Portland Art & Soul... On The Red Carpet!

Our first event for the year in Portland was amazing! They're always special, but the air was alive with excitement and energy this year.

With a brand new theme, we started off our event with a glamorous opening night party – On the Red Carpet – which featured a live band and we tripped the light fantastic, as if we were the stars.

We had some exceptional dancers spinning around the floor.

A celebrity selfie station!

Lots of glitz and glam including feather boas, feather eyelashes, and sparkly hair extensions were all part of the fun.

Many of us sported sparkles throughout the week. Attendees even arranged to have our glitz girl Sarah return to add more glam to their locks! It was so much fun. Mine are still in place and I love the comments I get as I venture out into the non-arty world.

And speaking of arty worlds... Wow! We had close to 500 happy, smiling, adventurous attendees at this year's Art & Soul Portland. A big thanks to those who came from NZ, Australia, the Netherlands, England & Canada. What an amazing tribute to A&S!

And as always, the gorgeous mixed-media creations that were made just blew me away. Like these metallic mini journals made by students in Jen Crossley's workshops.

Lots of gorgeous fabric classes with interesting techniques for making one-of-a-kind garments, or...

Something to tell a personal tale with, like these beautiful Storyscapes made in Roxanne Evans Stout's workshop.

How about these gorgeous metal bangles! There are always plenty of jewelry classes at Art & Soul, in all categories of mixed media.

Like these uniquely colorful Alcohol Ink pendants from Jennifer Jackson MacLean's students!

And speaking of colorful, check out these gorgeous papers and journal pages made in Nicole Austin's She Three workshop.

And this mixed-media portrait from Kate Thompson's experimental painting class. There was definitely something for everyone and every level of artist here in Portland. It warmed my heart to watch our tremendously talented teachers guide our students, while gently pushing them outside their comfort zone to create magnificent works of art.

Our vendor night was packed! The most vendors we had in years. Teachers selling their own creations. Antiques and mixed-media objects galore. Fabrics and fibers and found objects and all kinds of stuff to make more stuff with. It was a creative's paradise. Our special thanks to One Love Vineyards for coming with wine tastings and sale of their new products.

And it was so great to see a renewed excitement over trades again! Just like the old days, we've gone back to simple gestures, exercising our individual artistic flair, and appreciation for one another's creativity and kindness. Makes my heart go pitter-pat.

And lets not forget all the other amazing extras at Portland... Massages again were popular! Our necks and backs needed relief from all that intense creative focus. We also cannot say enough about the hotel staff, always rising above and beyond to take care of our special needs and crazy requirements. And if you've ever been to one of our events, you know our requests are pretty crazy! And of course, our on-site store, Collage. Holy cow! A selection to rival any big chain. We're pretty lucky.  Thanks to Maria Raleigh and her great team for an amazing job. And of course my Marie and Karen. So for my outstanding support system and all the wonderful teachers and attendees... this award goes to you! Thanks for making Art & Soul a winner year after year after year!!

Until next time. See you in Colorado!

Glenny
xo

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!

Meet Our Team!

It takes a village... isn't that what they say? Well, when it comes to Art & Soul it's a tiny village, but when that group is considered more than just employees, you've struck gold. I'm so very lucky that all the people that work with me are friends and confidants. Not only do they help to keep Art & Soul running smoothly, but they help me keep my sanity! There isn't too much better than that when you're running a business. So, if you don't already know us, here's a little bit about the people behind the scenes at Art & Soul...

Glenny Moir - Event Owner & Producer

If you've ever been to an Art & Soul retreat, then you probably already know me. Being an independent woman business owner, I'm kind of everywhere... all the time! How did I get to this place?  Well, I'm actually no stranger to event planning. Prior to A&S, more than 20 years of weddings, anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvah’s, theme parties and festivals kept me busy, busy, busy. During that time, I sought an outlet for my artistic endeavors and discovered a few small venues for creative learning. When I realized that I could take my passion for creativity and education, and create a large-scale event for mixed media… Art & Soul Retreats was born!

I enjoy scouting for the most sought-after instructors as well as discovering up-and-coming artists and art trends that attendees find inspiring. In fact, several popular mixed media artists of today got their start teaching at Art & Soul Retreats. Besides the delight in running such an event, I love to watch the attendees push beyond their comfort zone and create something magnificent. The smiles on their faces as they walk from the workshops — projects held high — is all I needs to remind me that I'm on the right path. Today Art & Soul the longest running mixed media retreat in the country.

I live in Boring, Oregon (no, it’s not boring) with my furry, four-legged friends and just a few closets full of art supplies.

Marie Kennedy - Assistant

Having evolved creatively over the years, Marie has dabbled in everything from quilting and scrapbooking to collage and art dolls. Her official involvement with Art & Soul as my Assistant, began in 2009. She has become my right hand (and oftentimes left as well). Her never-ending enthusiasm for the success of Art & Soul was only part of what led her to be working side-by-side with me today. Marie is a great problem solver and someone who enjoys the challenges brought to her each day. She hopes that everyone who attends Art & Soul is able to fill their soul with friendship and love for the art process. I totally rely on her skills and judgement and cannot thank her enough for all that she does.

Marie lives in Novato, California with her husband, John. Her days are spent watching her darling granddaughter, Callie, and trying to teach her how to use all the art supplies.

Danial Powers - Social Media Coordinator

 

Danial has just joined our team as our Social Media Coordinator. As many of you know, I am clueless when it comes to promotion on all Social Media venues. When I started A&S, we didn’t even have Blogs....and I remember Leslie Riley telling me that I had to come into the internet century. I eventually did, kicking and fighting all the way.

Danial moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2000 from Michigan. She lives near Seattle with her husband, son, and three cats. By day, Danial has worked as the Director of Admissions at DigiPen Institute of Technology, a small college located in Redmond Washington, for the last eight years. Previously, she worked in the marketing department of Puget Sound Energy (PSE) promoting PSE’s energy efficiency programs.

Outside of regular work hours, Danial is a mixed-media artist. Her work was featured on the covers of body image zine Love Me, Love My Belly #001 (Porkbelly Press, 2014), and My Own Strange Beast (Porkbelly Press, 2017). Danial discovered Art and Soul in 2016 and has been attending the Portland retreat every year since.

Michelle Bernard - Graphic Artist

Michelle Bernard was already a longtime attendee of Art & Soul when we asked her to design the 2009 Rock & Roll themed logo. I liked the design so much, I brought her on as our permanent Graphic Artist. Michelle’s unique perspective and approach to advertising and promotion have helped to keep our attendees excited and engaged. When she’s not designing for Art & Soul, Michelle loves working in all facets of mixed media including painting, collage, assemblage, jewelry, sculpting, sewing, art dolls and anything else that gets her creative juices flowing.

As the former Art Director of Ranger Crafts, not only has she co-taught a few of our opening night classes in Virginia, but her exposure to innovative art products has helped bring her own mixed media works to a whole new level. Having started out doing craft shows and selling her creations online, Michelle now shows her work in multiple galleries and retail establishments. And she loves to let everyone know where it all began... at Art & Soul!

Michelle lives in the quaint Victorian seashore town of Ocean Grove, New Jersey with her 2 kitties and a house full of art supplies and found objects.

We Believe!

During the holidays, our days seem to be filled with so much more love and gratitude. We focus on family and friends and even those in need. The world seems to be filled with an ever-present feeling that all is good and things can turn out great. It's a time for miracles. A time to believe. And so we just wanted to take a moment to share some of that holiday love with all of you!

• We believe that we are fortunate to live in the most magnificent and miraculous world.

• We believe that the magic and the thrill of the holiday season stretches on beyond December.

• We believe that we are all rich when we count our family and friends as the treasures they are.

• We believe that all of you and those whose lives you touch will be blessed with laughter and love.

• We believe that peace is already present, when we focus on being in the present moment. 

• We believe that home is where the heart is. So from home to home and heart to heart, the warmth and joy of Christmas lives within all of us.

• We believe that all hearts are filled with wonder and curiosity, enough to make the world go 'round.

• We believe the creativity of art fulfills our lives and adds to the richness of our being.

• We believe that art creates new and lasting friendships with our soul's tribe.

• We KNOW, that each of you have brought love, light and joy to Art & Soul and we are thankful for you every single day of the year!

Happy Holidays from the entire Art & Soul Family!

Glenny
xoxo

A Great New Class... We Ain't Lion!

Need to fill your Friday afternoon in Minneapolis? Well... Erin Keck has a brand new class she's offering... Trash To Treasures - Creating Vintage Collage Jewelry. In this half-day workshop, you'll learn how to take scraps of broken vintage jewelry along with other embellishments and turn them into unique modern-day statement pieces. You can bring jewelry bits and bobs of your own, or Erin will have a treasure chest of junky jewels to sift through.

Trash To Treasures

Creating Vintage Collage Jewelry

Minneapolis Art & Soul

Friday, April 28th, 1:30-4:30

Come join us for this fun, laid-back and informative workshop! You'll leave with your own personal wearable art piece that's unlike any other. For more information on Minneapolis Art & Soul, visit our website and check out all we have to offer...

Check Out Our New Look!

We've recently redesigned our website and wanted to show you around a bit! We're very excited about this new look and feel. We added big bold photos, sophisticated typefaces, easy to navigate pages, and links to everything you need to know about Art & Soul Mixed Media Retreats.

Our new muted, torn paper backgrounds lend a new level of sophistication to the look, while still being fun and playful. We sprinkled the site with artistic and professional photography and updated our descriptions to give our in-person retreats the warm and fuzzy feel they deserve.

The links to our retreats are easy to find and are accompanied by enticing images of the cities where we have our events. The accompanying information walks you through our site so you can easily find what you're looking for.

And pow! Our individual events pages have these gorgeous full-length photos, showcasing our location, as well as easily clickable links to each aspect of our retreats. Right on the event page you'll find access to the event overview, workshops, instructors, hotel, registration information, activities, class project photos, and teacher videos. Easy peasy!

So come check out our new website, and if you haven't signed up for your favorite retreat, now's a great time. Happy browsing!

No More Excuses for Not Making Art!

I don't have time. I don't have a space to work. I'm not sure I have all the right supplies. It's not something I've done before. I can't keep the momentum going. I don't know what to make. Do any of these sound familiar? All too familiar for some of us, I'm sure! Well, thanks to Gina Rossi Armfield, you can toss those excuses in the trash!

No Excuses Art and your very own Art and Soul are going to be hosting an awesome giveaway contest — at our Virginia Beach Retreat — for those who take the PLEDGE to give up their excuses when it comes to making art! The prize includes an amazingly handy 85-well spinning palette, exclusive No Excuses books and DVDs, a free Art & Soul class and more!

Art & Soul Virginia Beach, VA

September 28 - October 4, 2015

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Look for details when you sign in at the registration desk, at our Virginia Beach event! You won't want to miss this one! (No excuses!)

Feed Your Soul (and Your Belly) in Virginia!

Boy, oh, boy... have we got a nifty offer for you!  Not only will we provide nourishment for your soul, but also for your belly! Arts and eats! A nice little treat! Some provisions while you envision!

What the heck are we talking about? Well, we've got a special deal going on right now...

When you sign up for 3 or more full-day classes, your lunch will be included on those days! How cool is that? A $15 value, your midday meals will be our treat! It's like getting a $15 credit on your class, and free food to top it off. Awesome!

So jump on the bandwagon, or hop on the buffet line and sign up for classes today, or add a class or two to qualify. Lunch is on us!

Art & Soul Virginia Beach, VA

September 28 - October 4, 2015

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Join us for an amazingly inspiring mixed media art retreat, in an amazingly inspirational location. For more information and to register for our Virginia Beach 2015 event, visit our website www.ArtAndSoulRetreat.com

Portland 2016 Classes Open For Registration... Today!

Laurie Mika's Sacred Tin Hearts workshop

Just a quick reminder that as of today, registration for our Portland 2016 Art & Soul Retreat is now open! A couple weeks ago we gave you a sneak peek of some amazing workshops we've got lined up and told you about our special class pricing.

Art & Soul Portland 2016

February 29th - March 6th

Registration is Now Open!

[special introductory sale ends August 1st]

Hopefully, you've had some time to look around, pick out your favorite classes (I know... it's hard!) and you're ready to sign up today. If you haven't gotten a chance to peruse the amazingly creative offerings we have, you can visit our website and browse by instructors, our daily schedule, or by project example photos. As always, we look forward to being your destination for creative play!

Glenny
xoxo

Don't Miss This Amazing Offer!

David Molder & Eric Scott - Alternative Approaches to the Self Portrait

Wow, wow, wowie, wow! Can you tell I'm excited about the new lineup for our 2016 Portland Art & Soul? I'm thrilled to let you know that classes for this event are now online and ready for you to browse! AND.... we're kicking off open registration June 1st with an awesome sale!! If you sign up during this early bird special, Event Registration will be $35 (instead of $50) and all Full Day Classes will be $135 (instead of $150)! The sale ends August 1st, so take advantage of this discount offer and insure you get the classes and teachers that you wanted!

Oh, and besides the savings we have for you... check out some of the incredible lineup of classes we have in store for Portland 2016!

Ingrid Dijkers has turned journaling on its head — or should I say YOUR head — with her Crown Chronicles workshop! And seriously... what better way to share your favorite affirmations, quotes or journaled random thoughts than on your head with a crown?

Lulu Moonwood Murakami is going to take you on a tale of a journey in her Fabric Collage Storybook Dolls class. Love mixing fabric patterns and colors? So does LuLu! Get funky creating whimsical storybook characters with fabric collage and some wild machine stitching in her workshop.

Create your own polymer clay "bunting" with Laurie Mika in this Heraldic Clay Banner workshop! This is a perfect class to explore a number of techniques using polymer clay because each triangle provides an opportunity to try out a new way of embellishing the surface. Swoon!

And OMG! Are these Needle Felted Cakes taught by LeBrie Rich just the most adorable things you've ever seen? You'll create beautiful and intricate desserts inspired by Japanese felt master Rio Fukuda. This class is a good introduction to needle felting: you’ll learn to make many basic shapes and will be prepared to create anything on your own at home! Sweet!

Ever want to try your hand at Precious Metal Clay? Well now you can and come out looking like an expert in Ruth Greening's Intro to PMC Silver workshop! You'll fall in love with the versatility and beauty of this workable, forgiving medium that lends itself to so many different crafts.

So that's just a small sample of the amazing lineup we have for you at Portland next year! With all types of mixed media disciplines like collage, assemblage, journaling, bookmaking, painting, sculpting, fabric and fiber arts, digital manipulation, jewelry and so much more... we have something for everyone!

Art & Soul Portland 2016

February 29th - March 6th

Registration opens June 1st

[special introductory sale ends August 1st]

Happy Browsing!

Portland Art & Soul... Just Around the Corner!

I just can't believe that in less than 2 weeks, we'll all be in Portland, Oregon for our next Art & Soul retreat! This winter had many of us trapped indoors by phenomenal snowfalls and frigid temperatures, so what a great time to get out of the house for creative inspiration... Hallelujah!

Portland Art & Soul

March 2-8, 2015

Sheraton Airport Hotel

Portland, Oregon

In addition to the wonderful workshops and instructors we have scheduled,  we've got a pretty amazing lineup of events to entertain and stretch the imagination of our attendees. Check out what's going on...

Sunday, March 1st

Opening Night Party

Sunday Eve 6:00pm - 8:00pm

At our Opening Night Party, you'll get to meet-and-greet and make-and-take! Our talented instructors will be there to mix and mingle and chat with our attendees. Patti Calande of Hand Stitching & Embellishing will be the featured demo artist, showcasing the Alabama Chainin Way. In addition, the very talented Susan Schenk, Liz Kettle, and Judy Gula will be having surprise demos throughout the evening. This opening night celebration is definitely worth coming early for!



Wednesday, March 4th
Book Signing with Cathy Taylor
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Be among the first to get a personalized copy of Cathy's new book Pigments of Your Imagination!... an entire full-color publication on the many creative uses of Alcohol Inks for your projects. Jam-packed with tips and techniques, Cathy will be signing copies just for you!

Saturday, March 7th

Vendor Extravaganza

Saturday Eve 6:00pm - 9:00pm

The vendor event is free to registered attendees and is open to the public for a fee of $10 at the door. We will have all kinds of mixed-media vendors, offering finished artwork, art supplies, vintage findings, fabrics, jewelry, collage items, assemblage... something for everyone! So please join us!

Make-n-Take Schedule

We will have various instructors and companies throughout the event, live and in-person to teach you easy projects and interesting techniques. Be sure to look for:

Monday, March 2nd 
5:00pm
Jean Van Brederode demonstrates Making Wire Clasps

Wednesday, March 4th 

11:00am-1:00pm
Kari Foteff demos Gelli Plate Mono Printing on
Strathmore Artist Papers using Golden Acrylic Paints
6:00pm-8:00pm
Cathy Taylor will be demonstrating techniques from Pigments of Your Imagination
during her book signing

Thursday, March 5th
3:00pm
Doris Arndt demonstrates making a File Folder Book
5:00pm
Jill Berry on ColourArte products:
Twinkling H2Os and Silk Acrylic Glazes

Friday, March 6th
5:00pm

Jill Berry on ColourArte products: 

Twinkling H2Os and Silk Acrylic Glazes

6:00pm
Erin Keck shows how to make Faux Tintypes

So, as you can see, there's tons of fun stuff to do at our Portland event outside of the amazing workshops we have to offer. And we've been known to have a few creative binging late night pop-up parties here and there, so bring your best jammies! You never know!

For more information on our Portland Art & Soul Retreat, visit us at ArtAndSoulRetreat.com today!

We Felt It! Chad Alice Hagen is Coming to Portland!

The amazingly vibrant, vivacious and colorful felting aficionado Chad Alice Hagen — who has instructed workshops at our Virginia Beach retreat — is coming to teach at Portland Art & Soul in March of 2015! And we are tickled pink, and blue... and orange... and yellow.... and green, and purple, and.... wow!

Chad Alice Hagen has been happily and intensively exploring resist dyeing and surface design of hand felted wool since 1979.  Textiles, fiber, fabric, material, felt, cloth – these words are more exciting to her than “You have won the lottery!”  Starting from a textile history background, she has supported herself through her BA and MS from University of Wisconsin and MFA from Cranbrook by weaving rag rugs from thousands of pairs of corduroy pants.  Why?  Because of the color!!  When she discovered feltmaking and the way the wool felt absorbed color through dyeing in the late 1970’s, there was no turning back.

Chad Alice has written extensively on art and feltmaking and her artwork has appeared in and on the covers of Surface Design Journal, Fiberarts and Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot Magazine. She also is the author of three books: The Fabulous Felt Scarf (2007), Fabulous Felt Hats (2005), and The Weekend Crafter: Feltmaking (2002) all published by Lark Books. She has taught hundreds of classes and workshops since 1979 throughout the United States and Canada, England, Ireland, Holland and Germany - from the early felted boots through hats and scarves and artworks.  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. Chad Alice maintains a full-time felt and book studio in Asheville, North Carolina. Take a look at what she's teaching at Portland Art & Soul in 2015...

Mokume Pin Shaped Resist Felted Scarf 
Join Chad Alice for a fabulous workshop where you will make a full size fine merino scarf using needle-punch batts and learn an ancient Japanese resist stitching method called Mokume to create a bark-like design and texture.

Wrapped Resist Dyed Felted Journal
Create a perfect sized (4.5" W x 3.5"H x 1") marvelous hand bound Journal from your very own hand felted and resist dyed felt.

Resist Dyeing on Hand-Felted Wool
In this class you will first learn how to felt and full fine Australian Merino needle punch batts, and Dye Master Chad will show how to set up a safe and workable dye kitchen. Then, using hundreds of weird and fascinating resist tools, you will be guided into the world of resist dyeing on felt – very different from anything else!

Pretty amazing stuff! So check out what Chad Alice has to offer at our Portland Art & Soul event. Whether you love the process or are swooning over the textures you'll create... we know you felt something that will make you want to sign up! So happy for her to join our creative family!

For more information and to register for Portland Art & Soul, visit our website at www.artandsoulretreat.com today!

A Stitch in Time is... Here Forever!

Patti Calande has always been a maker. As a child her cousin taught her to sew, and her grandmother taught her to crochet. She's taken many classes since that time to further her creative endeavors. When Patti discovered Alabama Chanin, she felt an immediate affinity for their techniques, style, and integrity. She knew this was what she wanted to do. Patti eventually went on to attend multiple workshops at their factory in Alabama, completed their teaching accreditation requirements, and is now a certified Alabama Chanin Sewing Instructor.

Patti is excited to help others discover the wonderful world of hand-stitching heirloom pieces. She not only embraces the pleasure of the process, but also the thoughtful crafting of something beautiful and useful, something to be enjoyed by the maker now and their future generations to come, that’s so good for the soul.

And she's going to help you do that too!

Patti is teaching her Alabama Chainin technique in an amazing workshop at our Portland Art & Soul in March 2015. And it's not just about stitching... it's about beading and patterns and stencils and fabrics and more! Check out her video...


Hand Stitching & Embellishing, The Alabama Chanin Way
Sunday, March 8th, 2015

The Alabama Chanin way offers a fresh take on age-old hand stitching techniques. Join Patti in exploring these techniques, such as applique and reverse applique. She'll talk about different types of stitches, from the running stitch to elaborate embroidery stitches, and their applicable uses. She’ll go over some of her favorite tips and tricks to help make for a smooth, successful sewing experience. She’ll touch on materials, pattern cutting, beading, and stenciling; and you’ll learn garment construction too.



So... are you inspired? I certainly love the peacefulness and calm of hand sewing, stitching and embrioidery... and Patti Calande is just the soul to take you through it!

For more information on our Portland retreat, as well as registration, check out our website today!