of her work can be viewed at www.jacquelinesullivan.com

© all images courtesy of Jacqueline Sullivan

Tons and Tons (and Tons) of Techniques!

Our adorable and extremely talented instructor Sandra Duran Wilson has some fantastic classes this year at our 2015 Portland Art & Soul Retreat! She's a master of techniques. She'll show you how to create texture and patterns that accentuate and elevate your collages and paintings. Her love of exploration and experimentation comes from a background in science and experimentation. She grew up in a family of both scientists and artists. As a child she trained with her great aunt Santa Duran, a well known Texas landscape artist, and she spent time looking through her fathers microscope and would then paint what she saw. She holds both Fine Art and Science degrees from the University of NM. Her work is in corporate, private and civic collections, including the Santa Fe Convention Center.

Sandra has created a few sneak peek videos for the classes she'll be offering this March. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then these videos are worth, like... a million! Take a look-see below for what's in store and click on the titles for information about each class.


How to Master The Mediums...




Instant Gratification Transfers...




All Cracked Up...



I bet your wheels are turning now! I know mine are. All those amazing techniques make me want to explore all three classes! And having Sandra Duran Wilson as your guide is like having your best art friend inviting you over to come play! Her excitement is contagious. In her own words...

“I love to play with paint and collage. I call myself an abstract collage painter. I find inspiration in music, math, sounds, colors and my surroundings. I teach in order to share what I am always pushing myself to learn. Transfers and collage add a new dimension and textural layer to my art. I incorporate printmaking, collage and transfers into as many as 20 layers in a painting. I find it exciting to collaborate and share creativity. The world needs more art and inspiration. If I can help someone along the way to find the joy that I do in the everyday creative process, then my day is complete”.

So come play with Sandra at Portland Art & Soul, March 2-8, 2015. Your art will never be the same again!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Lately we've been sharing a lot of how-to articles from our favorite Art & Soul teachers... well, how about one from Michelle Bernard — our resident Art & Soul Graphic Artist! Michelle dabbles in several different mixed-media categories including jewelry, collage, assemblage, art dolls, and lots more. But there's one thing she told me she loves working with... and that's wood. She bought a wood burning kit ages ago and had it sitting around collecting dust... until she came across an adorable wooden purse at her local craft store. And the rest is history.

Do you smell a campfire? Nope... it's just Michelle in her studio. And here's a quick and easy tutorial to spark your own burning creativity! Take it away Michelle....

I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love making art on wood! And this wood burnt star girl purse I made is no exception! Perhaps it's the smell of the burning wood... reminds me of being around the campfire. Maybe it's the way acrylic paints let the wood show through... I just love me some texture... courtesy of mother nature!

Transferring the image is easy-peasy with the age-old pencil transfer method! Some things never go out of style. Simply rub pencil on the back of your photocopied image, then trace over top.

Burn, baby burn! This part is fun and scary all at once. But oh, the smell of burning wood. Mmmmm. If you have a wood burning kit, logic would dictate using the pointed tip for tracing your image. However, the pointed tip tends to skip. I like to use the chisel tip because it holds heat better and does not skip. You can just "write" with the tip of the chisel, as you would a pencil. But keep those fingers away from the tip!!! Ouch!

Painting in the details. I'm just loving how these bright colors just pop on the wood surface! I used acrylics that were watered down slightly, to fill in the different sections. You want it watery enough to see through, but not too watery that it spreads outside your lines. If you're unsure of the consistency, practice on the inside or back of your surface.

Fun with finishing. Here's where I treat my wood burning like a collage. I added some glitter glue to her hair for some visual depth.

Then I jazzed it up with some words from an old book, a pretty pink flower, and a star necklace with vintage ribbon. You can do as much or as little as you like with your pieces.

The back had a big giant crack in it ($2.99 sale item, what can I say!), so i just painted a dividing line over it and had more wood burning fun!

I even went so far as to finish the inside with pink felt. You might notice there's a little part at the top that I didn't cover with lining. When I used the star shape branding attachment from my wood burning kit, I tested it first on the inside, knowing I would cover it up later. But I thought it was cute, so I let it peek through.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it sparks a desire to burn something in your craft room! Within reason... of course.

Creatively,
Michelle