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.

Virginia Beach Was Pure... LOVE!

Okay, so you know it's going to be a fantastic week at Art & Soul when LOVE is in the air... or in this case... the airport! What a fun and whimsical giant mixed media version of our favorite word. The beginning of Art & Soul Virginia beach was off to a grand start when we saw this at the Norfolk Airport.

We were ready for all our lovely attendees and for dipping our toes into the creative pool. Wow, that's a lot of creativity out there!

Our spacious classrooms were packed — as usual — with happy souls, ready to take on new artistic adventures.

The instructors this year — both long time and brand newbies — were exceptional, as always. They took great care of their students, taking time to guide each and every one to their highest potential.

And our attendees... what can I say? They shined and sparkled like bits of diamond in the Virginia Beach sands! You all know that seeing what everybody makes is one of my favorite aspects of each event!

Happy faces means our students are so proud! And happy faces make my job so rewarding!

Chime in if you've heard this all before! These ladies did, in their class by the same name, hosted by Erin Keck! Yeah, yeah... I know... you've heard it all before, but it's true. And so let's point out something interesting about Virginia Art & Soul...

I noticed lots of color during the event this fall. For example, our attendees were very colorful! I just love to see all the adorable outfits people have for making art. Hey, even if you're going to get messy, you gotta look cute!

And really... at this particular retreat... there was color, color everywhere! From a tie-dyed patron who make a clock to match, to the batiked fabric scarves in Artistic Artifacts to art made with wax and art made with paint... there was a pop of brightness around every creative corner.

And what's this we see here? Students in surgical masks? Was there an ebola scare in Virginia!?!?

Of course not! It's just our new instructor Deborah Petronio, demonstrating the proper safety techniques for cutting off doll faces... in her class, Heads Up! Where students got to create little niches in vintage dollies. Good times!

And speaking of dollies, Leslie Brier's students rocked it out in Machine Age Santos!

Judy Gula rocked it out all week long at her on-site store! Look at those yummy supplies. Mmmmm!

And Vendor night, well... that's always rockin'!

So from the bottom of our hearts to the tippy tops of our Souls, I want to thank all of you for another spectacular event and for a fabulous 2014 season. We will see you next year!

Glenny, Marie & Staff
xoxo

We Are Here! Yay for VA!

Marie and I arrived yesterday... excited and enthused!

So what do we do first? Head out to the beach for a selfie, of course!

And we found that all points lead to Art & Soul!! (p.s. no Horseshoe Crabs were harmed in the making of this mixed media collage!)

And, oh.... I mean... SERIOUSLY? I know we said we arrived in Virginia Beach, but you'd think we just got to Heaven! And a little bit of Heaven is what you'll have here at Art & Soul.

Can't wait to see you all!

~Glenny, Marie, Liz and crew
        xoxo

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

An Event Planner's Gotta Play Too!

What better respite for myself and my trusty sidekick Marie Kennedy, than to attend ArtFest, which takes place in Port Townsend, Washington, at an old military base. We got to meetup with old friends, make some new friends, and play, play, play! A much needed distraction after our very successful Virginia Beach event.

We got to take a class with Mindy Lacefield called All A-Flutter. She'll be teaching at our Portland event later this year, so it was exciting to actually be in a class of hers as a student! I just love Mindy's whimsical style and her childlike approach to art. Remember when we weren't afraid to try anything?

We got to spend some real quality time with friends and seasoned Art & Soul instructors Ty and Marcia Schultz. They are such dear friends and to be with them in such a relaxed and playful setting, well... it does this girl's heart good. Here's Ty passing the time with a bit of journaling... always up to something creative.

And hello, dolly! Or should I say... goodbye, dolly? Marie took a class called Steampunk Sally with Clarissa Callesen. This is a picture of her doll before and after... what a difference! Looks like she spent weeks on it. Too much fun.

We ran into Andrew Drydahl, who will also be making his Art & Soul teaching debut at our Portland event. He'll be teaching how to make these whimsical rag dolls and some gorgeous steampunk journals. It was great to have some time to get to know a new instructor. It's not very often that we get the opportunity to do so. Typically it's lots of e-mails and phone calls and paperwork going back and forth. So some real face time (and what an adorable face it is!) was a welcome change.

So, needless to say we had an amazing time here. It was a little bittersweet though as, after Artfest's 13 year run... this was their last event. The talented and artistic duo that put on this retreat — Teesha and Tracey Moore — are moving on to something new. It was time for them. But as we all learn together when we attend these wonderfully inspirational creative retreats... there's always something new to learn and discover about ourselves. Cheers to that!

Glenny
xoxo

© photos by Marie Kennedy