Welcome to the Hotel... Colorado!

On a dark desert highway, taxi driver needs his fare

Small panic (did I bring enough supplies?), rising up through the air

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a marvelous sight

There were voices shouting, "look what we made!"

I had to stop for the night!

Welcome to the Hotel Eleganté! It's a lovely place

And we need your lovely face... 

to join us there!

Art & Soul Colorado Springs, CO

May 29 - June 3, 2018

at the Hotel Eleganté

As you all know by now, Colorado Springs Art & Soul is a long time dream of mine, not just because of the amazingly gorgeous location — compliments of Mother Nature— but because this area allows our event to become a fully immersive experience where we can make Art and feed our Soul. Allow me to elaborate...

Let's start with the Hotel Eleganté, which is the central hub of it all, and staying there brings a whole new dynamic to your time at Art & Soul Retreat. The kickoff party, our amazing classes, the well-stocked on-site store, our unique Vendor Night sale, pop-up parties, restaurants to get together with friends and share your experiences... all take place in the Hotel. It's a non-stop gathering of your tribe from morning to night, and it's so much fun to be around like minded souls. We want to be sure you can make the most of your playcation, so be sure and register for classes and book your stay right away, as our discounted block of rooms is filling up fast! The reduced rate ends April 1st, so don't delay!

Hotel Eleganté itself is glorious. The rooms are large and comfortable with plenty of space to lay out your supplies for nighttime art-making and impromptu gatherings. In addition to an inviting full service restaurant and lounge, they have an outdoor patio with an amazing view, a Sweet Shop that includes a bakery, ice cream parlor and a Starbucks (oh, yeah!). They've got indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, a full-service spa and more. We had a wonderful time getting to know the place for classes and fun.

In your down-time, there's so much to see and do in Colorado Springs, within a short distance from the Hotel. You can go hiking, zip-lining, kayaking, and horseback riding. Visit a castle, historic towns and villages, old west museums, or go see a rodeo. There's even railroad tours of the mountains and surrounding areas. And really there's so much more! If your week isn't filled with classes and even if it is, there's still tons of reasons to stick around and see the area.

And our Colorado Springs location brings with it some additional unique opportunities. We are thrilled to be working in tandem with a couple of art centers nearby. Cottonwood Center for the Arts, is a two story arts complex, located within a refurbished office building in downtown Colorado Springs. They'll be hosting a First Friday event, featuring gallery shows and open studios for you to explore and meet local artists.

And we're also working in tandem with the Textiles West Innovation Lab where they'll be facilitating  Peggy Dlugos' Eco Dying class. This location has the capability of allowing students to utilize vats of dye, sinks and heat steaming processes that are used in the art of fabric printing. We certainly can't do that at the hotel, LOL!

As you can see, there's a whole lot of reasons to join Art & Soul in Colorado Springs. So, grab yourself a beverage and a snack, and visit our website to get more information about our newest event, the relaxing spa Hotel, the creative Workshops we have to offer... and our fabulous Instructors. We're looking forward to seeing you there and making this a permanent location in our retreat lineup!

© images courtesy of The Hotel Eleganté, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, and Textiles West

Keeler Winery at Portland Vendor Night...

We are thrilled to have Keeler Estate Vineyards with us once again for private wine tasting and sales during our Vendor Night shopping event. Located in Amity, Oregon, Keeler is a truly magical place consisting of a thriving biodynamic vineyard, gardens, forest, lakes, streams, and acres of gorgeous landscaping. Their fruits grow in the sedimentary, shallow soils of an ancient ocean bed and are kissed by the sun and blessed with the cooling afternoon ocean winds during the warm ripening season. Their wines are an exquisite reflection of the ecosystem they are grown in and the Keeler's love of and dedication to the beauty of nature and all of it's processes.

Also at our Vendor Night event, we're going to have a special Highland-inspired surprise for those who attend. We can't tell you what it is, but you'll definitely want to come and stay for awhile!

 Art & Soul Portland —Vendor Night

Friday, February 16, 2018
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Sheraton Airport Hotel

As always, our Vendor Night shopping event is an eclectic selection of flea market style found objects, vintage findings, mixed media art supplies, fabrics, jewelry, collage items, ephemera, and finished art by your favorite instructors and local talent. There's something for everyone! And of course it's free for registered attendees and is open to the public for a fee of $5 at the door, so be sure and tell your friends to come browse this one night only pop-up shopportunity. 

See you soon!

Glenny

xoxo

We Believe!

During the holidays, our days seem to be filled with so much more love and gratitude. We focus on family and friends and even those in need. The world seems to be filled with an ever-present feeling that all is good and things can turn out great. It's a time for miracles. A time to believe. And so we just wanted to take a moment to share some of that holiday love with all of you!

• We believe that we are fortunate to live in the most magnificent and miraculous world.

• We believe that the magic and the thrill of the holiday season stretches on beyond December.

• We believe that we are all rich when we count our family and friends as the treasures they are.

• We believe that all of you and those whose lives you touch will be blessed with laughter and love.

• We believe that peace is already present, when we focus on being in the present moment. 

• We believe that home is where the heart is. So from home to home and heart to heart, the warmth and joy of Christmas lives within all of us.

• We believe that all hearts are filled with wonder and curiosity, enough to make the world go 'round.

• We believe the creativity of art fulfills our lives and adds to the richness of our being.

• We believe that art creates new and lasting friendships with our soul's tribe.

• We KNOW, that each of you have brought love, light and joy to Art & Soul and we are thankful for you every single day of the year!

Happy Holidays from the entire Art & Soul Family!

Glenny
xoxo

Virginia Beach... Registration is Now Open!

Make a Soldered Charm Palooza bracelet with Lynne Suprock.

Wow! Our Virginia Beach Art & Soul workshops are finally up and registration for our event is now open... and have we got some amazing things in store for you! We've got talented new instructors, along with our Art & Soul alumni, and even some returning favorites! We have lots of unique new projects, in every mixed media category you can think of...

Roben-Marie Smith and her Snippets Wax Canvas Trio

Drawing, painting, collage, assemblage, jewelry, fabric and fiber, wax, bookmaking, journaling, and so much more! We have an Opening Night Party where you can mix and mingle with fellow attendees and meet your instructors. We've got a pop-up shopping event we like to call our Vendor Extravaganza... where you can buy all kinds of unique mixed media supplies and original art from our instructors. And let's not forget our On-Site Store that's open all week long, with tons of supplies you'll absolutely need to add to your arsenal of goodies! And then there's just the heartfelt camaraderie that comes with creative play at an in-person retreat with your tribe. It's pretty awesome!

Let's Face It! We're so excited to welcome Cat Kerr to our lineup.

Our workshops just went live and we have a very special Pre-Registration Discount for you! If you sign up by February 1st, you'll receive 10% off all of your class fees if they total $250 or more, and are paid in full when you register. Simply enter code VA18 for your Early Bird savings! So be sure and take advantage of this special discount, and get in on your favorite classes before they fill up.

Anni Schwabe's Mindful Offerings workshop.

Virginia Beach Art & Soul

October 1-6, 2018

Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

Visit our website to get more information about our Virginia Beach Event... our relaxing beachfront Hotel... the creative Workshops we have to offer... and our fabulous Instructors! Sign up today and give yourself the playcation you deserve, amidst like-minded creative souls. You'll make some amazing art and friendships too.

Colorado Here We Come!

I am tickled pink... and blue... and yellow... and purple... that Art & Soul will be hosting a brand new event in Colorado Springs, beginning next May! We have an amazing lineup of mixed-media workshops in store for you, featuring lots of new talented instructors and unique projects.

Learn all about the Birds & Beeswax with Nicole Austin

Whether you are new to making something creative on your own, or you just want to push the boundaries of your artistic knowledge, we have classes in all your favorite categories! Do you want to try your hand at working with beeswax, fiddle with fabric, apply layers and layers of juicy bits of papers to make a collage? Or maybe you want to work with clay, shrink plastic or enamels to create a one-of-a-kind piece or jewelry? We've got that!

Make Vintage Town & Country Animal Jewelry with Leslie Blackford

How about creating and assembling your own journal, practicing the zen art of zentangle doodling, working with watercolor pencils, or trying your hand at photo transfers? We've got that too!

Lisa Chin's gorgeous Sunless Printing fabric creations

Or maybe you want to sew something, dye fabrics, manipulate metal or try making abstract art for the first time? Well, we've got that too! And all in one place, for a jam-packed week of complete and total creative bliss. So come join us amongst the beautiful red rocks of Colorado, hang out with your art tribe, and replenish your soul with some well-deserved play time!

Art & Soul Colorado

May 29-June 3, 2018

Hotel Elegante
Colorado Springs, CO 

Registration is now open... and we have a special offer for you! Register for classes before December 15th and receive 10% off your total order of $250 or more. Simply enter the code COSPRINGS at checkout to get your early registration discount.

Zentangle with Deb Prewitt

I know fall days and the hustle and bustle of holidays can get pretty busy, so take a little break, grab yourself a warm beverage and browse our website to pick out your favorite Colorado Springs workshops. You can browse our selections by class descriptions, by individual instructors, and even by example project photos. Sign up today to make sure you don't miss out on any of your favorite classes!

Introducing... Our 2018 Theme & Logo!

We are so excited to announce our Art & Soul theme and logo for 2018...

Highland Fling

Yup... you guessed it! We are total Outlander fanatics. My trusty sidekick Marie and I are addicted to the show. The struggles and triumphs of the era. The beautiful costumes. The lush settings. The romance and adventure. I have a friend from Edinburgh and love her stories of the country, and have always wanted to visit the area. So, while I wait for the chance to go, I thought we could bring the Highlands to Art & Soul!

Leslie's Robots

The intricate Highland Fling crest-style logo was created by the talented Leslie Brier. She is a mixed media artist and graphic designer with a degree in fine arts, who has taught for Art & Soul in the past. She's always coming up with something unique and her execution is meticulous and thoughtful. So we thought she'd be the perfect one to design our Highland Fling logo for the 2018 season.

So put on your thinking caps my little mixed-media marvels! I can't wait to see what imaginative ideas you come up with for trades, swaps, themed clothing and oodles of ephemera to bring along to our Art & Soul Retreats next year.

And in case you hadn't heard yet, we have a new location for Art & Soul in 2018... Colorado Springs, CO! Going to Colorado has been a longtime dream for me and this is thrilling. We're in the process of working on classes for 2018, so we'll keep you updated and let you know when they're up on the website. Until then.... let your Highland flags fly and start those creative wheels turning!