| Sessions: (class descriptions will be added as we get them) *During registration you only have to specifically register for classes that have a limited size; for the others, as long as your registered for the retreat, just plan to show up for your class of choice on the day of!
Friday, May 1 Block 1 Options: 1 to 2:45 pm -Drawing with Peter McNally: Class covers fundamental techniques of shading, perspective and composition to create realistic textures. It covers tools like graphite pencils, and erasers, for still life and portraiture focusing on contour lines, shape, form and perspective. We will cover shading methods with blending, cotton bud, tissue paper and pencil blender and cross hatch. Demonstration of technique and practice Independently and guided with instructor. **This class is SOLD OUT (limited to 10 students)**
-Ceramic Glazing with Angie Guptil: Beginner-friendly workshop on commercial glaze application by layering using a variety of techniques. Glaze a tumbler or a bowl of your very own. **This class is SOLD OUT (limited to 20 students)**
-Creature Creations with Kelly Henkels: Bring your inner child and imagination because we will be creating weird, quirky, cute creatures! Kelly will have a wide variety of art/craft supplies, along with a lot of random everyday objects. You will be able to create multiple creatures. Kelly will also have magnets available if you want to add them to your fridge.
Block 2 Options: 3 pm start -Watercolor on Masa Paper Session 1 with Kerry Kolke-Bonk, from 3-5 pm: In this class you will learn how the Japanese rice paper 'Masa' is used to create a fractured or batik look to your watercolor painting. Have fun crumpling, creating and painting with Kerry Kolke Bonk. **This class is SOLD OUT (limited to 12 students)** (Session will be repeated on Saturday from 9:15-10:45 am--only register for one!)
-Traditional Bead Embroidery with Carol "Feather Woman" McNally, from 3-6 pm: This class will cover bead embroidery or medallions. This class encourages the preservation of tradition while allowing for contemporary expression and personal creativity. Session provides insight into the cultural significance of beadwork, including its history, the stories behind patterns, and the role of color. **This class is SOLD OUT (limited to 10 students)**
-Printmaking with Anne Wedler, from 3-5 pm: The class will be an introduction to hand carving block prints and stamps. We will be using traditional printmaking materials to design, carve and print using block prints and/or stamps but without a press, using rollers instead. Prints will be applied to paper or fabric. Participants cab also bring their own paper or fabric, but they don't have to because they will be keeping the blocks/ stamps to take home and can work on this at home as well. **This class is limited to 20 students and you must register for it**
-Functional Decorative Art with Mod Podge with Nicole Brenny, from 3-5 pm: Learn how to use Mod Podge and the art supplies you already have lying around to create unique, functional works of art. From custom book covers to handmade board games and bespoke decorative boxes, this versatile medium opens the door to endless creative possibilities. In this class, we will focus on decorating small boxes (provided), transforming them into personalized and practical pieces. Participants are also welcome to bring their own item to embellish such as a journal, picture frame, or glass jar. We will explore different types of Mod Podge and discuss various techniques for application and creation. **This class is limited to 20 students and you must register for it**
Friday Evening: Prairie Voices & Visuals *Open to the Public* 7:30 to 9 pm Rural artist voices are important. Artists are creative thinkers and problem-solvers, who are essential to movements for change. Art can be the conduit needed to sustain and heal a community; it can be the challenge needed to see things in a new light and a call to action. This evening is meant for artists to share their work to address current lived experiences through various creative mediums. Whether you are a visual artist, poet, musician, dancer or actor – you will have a space to share your work. Visual artists can have a booth/table and literal or performing artists can have time on stage at the Danebod gymnasium.
Saturday, May 2 Block 3 Options: 9:15 am start -It’s All in the Details: A Community Creative Writing Workshop with Judy Wilson, from 9:15 am to 12:30 pm: Step into a world where stories take shape one vivid detail at a time. It’s All in the Details is a lively, hands‑on creative writing workshop designed for all. Together, we’ll uncover how the smallest choices in language can bring characters to life, illuminate a setting, and make a scene feel as real as the chair beneath you. Through a series of engaging, accessible writing exercises—most focused-on prose, with a playful dip into the art of haiku—you’ll learn how details act like brushstrokes in a painting. At first, things may look sketchy, loose, or unfinished…but with each added detail, the picture sharpens, deepens, and resonates. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, hoping to refresh your craft, or simply wanting to spend creative time in good company, this workshop will spark your imagination and help you see the world—and your writing—in a more vivid light. Join us, and discover how much beauty, meaning, and magic can emerge when you pay attention to the details.
-Watercolor on Masa Paper Session 2 with Kerry Kolke-Bonk, from 9:15 to 10:45 am: In this class you will learn how the Japanese rice paper 'Masa' is used to create a fractured or batik look to your watercolor painting. Have fun crumpling, creating and painting with Kerry Kolke Bonk. **This class is limited to 12 students and you must register for it** (This is a repeat session from Friday-only register for one!)
-Collage Button Making with Alex Rosborough Davis, 9:15 to 10:45 am: Collages and Pinback buttons have long histories associated with grassroots cultural and political movements. Collage enthusiasts, button fanatics, and newcomers are welcome to participate in this 1.5-hour workshop where will make buttons using found materials, images, and text. We will have many collage materials available, but you are welcome to bring anything else you’d like to put on a button. **This class is limited to 20 students and you must register for it**
Block 4 Options: 11 am start -Imperfect Art: A Focus on Letting Go of Perfection with Patrick Lynch from 11 am to 12:30 pm: In this class, you’ll be exploring a technique and the process of applying acrylic paint to a large, heavily textured canvas with a 3” brush — and maybe we’ll get a little messy using our fingers. You’ll learn to let go of perfection and embrace IMPERFECTION, and find some freedom in the art of painting on a larger scale. The focus will be on creating art using a new method, rather than on producing a final piece. Whether you're experienced or have never touched a brush, this session is for you.**This class is SOLD OUT (limited to 15 students)**
-Crochet: How Does a Rectangle Turn into a Hat? with Kaia Nowatzke, from 11 to 3 with a break for lunch: In this class you will be learning basic crochet stitches that when put together will create a piece worthy of hat hair! Stitches you will learn: Slip Knot, Chain, Rib Stitch, Single Crochet, Half double & Double (depending on skill level). Hat construction: Bottom up/Working in the Round vs. Swatch, Seam and Cinch. **This class is limited to 15 students and you must register for it**
-Intro to Wheel Thrown Pottery with Angie Guptil, from 11 to 3 with a break for lunch: Learn how to throw on a potters wheel. Participants, taking turns on 3 wheels, will learn how to throw a basic form on the wheel. **This class is limited to 20 students and you must register for it**
-Creative Writing with Judy Wilson continued until 12:30 pm
Block 5 Options: 1:30 pm start **NEW class option added**-Pastels with Deb Connolly from 1:30 to 3 pm: In this class the students will create a painting using both pastel sticks and watercolor paints in one finished art piece. We will sketch our images onto pastel paper using NuPastel sticks which are hard pastels, following this we will be paint applied with watercolor paints (with old oil painting brushes) laying down the mid and dark values and when that dries applying more pastel pigment – either with the NuPastel again and/or soft pastels. **This class is limited to 12 students and you must register for it**
-Wild Art with Alicia Bayer from 1:30 to 3 pm: Learn how to make a wide range of inks out of foraged plants (especially invasive ones). Learn to change the colors of those inks with an addition of alkaline. Make paintbrushes out of feathers. Be natural!
-"Creative Tangles & Doodle Magic" with Krystl Louwagie, 1:30 to 3 pm: Attendees will learn techniques on repetitive doodling, making abstract finished pieces that look intricate and complex but are actually simple to learn! Participants can create their own pieces or choose to fill in doodles on pre-made coloring pages. The instructor will guide participants through a few exercises, but students can also spend the time experimenting on their own with class techniques from books and handouts.
-Crochet with Kaia Nowatzke will continue until 3 pm
-Wheel Thrown Pottery with Angie Guptil will continue until 3 pm
Optional Group Session: 3:30 pm Show & Tell Bring a personal artwork to share – or a piece from sessions during this retreat! |
