Love Is In The Air... In Portland!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it got me wondering.... Oh, Portland Art & Soul... why do we love you so?

Is it the breathtaking view from our venue at the Red Lion Hotel right on the Columbia River?

Maybe it's the spacious classrooms that give you plenty of room to spread out and play.

Perhaps it's our amazing staff! Working tirelessly in every aspect of the event. Always with a kind smile and a helping hand.

Maybe it's the individual attention you get from our extremely talented workshop instructors!

Or quite possibly... it's the ability to make those artsy messes you just can't make at home?

It might be the amazing array of classes — in all types of mixed media — that we are able to offer.

Perhaps it's the pride in a finished piece of art... that you had no idea you were capable of creating!

Or maybe it's the feeling of being part of this creative tribe of adventurous spirits? And making friendships that last a lifetime!

It might be the feeding frenzy we love to call our Vendor Extravaganza! A veritable smorgasbord of mixed media trinkets, ephemera, supplies and finished goods. 

Whatever the reason, we absolutely love having you here! So please... come join us at Art & Soul Portland this year, April 7th through the 14th. We'll welcome yo with open arms... and show you a good time!

Love,
Glenny
xoxo

Portland Rocked!

Oh my gosh — what a fabulous Art & Soul this year at the Red Lion on the River in Portland! This venue is just so inspirational in itself. Imagine waking up to this in the morning.

Or this! Every day was a unique painting on a brand new canvas, thanks to Mother Nature.

And I'm sure you all know by now — that seeing what everybody gets to create at Art & Soul is my favorite part of this whole retreat. From gorgeous fabric collages...

...to dainty dolls, upcycled from vintage tins, porcelain beauties, jewelry bits and baubles.

From gorgeous Gelli Plate madness with tons of juicy layers and vibrant colors...

...to clever collages made with ephemera, magazine pages and such.

Or this unique handcrafted kelp basket...

...and all of our excited students who stopped by for Show & Tell in the office. You all rocked it out this year!

Our meeting space in the lobby was PERFECT for introductions, playing and whatever! We certainly made a wonderful mess.

Vendor night was fun and frenzied as usual, with mixed media supplies galore and finished goods by our favorite instructors as well. It's fun to see everyone when they don't have their faces buried in a project. 

Many thanks to everyone who made the event a success. Our dedicated staff and tireless helpers. All of our amazing instructors. Judy and the staff in the store for bringing tons more stuff than we needed. And our dear Energizer Bunny, Marie. Without whom the event would collapse.

And all of you who attended this year... including a most hearty welcome to all the newbies who attended. By all appearances, you were having a ball. Our A&S family rocks!


I can't begin to thank all of you for your enthusiasm, generosity, and kindness. I came away from the retreat so very energized and totally excited about next year.

Our year "On Safari" was truly an adventure... not only in pushing the creative boundaries, but also in digging deeper into the depths of our souls.

Hugs to everyone,
Glenny

Let's Wrap It Up!

Well, what better time to finally get around to wrapping up October's Portland Art & Soul than the last day of 2012... right? As many of you know, I practically went right from the event to a hospital bed where I had gastric bypass surgery done. However, I did not want to "bypass" talking about our amazing new venue and what a great time it was. So here goes...

The Red Lion Hotel located right on the Columbia River was just a spectacularly inspirational location. I mean... imagine having this view to begin your day! Fire in the sky... mountains in the background... surrounded by water... ahhhhhhh. I can just feel my body relaxing just remembering this! The hotel staff were the epitome of hospitality, and the food was great. And there were lots of great restaurants and shopping all within walking distance.

The classrooms were spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows — many having views of the river — letting in the natural light. Perfect for making art! And it was really nice to have all the classrooms in one location, inside the hotel. No more waking up to catch a shuttle. Woohoo!

But the things that define Art & Soul did not change. We still had an amazing and diverse selection of classes for all levels of attendees. Whether you like to be meticulous in your craft, like Suzanne McNeill's class where you get to carefully and thoughtfully Zentangle on a gourd...

...or maybe you like to throw caution to the wind... create a mess... and actually be the mess, like the students in Jesse Reno's classes! There was definitely something for everybody.

And our teachers. I just cannot say enough about them. They are all amazingly talented individuals who have been hand picked for our retreats. Some have been with us for a very long time and others are visionaries on the cutting edge of today's newest techniques. But all of them take the time to give our students individual attention on projects, gently guide them every step of the way, and they even double as psychologists!

You see... sometimes, going outside our comfort zone in art makes those pesky little insecurities come up. But our instructors are all so good at helping you not only discover a new technique... but also helping you feel comfortable with who you are and how you express yourself. It's actually pretty amazing to see these connections — between your art and your soul, as well as those between teacher and student — take place!

And then there was Vendor Night! It's always a feast for the senses... and the credit cards! I kind of like to do a once-over and then go back to pick up my favorite finished pieces and supplies. But there's always those one or two items I must buy on-the-spot, for fear someone else will like it as much as I. But really the level of jewelry, collage, assemblage, dolls, as well as the amazingly unique ephemera, findings and antiques that the instructors and other vendors bring to this night make it a most delightful shopping experience for attendees and the general public!

Art & Soul Portland was the first major art event that I made happen. It's like my first born. And although it has grown up a lot over the years, and gone through some changes, and even had some growing pains... I love my baby.... and all of you that make it happen. All my attendees... my instructors.. my helpers... the local vendors... the on-site store owners... the hotel staff... and on and on and on. I couldn't do Portland — or any other venue — without all of you. And now that this year is coming to a close, I'm getting a little teary eyed as I think about all that I have to be grateful for.

Have a Happy and Creative New Year! See you in Twenty-thirteen!

Glenny
xoxo

Portland: Now that's reFRESHing!

You know how it is... the same thing gets boring.... times change... we want something more. And so it is with Art & Soul Retreats. We want to keep making your experiences better and better. So we thought a little recap of some of our favorite new things would be in order. Let's go!

So how about our new Portland Art & Soul venue — the Red Lion on the River in Jantzen Beach. Imagine the serenity of being right on the Columbia River... with spectacular views of the waterway right outside your room, the restaurants, and even the classrooms! This resort-style property is the perfect location for letting go of the everyday doldrums and diving into your creative adventure!

Besides the scenic location, one of the great advantages to this venue is that everything will be in one place! No more waking up early to catch a shuttle to that workshop in the other hotel. You don't even have to leave the Red Lion if you don't want to!

Wanna shop 'til you drop for one-of-a-kind mixed media supplies and gorgeous pieces of finished art & jewelry? Of course you do (silly me)! Well, our Portland Vendor Night has become Vendor Afternoon/Evening! Join us from 4pm until 8pm in the Red Lion's Ballroom and shop your heART out. As always, this shopping extravaganza is free to registered attendees and open to the public for a fee of $10 at the door. We'll have about 60 vendors offering finished artwork, art supplies, vintage findings, fabrics, jewelry, collage items, assemblage--something for everyone! And a no-host bar will also be available to "enhance" your evening (hee-hee). Please join us!



And perhaps you've noticed all fantastic new videos on our site to accompany the class descriptions? I mean... how great is it to "meet" your instructors before you even get to class. And heck... having a little extra sneak peek at what you'll be doing, well... we think it makes it a whole lot easier to decide what workshops you'd like to take.



We've got a bunch of new videos sprinkled throughout the individual workshop description pages, so browse through your favorite classes and you may get a virtual surprise preview!

I hope you enjoy and are able to take advantage of some of these exciting new changes. Portland is just around the corner... so I'll see you there!

P.S. It's not too late to register so give in to your creative urges today!