Unlock your inner artist and dive into the world of Painting during thESE workshopS!

Cold Wax Painting

Cold wax painting has gained popularity in contemporary art circles for its ability to create visually intriguing and emotionally expressive works that encourages exploration and experimentation.

You’ll find joy in the tactile nature of the medium and the element of surprise that accompanies the drying and curing process. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner, cold wax painting offers a captivating way to express your creativity.

WATER COLOR Painting

Experimenting with water color is so much fun! You’ll love using “salting” and “wax resist”, while working with rich, translucent water colors during this “can’t go wrong” workshop!

Soft Pastel Painting

There is a real ART in using chalk or soft pastels. It’s an amazing medium that’s versatile and easy to use, I especially enjoy soft pastels because of their vibrant, rich, velvety colors. During this workshop, we’ll create together!

How to Make a Digital Negative

How to Make a Camera

Cyanotype Basics

Layered Cyanotype

Encaustic Cyanotype

Salt Printing

Anthotypes

The Art of Paper: Batik in the making

We’ll paint, then create a wax resist, then over dye to create a batik on water color paper designs.

Pattern Making: During this introduction to pattern making you’ll learn how to make a dress, from scratch without a pattern, using a miniature dress form.

Hand Sewing: Learn a series of hand stitching techniques. Stitches included: catch-stitch, overcast, blind hem, herringbone and pad stitch. You’ll also learn two lace making stitches.

Our Stories in Cloth Lecture Series

Stories in Cloth, an art & lecture series

Historical and Cultural Reflections: Textiles

The topics of this lecture series may be uncomfortable for some. Come with a mature mind and open heart. This lecture series is meant to enlighten, inspire and to educate.

Lectures are held in-studio, unless otherwise noted. Lectures/workshops approximately 2 hours

Lecture 1: Negro Cloth, Onasburg, January 2024

Osnaburg, a coarse and sturdy fabric, was commonly used to make clothing for slaves in the United States. The cloth, originally named after the German town of Osnabrück, was prized for its durability and affordability, making it a practical choice for clothing and other textile items for enslaved people.

Using slave narratives, archived in the library of Congress as our source, in addition to newspaper clippings and academic papers/articles, we’ll discuss cloth, clothing and the making of, as recalled by former persons enslaved in the US and other historical accounts.

Workshop activity: Hand sewing a miniature shirt using onasburg fabric.

Viewing: Two of my related works.

Cost: $25.00

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Lecture 2: The Tignon, February 2024

In Louisiana, the Tignon Laws, enforced in 18th-century under Spanish colonial rule, required free and enslaved women of African descent, particularly those of mixed racial heritage, to wear a distinctive head wrap called a "tignon,” in order to differentiate them from other women, maintain the social hierarchy and to curtail displays of wealth and beauty that challenged white women’s social standing of the hierarchy of the day.

Rather than suppress their identity and style, those effected by the law turned the Tignon into a form of creative expression, incorporating colorful fabrics, layering techniques, embellishments and hand sewing techniques into tignons. The law backfired.

During this chat, we’ll discuss the tignon, the law and punishments. And the beauty of the tignon, still donned today.

Workshop activity: Make and embellishing a tignon of your own.

Cost: $25.00

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Lecture 3: Ashley’s Sack, March 2024

"Ashley's Sack", a poignant relic from American slavery, is a tattered sack, embroidered by an enslaved woman named Ashley. The sack tells a story of loss, resilience and hope. Ashley created and gave the sack to her daughter, filling it with cherished possessions: a dress, pecans, a braid of her hair and an embroidered message, as they were forcibly separated, forever. The sack stands as a testament to a mother's love, the importance of family and of remembering.

Workshop Activity: Make a sack of your own, using naturally dyed fabric, then add an embroidered monogram to the sack.

Cost: $25.00

You may purchase individually or as a series.

Note: All supplies included. No artistic or prior experience required.

As this is a service, all sales are final. There are no refunds.

Cyanotype:  Printing with light

This cyanotype workshop contains three parts and is a one-day introduction to blueprinting, cyanotype.

Dating back to the 1840s, cyanotype, a magical blueprinting photographic process, creates beautifully detailed prints in Prussian blue, using light.

During these live, in-person workshops you’ll learn how to prepare and mix the natural chemicals needed to print, prepare “film” paper and print. 

If you’re interested in learning how to make negative please review the Advance Cyanotype Workshop

Materials/Equipment/Supplies:  All materials included.  Please bring a pair of gloves and wear clothing you don’t mind getting soiled.

Print Shop 1:  Print on fabric and learn how to further embellish prints with ink, paint and wax.  This workshop uses natural plants, botanicals and stencils as sources of inspiration.

Print Shop II:  Print on photo paper using a technique the artist, Matisse, became famous for as its printing inspiration.  

Print Shop III:  During this workshop, participants will print from negatives watercolor paper, the scent and wax their final print.

IMPORTANT: Day classes will use available sunlight to print. Evening classes will use artificial light to print. The photos in the gallery are examples of the types of negatives that will be used to print. I may substitute negatives for use in class.

Date: Friday, September 15, 2023

Time: 5pm-8pm

Place: Center Studio 518

Cost: $65.00

Class Limit:  There is class minimum of three for this class to take place.  A maximum of six for the workshop to take place. Please invite or bring along a friend.

As this is a service. All workshops and classes are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your workshop to a friend or family member. Please let me know ahead of time by phone, text or email.

In the event of a workshop cancellation due to enrollment, instructor illness, weather, etc., you will receive notice and a full refund will be issued.

Turmeric, with its vibrant golden hue, holds an innate beauty that captivates the senses. Derived from the roots of a tropical plant, this natural dye exudes a warm and inviting aura. Its rich color embodies a perfect fusion of earthiness and vitality, evoking a sense of natural wonder. The beauty of turmeric lies not only in its visually striking appearance but also in its versatility. It has been used for centuries in various cultures, adorning fabrics, enhancing culinary creations, and even used in traditional rituals. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, turmeric's inherent beauty is rooted in its ability to connect us to nature, reminding us of the remarkable colors that exist in the world around us.

DETAILS

During this workshop, after learning the appropriate mordanting process, we’ll prepare fresh turmeric as a natural dye to dye cloth samples, then attempt two color changes-for a total of three samples.

Workshop Time: Approx. 2.5 hours

Date: Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023

Time: Noon-2:30pm

Cost: $40.00

Place: Center Studio 518

As this is a service. All workshops and classes are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your workshop to a friend or family member. Please let me know ahead of time by phone, text or email.

In the event of a workshop cancellation due to enrollment, instructor illness, weather, etc., you will receive notice and a full refund will be issued.

Natural ink-making is the process of gathering plant materials, extracting its color, and binding them together.

In this workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to create ink, experiment and make (3) 1oz bottles of natural ink to take home.

This workshop will cover:

• natural ink-making with foraged plants, flowers and herb and/or kitchen waste materials.

• alcohol-base inks and ink for printing

• ink color modification 

• ink preservation 

As this is a service. All workshops and classes are non-refundable.

In the event of a workshop cancellation due to enrollment, instructor illness, weather, etc., you will receive notice and a full refund will be issued.