Art & Soul Kansas City 2015... Online & Open For Registration!

The Wheelers - Julie Haymaker Thompson

Oh my gosh — we have the most incredible line-up of classes for next year in Kansas City! 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.

The Ghost of Room 425 - Jean VanBrederode

 
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 August 1, 2014. 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: KC15 at check out.

The Shoe Cobbler's Journal - Erin Keck

Its All About Form & Texture
This event is featuring some new exciting 3D classes. All different techniques from using clay to plastics. Clocks to jewelry. The choices are fantastic. Our instructors have gone beyond "the norm" designing these for your pleasure.

Painting Papers for Whatever - Suzi Dennis

Paper, Paint, Paper, Paint
We are pleased to have several different artists joining us with varied approaches and techniques to offer with paints, paper and other substrates. Imagine taking one of each class from instructors in all of those disciplines. Just think what you could learn!

Want to find out more on our classes for Art & Soul Kansas City, MO 2015? Well then, check out our website! We've got our workshops set up several different ways for easy browsing by days of the week, by instructor, and by workshop examples! Our lodging rate is $125 and includes breakfast. So make your reservations EARLY. We will fill up!

Art & Soul Kansas City 2015

April 27th - May 1st

The Elms Hotel & Spa

Excelsior Springs, MO

Happy browsing!

Refresh, Relax, Recharge! A Cabin in the Woods

There's no place like home. But sometimes you've got to get away from home, even if it's just for a short while...

I am fortunate to have a friend in Central Oregon who is renting me a very small cabin.  I can bring the dogs, relax, re-energize and make plans for A&S without interruptions.

You see... working in my home has many benefits.  It also has its downside – mostly that I never stop working. With today's technology, an iPad, iPhone, lap top are always within reach. So there is no such thing as technically "closing the office". Many times, a quick email read results in turning on the main business computer to handle a request. And then three hours later, I find myself still in the office. The answer is to physically leave the house for an extended period, and a trip to the grocery store does not count as down time!

But taking in the quaint surroundings of this cozy little cabin certainly does!

Sitting still long enough to make time for local friends... yup, that's taking it easy.

Soaking up the visual texture that Mother Earth provides for us everywhere we look... yeah, that kind of thing is good for the soul.

Even in winter this cozy cottage can surround me with serenity... not to mention snow! It's my little place to refresh, relax and recharge. What's yours?

Woot! Woot! Next Stop... Virginia!

Yeah, yeah... I know. Most trains go Toot! Toot! But this year at Art & Soul, we're aboard the Orient Express... a clever and creative locomotive, heading right for your favorite mixed media workshops! Our theme for this year, Orient Express is a great analogy for our events... with so many exotic workshops to offer, over a week's worth of time... you'll be on the fast train to uplifting your creative spirit like you took an artistic vacation. Woot! Woot!

And the next stop on this amazing journey is our Virginia Beach Event. Filled with such a variety of classes in all types of categories, you won't want to miss this Art & Soul in October. Here's just a sampling of what we have to offer this year (and a special offer at the end of this article)! Check it out...

Julie Haymaker Thompson's whimsical approach to jewelry makes this Full Metal Jacket workshop fun and easy. Using cold-connection techniques and tons of layering, these beautiful baubles will adorn you by the end of class!

Okay, seriously? This looks like something you can find in a high end interior decorator's store. But Tory Brokenshire can teach you how to Light Up Your Life all on your own, from wire form to finished lamp! How cool is that?

We've altered everything else at Art & Soul, so why not your jeans? Sandy Lupton helps you do the Hippy Hippy Shake as you alter and embellish your favorite comfy blues. The results are pretty adorable.

Do you Zentangle? Well if you have, you know... but if you haven't and you try it, you'll never ever stop! But how could you with such gorgeous results as these. Join Suzanne McNeill as she kicks it up a notch with color, not to mention some style and pizazz!

Are you a queen? Yes you are! So you totally need to make this stunning French Beaded Crown with A Gilded Life's girls Shea Fragoso and Debbie Murray. And you don't even have to bring a thing to their class! Now that's being treated like royalty.

Cathy Taylor takes you where very few have gone before... inside your electronic devices! Why? Well, it's for the purpose of repurposing circuit boards to create whimsical collages. Don't worry, your brain won't Short Circuit in this workshop, as Cathy is the most patient of teachers.

Get whisked away to a magical forest in Judy Porter's Woodland Whimsies workshop, as you learn to sculpt your own fairy, elf or troll in polymer clay. A fun and unique class that will surely appeal to your fantasy fetishes.

And there's really so much more that we have to offer this year. When I was reviewing all our workshops for this post, it was so hard to choose which ones to showcase. We've got amazingly talented instructors, with stunning projects and techniques to teach you.

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

September 29 - October 5, 2014

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Virginia Beach, VA

So check out our classes today. And, if you register before May 31st, you'll get 10% off all workshops. Simply use the code SPRING VA for your special discount! For more information on workshops, you can browse our website by workshop instructors, individual classes, or even by project photos. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and have a look around.

Focus on Fiber, Fabric and Fun! Follow Me...

Last week I shared all the classes for Portland 2015 Art & Soul. So this week I thought I'd focus on all the new fiber and fabric workshops we have to offer at that event! For years our mixed media classes offered a variety of avenues for expression... but lately we've gotten a lot of requests for sewing and weaving and quilting... oh, my! So we've incorporated tons of classes that involve all types of cloth, thread, ribbon, stitch, and so much more. Not only that, but we're going to have a dedicated sewing room equipped with machines, so you may not even have to bring yours!

Here's just a sample of what's in store for Portland 2015...

Lorri Scott's Affirmation Scarf workshop uses a technique she's nicknamed "wayward threads" that elicits the absolutely gorgeous result you see above. Mixing it up with additional mixed media techniques makes this class a must!

Want to try your hand at felting? Maybe you've read about it in many of the fiber magazines or seen an intriguing blog post about this technique online, and you've always wanted to try it. Then check out LeBrie Rich's class where you'll learn to create wet felted round beads and cane beads (reminds me of sushi!)

Want to challenge yourself in the art of felting? Then check out LeBrie's Felted Slippers workshop. Adorbs!

Jamie Fingal wants to help you Fly Your Own Flag in this fun fabric class. You'll get to create 3 prayer flags using quilt patching techniques and freeform stitching until your heart's content!

What do they say? A stitch in time, saves 9. Well in Leslie Jennison's workshop, a few stitches will bring you Sheer Bliss! In it, you'll release your inner ya-ya. You'll be working with a variety of sheers to create a surface worth stitching, which can then be used for a wide variety of projects. Wheeee!

Maybe you'll let Jill Berry and Lorri Scott take you down The Garden Path to create this meandering mixed media WHEREable scarf! Not only will you get to utilize items from nature to colorize and dye your fabrics, but you'll use journaling, mapmaking and embroidery techniques to embellish your adornment. Sounds like heaven!

And speaking of nature, how about turning seagrass into fabric you can weave with? Students will learn the ancient craft of twining in this unique workshop by Donna Crispin to make a Seagrass Basket! Now that's mixed media with Mother Nature.

Perhaps you'll take a walk on the wild side with Jamie Fingal and Leslie Jenison in their Twist and Shout - Painting & Quilting workshop. On day one, you'll create a collaborative free form painting on fabric with your fellow students. On day two, you'll get a section of the finished cloth to incorporate into a quilted design piece! And get this... all you need to bring are a pair of scissors and an apron! It can't get any easier than that.

Portland Art & Soul 2015

March 2-8, 2015

Sheraton Airport Hotel

So I hope you enjoyed our little sneaky peek of these inspiring classes we'll have to offer in Spring of 2015. Don't forget, we have an early sign-up special going on now... so don't miss out on registering for your favorite Portland workshops today!