Portland Classes Are Online... and Open For Registration!

Oh my gosh — we have the most incredible line-up of classes for next year in Portland!  I am excited and thrilled to be able to offer such a stellar group of instructors to our amazing attendees.
So, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and prepare to be overjoyed as you scroll through the website.

Register NOW and Save $$$
Some of these classes are going to sell out early --just like in the old days. So don't wait too long to make a choice.  And to make things even more appealing, we are offering a 10% discount off of the class fees until June 15.  Yup!  Rolling Back again to give you the best opportunity to lock in your favorite class.  Remember, you do not have to pay in full at this time --- only 1/3 of your total is due at registration.  Our handy dandy payment plan makes selecting your classes a breeze.  Type in the code: PDX15 at check out.

Its All About Fabric, Fibers & Mixed Media
All types of fibers are finding their way into mixed media arts and we are happy to incorporate some new instructors and classes into our mainstream A&S line-up.  We will have one classroom dedicated to sewing and equipped with machines so it will not be necessary for you to worry about traveling with a machine.

Sculpture Too!
We are pleased to announce a new instructor,  Lew Aytes with his class: "From Clay to Sculpture in 2 Days". Lew has received specialized training in mold making, wood and stone sculpture and sculpting the human figure. He is a figurative artist who creates art in bronze and other mediums, and expands installations to include multiple mediums in collaboration with other artists. His pieces are in private and public collections around the world.

Art & Soul Portland will take place March 2-8, 2015 and we will be at The Sheraton Airport Hotel. Our lodging rate is the best EVER at $109 per night.  The rate includes breakfast and evening drink voucher.

So come check out our Portland event at www.ArtAndSoulRetreat.com. You can browse by workshops, instructors, or project photos. Can't wait to see which amazing classes you'll choose!

Springtime is in the... Mail?

Springtime is a great time to learn something new... like Mail Art with Jennie Hinchcliff! We're so happy to welcome her to the Art & Soul family, as she'll be teaching two workshops at our Portland event this year! As a “near-native” of San Francisco, Jennie has been teaching classes in bookbinding and related arts since 2001. Her work often incorporates one-of-a-kind elements such as found typography or handwritten correspondence, harkening back to the spirit of Dada artists and writers.

Jennie's personal work can be seen in several books, and she is a co-author of "Good Mail Day", which explores mail art and correspondence in its' many styles and formats. Her blog "Every Day Should Be A Red Letter Day" promotes the idea that letter writing can be done anytime, anyplace, anywhere by anybody.

So here's Jennie to tell us a little bit about herself, her classes, and get you excited...

someday, I’ll live here…

March: in like a lion, out like a lamb! In my case, it’s actually the other way around, with things busier than ever. My calendar is quickly is filling up with neon pink pen marks and cutie Japanese place markers – sure signs that good things are on the horizon.

well of course — mail art!

I’m already looking forward to April: not only is it my birthday month (Aries people, REPRESENT!) but the weeks will be filled with multiple teaching gigs. Starting the whole thing off, I’ll be in Portland, Oregon for the Art and Soul Retreat. If you’ve ever wondered when I’d be workshopping in the great Pacific Northwest, now’s your chance to come and play!

“the yes men”, made for cascadia art post…

I’ll be teaching on April 12^th (Saturday) and April 13^th  (Sunday); Saturday’s “Hidden Surprises” carousel book class promises to be filled with TONS of creativity, rubber stamping, and book arts brainstorming!




And then on Sunday, I’m at it again, schooling students in the ways of mail art mayhem…

a little bit of outgoing mail…

…which means MAKING and SENDING! Through a series of individual and group projects, students will learn about mail art practices, as well as gain inspiration from others in the class.

there’s that mailman rubber stamp again!

We’ll spend part of the session creating faux postage (a.k.a “artistamps”) using a variety of techniques. Students end the day with sheets of artistamps they have created, ideas for future mail art projects, and the know-how to get involved in “the Eternal Network”.

working small…

After that, I’ll spend a couple days with friends and family in Portland (Powell’s Bookstore: LOOK OUT!) and then it’s back to San Francisco. My travel time to Portland is short, but I’m always on the lookout for fantastic new places to go. What do YOU suggest? SCRAP, Collage PDX, and the IPRC are all longtime faves, but I have a hunch that there are things I have yet to discover in Portland’s neighborhoods – let me know what cannot be missed!

discovered last year, in corvallis…

Also: Red Letter Day readers may notice that I’ve made a small change to the layout of the RLD blog. To the right, I’ve added a column for “Classes & Sightings”, so that RLD readers can see upcoming workshops and Co-op meetings at a glance. If you’re looking for detailed info about any of the posted items, visit the “Classes & Sightings” page of the RLD blog – venues, registration info, and descriptions will be posted for your perusal.

the act of creating — what fun!

That’s a lot of exciting info for a Tuesday! If you register for a class at Art and Soul, be sure to post a comment and let me know – it may turn out that there’s a little surprise waiting for you in the classroom!

In all things postal,
 ~Jennie