While teaching and since retiring, I have instructed a variety of workshops with one major objective…to make each participant feel that they are walking away with a craft or piece of artwork that is uniquely their own rather than a variation of the same subject created by the group. For example in my coloring workshops, I ask each person to send me a personal photograph(s) prior to the event so that I may turn the photo into a coloring page to complete during the workshop where I begin with tips for blending colored pencils, layering color, etc. Then each artist chooses which techniques (whether those I’ve demonstrated or their own) to apply to their work.

Another popular workshop has been bleach painting on t-shirts and tank tops. This workshop grew out of my own experimentation with bleach painting henna designs, inspired by my sister-in-law and my daughter’s forays into henna art.

It was always my belief as a high school art teacher that students should select subject matter that is personally interesting because intrinsic motivation is the best incentive to immerse yourself in the artistic process. To support that notion, I have also worked with workshop hosts to create workshops uniquely designed for a specific group. An example is the glazed collage workshop I devised for the manager of a local hair salon who wanted a workshop for her new hairstylists that would reinforce the idea of mixing color based on color theory the women were learning at work in preparation for coloring hair. The theme was women’s styles of the 1940’s-’60’s using vintage magazine images applied to a canvas ground with glazed paints layered in colors of their choice.

I love creating unique workshops and will periodically post upcoming workshops I’ve developed for anyone to attend but I also welcome working with clients who want a workshop designed specifically for their work group, bachelorette party, wine club, or simply a group of their family and friends. Please contact me using the contact link above and let’s imagine the perfect creative workshop for your group!