If You Take 3 or More... Here's What's In Store!

Okay, okay, so we may be using Serena Barton's Ceracolor Woman to hypnotize you into signing up for another class or two (or three or four!). But we just wanted to make sure you get the picture (ha-ha), so here's what we wanted to let you know...

Sign up for 3 or more full-day classes at our Portland Art & Soul Retreat and get lots of extra goodies! Register for at least three 6-hour workshops at our Oregon Event, here's what you'll receive:

By popular demand, we're bringing back our Themed Confirmation Packets! Yup, you'll get a real, hand-bound Enchanted Forest booklet with event info, one-of-a-kind artwork, pocketed pages that house specialized class passes, bits of ephemera and more fun surprises!

How about our 2016 Themed Tote Bag, filled with tons of creative goodies? That's right — a high-quality, reusable bag that's professionally silkscreened with our 2016 Enchanted Forest logo. And, well, we don't like to name drop (or maybe we do), but with previous sponsors like Clearsnap, 7 Gypsies, Strathmore, Golden, Faber-Castell, and a whole bunch of others well known in the craft industry — you know you're bag will be brimming with creative goodness. 

Our kickoff festivities are always a good time, as you'll get to meet many of our instructors, peruse class samples and watch live demos, but you'll also get join us as we kick start the Enchanted Forest celebrations by Making Your Own Fairy House at the Opening Night Party. All the supplies will be included, and all you have to do is create and have fun.

And you get an exclusive invitation to join us for a Sip & Paint with Jane Davies on Wednesday from 5:00-6:00pm! You'll spend a fun and relaxing hour painting to music as you sip a complimentary beverage of your choice. Jane will guide you through short creative exercises as you paint intuitively, connecting with the materials in your own creative way. You will work individually, but also in pairs in groups, forming “paint conversations” and collaborations. Learn fun and easy ways to loosen up with paint! But be sure to sign up by e-mailing glenny@artandsoulretreat.com, as space is limited and offered only to those who have registered for 3 or more all-day classes.

Art & Soul Portland, Oregon

February 29 - March 6, 2016

Sheraton Airport Hotel

So, if you're thinking about registering for Portland Art & Soul, sign up for 3 or more full-day workshops and get all this and more! If you've already registered for a full-day class or two, then just add a couple more to take advantage of our free offers. And if you've already registered for at least 3 full-day classes, then all this is already yours! Just remember to register for the Paint & Sip (see above) so you don't miss out. And we'll see you all in a month!!

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!

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!

Kansas City Art & Soul... a Spectacular Event!

If this looks like a smorgasbord to you... If this makes you take a quick breath in and sigh with delight as that same breath flows back out... If you think you've landed at the buffet line in Art Heaven.... well, then... you've either been to one of our mixed media retreats... or you need to attend one!

And although we are in the midst of our Portland event (are we even allowed to have this much fun in one month?), I just had to share with you what a spectacular time we had at our Kansas City Art & Soul Retreat!

Every year we return here, we feel more welcome, more excited, and more overwhelmed with the positive response we get from attendees. It makes my mixed media heart go pitter-patter!

We had lots of smiling teachers — who actually travel from all over the US (and other countries!) — just to share their creative projects and techniques with our students. We're pretty lucky.

We also had lots of smiling students! Their zest for learning never ceases to amaze me.

...and yes, sometimes we let Marie out to play! Just look at that gorgeous fabric book she's working on.

Put them all together and what do you get? Some pretty amazing artwork. Like these alcohol ink prints made in Cathy Taylor's class.

...or this spine-tingling mixed media necklace made by a student in Jean VanBrederode's Gruesome Griselda workshop. 

In Leslie Brier's Santos class, students really pushed the limits of form and function to create these doll reliquaries using all sorts of bits and baubles. The quiet moments in the classroom let you know that there's something good going on. That's the sound of concentration and being in the moment!

Here's a student all tangled up in Zentangle, taught by the very talented Suzanne McNeill. I'm telling you... if you ever start to Zentangle... you will never stop! It's doodling at its finest (and funnest!).

And speaking of addictive hobbies... have you played with Gelli Plates yet? Go ahead... I dare you! And I won't even say, "I told you so!"

No matter what your artistic inclinations may be... and no matter what your level of creative experience... there was something for everyone at Art & Soul, Kansas City. We pride ourselves on being an open, welcoming group for all levels of artists.

Besides the workshops we had to offer, it's the sense of community that you find at our retreats... the formation of friendships... and the bonding over new creative adventures that seem to bring our students back year after year. That's the reason I do this. So thanks to all of you who attended, my right and left hand chicks (Marie and Liz), our talented teachers, our lovely hotel & spa The Elms along with their staff, and our on-site store Artistic Artifacts. Together we make one tribe!

Glenny
xoxo

P.S. Want to see more awesome pictures from our Kansas City Retreat at the Elms Hotel? Check out our photo album on the Art & Soul Facebook page.

© 2014 photos by Liz Kettle

Art & Soul... Dates for 2014!

Well, folks... after two amazing events in a row — a first time retreat in our new Kansas City location and a bayside creative respite in our Virginia Beach location — I've finally been able to hash out dates for our 2014 Art & Soul Retreats. We're changing things up a bit this year... not only to avoid overlapping with many of the new retreats out there, but also so that we can bring you the best rates possible at each of the venues. So mark your calendars and start dreaming up what types of classes you'd like to take!

And, if you are an instructor of the mixed-media kind and would like to teach at our retreats, send us your workshop proposals by June 15th!

Here we go!!!

Kansas City, MO
The Elms Hotel
March 20-23, 2014

Portland, OR
Red Lion on the River
April 9-13, 2014

Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Resort Hotel
October 1-5, 2014

Can't wait for another exciting year with all of you!

Hugs,
Glenny

2 Exciting Giveaways for Virginia Art & Soul!

Just wanted to share with you that we have a couple of exciting giveaways for the Virginia Beach Retreat....

fabulous journal from Liz Kettle

 
First... more than a dozen instructors are donating pieces of their art, published books, hand made jewelry and more for a special raffle!  Upon your arrival, as you check in, you will  receive a raffle ticket for EACH class you're taking. Each day, pieces of the art will be selected and tickets drawn - all you have to do is check the board to see if you're a winner! Check out some additional original art prizes here. Special thanks to all our instructors who are donating these fabulous items... Cathy Taylor, Erin Keck, Kari McKnight, Lesley Riley, Jen Crossley, Christine Atkins, Sara Naumann, Cheryl Straight, Jenni Horne, Jean VanBrederode, Liz Kettle, Annie Lockhart, Julie Haymaker and Magdalena Muldoon!

 

gorgeous mini metal journal necklace by Lynne Suprock

 
Our second way to win? Convince 2 creative friends to join you at Art & Soul Virginia and you'll be put into a drawing to win a free class! Email the names of your friends to me to be entered into the drawing.
 
What a great way to start off the new year! Don't miss this incredible opportunity to win an original piece of art!  And by introducing two new friends to the empowering experience of Art & Soul, you could receive an extra day with a fabulous class!!  What could be better?

See you soon.