STITCHING SOULS WITH THE PALE ROOK

Oaxaca, Mexico

October 15-23, 2022

Oaxaca has a rich history of textiles, with small villages dedicated to the carding, spinning and dyeing of wool that makes their rugs and other products so sought after. It is here in the small villages where we will gather materials and ideas from these artisans that will inform our dolls that we create with The Pale Rook.

Join Scottish doll artist, Johanna Flanagan, for an art doll making workshop using the stunning local textiles of Oaxaca. We will gather bits of materials and yarn to weave into a story of our dolls. These are not ordinary dolls as each is hand stitched with bits of fabric added for color or for a memory to keep forever.

Through doll making we can open up to aspects of ourselves that we've lost sight of - our playfulness, our fierceness, our desires, our needs. When you hold a doll in your hands, they can act as a mirror for what we keep hidden inside ourselves. In this workshop, you will learn how to craft your own unique art doll. Johanna will guide you in connecting to your creative intuition, learning how to respond to your materials, and in reflecting your environment, feelings and experiences in a doll.

We will also take time to explore a few of the villages surrounding Oaxaca. We will visit our favorite black pottery artists in Ocotlan with a demonstration on how they create their magical pieces.

Nearby is San Martin Tilcajete the village of woodcarvers where we will have the opportunity to watch the master carvers and painters create these beautiful alebrijes at Jacobo and Maria Angeles’s studio and workshop.

ITINERARY

Welcome

Day 1, Saturday October 15

Everyone will arrive on October 15. After you arrive at the hotel, porters will take your luggage to your room and we will gather for a quick introduction, a margarita or agua fresca and a light snack before you head up to your rooms.

Day 2 - Sunday October 16

8:30 We will gather for formal introductions, go over some housekeeping items while we enjoy our first breakfast. Class with Johanna will begin at 9:30 where she will give you an overview of the week.

At 1:00 we will break for lunch followed by a short walking tour around the neighborhood to give you a sense of where you are. We will return to the hotel and resume class.

Class is over at 5:00 and you will have free time before we have our fiesta at our friend Pilar’s rooftop above her restaurant, La Olla.

Day 3 -Monday October 17

Travel Day

Breakfast at the hotel then class with Johanna until comida. We will then leave for a special cooking class with our amiga, Reina Mendoza in the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. Here her brothers will show you their dyed wool, their looms and weavings that they create.

Day 4 - Tuesday October 18

Breakfast and then at 9:30 class with Johanna. We will break for lunch at 1:00 then continuing creating until 4:30. You will have free time before we meet for dinner at 7:00.

Day 5 - Wednesday October 19

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will be taking a botanical eco dyeing class at Central Textil. The fabrics can be used for your dolls. You will have free time after class and lunch is on your own today. This evening we will meet for cooking class with Ane Elena Martinez.

Day 6 -Thursday October 20

Travel Day

After breakfast, we will travel to Octolan where we will visit with one of the black pottery families where they will demonstrate their beautiful creations. They are the only family that creates the black pottery angels. I have several in my collection.

Next is San Martin Tilcajete, the village of woodcarvers where we will visit Jacobo and Maria Angeles’s workshop and atelier. These exquisite alebrijes are made from soft copal wood. There will be demonstrations on carving and painting. You will also learn about natural dyes that they use to paint these animals.

As a special treat, you will be painting your own alebrijes today. Comida will be nearby at a local restaurant. When we return to Oaxaca, dinner will be on your own this evening.

There is one space available.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• 8 nights at Hostal de Noria, double occupancy

• Instruction by Johanna Flanagan

• Welcome reception and fiesta

• All breakfasts, seven lunches and 2 dinners (one lunch and two dinners on your own)

• Visit to markets

• Two cooking classes

• Eco dyeing class

• Free time to explore

• Visits to local artisans

• Farewell dinner at Origen with Rodolfo Castellanos,

• A new art tribe

Price: $3,950, limited to 12 people based on double occupancy, limited single rooms are available for an additional $600.  

A $1,000 non refundable deposit is due upon registration with the final payment due June 1, 2022

Price does not include airfare to/from Mexico

Accommodations: Located in a colonial building just two blocks from the zocolo, Hostal de La Noria has free wifi, a restaurant, a pool, bar and rooftop terrace. It is located across from the Textile Museum. 

Hostal de La Noria

Airport: Xoxocotlan International Airport is an international airport located in Oaxaca City, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Airport has only one terminal that handles domestic and international air traffic. Code: OAX.

COVID REQUIREMENTS

Each participant will need to show proof of vaccination and a rapid test result three days before departure to Oaxaca. We will wear masks whenever we are in a public place and especially in the small villages where we will travel. There are no exceptions. We will also follow any local/country requirements as needed.

Supply List

• 1 metre ( or 1 yard ) of medium weight calico fabric.

• Hand sewing needles - all purpose mixed sizes.

• Sewing threads in white or cream to match the calico

• Sewing threads in your choice of colours ( there will also be a selection of coloured threads from Johanna's studio).

• Fabric scissors

• Glass-headed sewing pins

• A pin cushion

• A small bottle of Fray Stop

• Toy Filling - Johanna uses recycled polyester, but you are welcome to bring any toy filling you prefer. You'll need between 5-8 ounces, depending on the size of doll you choose to make.

• Basic writing/drawing pencils

• A pencil sharpener

• A pencil eraser

• A small, soft paint brush (this doesn't need to be specialist or expensive)

• A sketchbook

• Sketching paper (for drawing and cutting your doll pattern)

• Paper scissors

• A measuring tape

• A ruler

• We will be working with local textiles, but you are also welcome to bring any fabrics, trimmings, beads, buttons or embellishments from your own collection to incorporate into your doll.

• You can also bring acrylic paints and suitable brushes if you would like to paint features on to your doll.

We will Provide

• local huipil fabrics

• some yarn

• some thread

Day 7 - Friday October 21

Breakfast at the hotel then class all day with Johanna. We will break for lunch and end the day around 4:30. You will have free time until we meet for dinner at 6:30

Day 8 - Saturday October 22

Breakfast and then back in the studio to finish our dolls. We will clean up around noon, then have our show ‘n tell. Lunch will be on your own today and you have the afternoon free.

7:00 This evening our farewell dinner will be at our favorite restaurant, Orijen with Chef Rodolfo Castellanos, a Top Chef Mexico winner. Our meals are always memorable here and we can’t wait to share this meal with you.

Day 9 - Sunday October 23

The trip is over and for most of us, we will be flying out very early. I know that there is so much to see and experience in Oaxaca, but our hope is that we have given you a brief glimpse of Oaxaca and all of her magical gifts. Have a safe journey home, our new art tribe!

This itinerary may change due to weather, new opportunities or the whim of the group.

Please note that Johanna will not be sharing how she makes her bird headed dolls.

We are so thrilled that Johanna Flanagan of the Pale Rook is teaching a Bellissima Art Escape. She is a Scottish textile artist, doll maker and costume designer, trained in fashion, constructed textiles and historical costumes. Doll making was her first love, and she has been making dolls for as long as she can remember. In the last fourteen years, Johanna has taught in art schools, museums and colleges throughout the UK and Europe, as well as writing and tutoring correspondence courses for the last two years.

You can see her work on her Instagram and Facebook feeds.

SPIRIT BEINGS WITH MORGAN BRIG

Oaxaca, Mexico

October 7-15, 2022

As you wander through the museums and galleries in Oaxaca, you will find a consistent theme of animals used as symbols in the artists’ imagery. It is here that Morgan Brig will encourage you to weave your own unique story with words, pictures, shells, or bones as you create your totems or spirit beings. You will create ones that can stand alone or be affixed to a larger sculpture.

Itinerary

Day 1, Friday Oct. 7

8:00 p.m. We will meet, imbibe in a drink and some botanas before you settle in for the night.

Day 2, Saturday Oct. 8

Breakfast at the hotel then we will meet Morgan for formal introductions and we will go over the schedule. Morgan will also share her overview for the class and share some samples.

This will be followed by a demo and on how to use Apoxie Sculpt. You will be set free to start creating your totems and spirit being.

Lunch from 1-2, then we will take you on a short walking tour to orient you to the city. Back to creating in the studio, stopping at 5:00. This evening we will have a welcome fiesta at our friend Pilar’s rooftop above her restaurant, La Olla.

Day 3, Sunday Oct. 9

Breakfast at the hotel then meet in the studio at 9:30 for a day of creativity. Morgan will demonstrate how to use the torches. Instruction will include safety, annealing, brazing wings, antlers, ears, and arms.

We will stop for lunch and the day will end at 4:30. You will have some free time before we leave for dinner at 6:30.

Day 4, Monday Oct. 10

Travel Day

Breakfast at the hotel and then class with Morgan until comida. This afternoon we will leave for a special cooking class with our amiga, Reina Mendoza in the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle.

Day 5, Tuesday Oct. 11

Breakfast at the hotel then class begins at 9:30. Morgan will demonstrate charms, jump rings, wire hangers, chain, brazed charm hangers and brazing wrap tacks and u-hooks and other parts, with a grinder safety demonstration.

We will break for comida and continue working in the studio until 4:30-5:00 Free time until dinner this evening.

Day 6, Wednesday Oct. 12

Breakfast at the hotel then meet in the classroom to continue working. At 1:00 we will walk to one of our favorite restaurants, Marco Polo. Special hornos, or ovens are used to bake the delicious fish that they serve. You will have free time this afternoon before we meet for cooking class with Ane Elena Martinez.

Day 7, Thursday Oct. 13

Travel Day

After breakfast, we will travel to Octolan where we will visit with one of the black pottery families where they will demonstrate their beautiful creations. They are the only family that creates the black pottery angels.

Next is San Martin Tilcajete, the village of woodcarvers where we will visit Jacobo and Maria Angeles’s workshop and atelier. These exquisite alebrijes are made from soft copal wood. There will be demonstrations on carving and painting. You will also learn about natural dyes that they use to paint these animals.

As a special treat, you will be painting your own alebrijes today. Comida will be nearby at a local restaurant. When we return to Oaxaca, dinner will be on your own this evening.

Day 8, Friday October 14

Breakfast at the hotel, then class to finish up our projects. We will have a short comida at 12:30, then return to finish up, clean up and share our projects. The rest of the afternoon is free to finish any last minute shopping. This evening we will have our farewell dinner at Origen.

Day 9, Saturday October 15

Trip is over and you are free to leave this morning.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• 8 nights at Hostal de Noria, double occupancy

• Instruction by Morgan Brig

• Welcome reception and fiesta

• All breakfasts, six lunches and 3 dinners (one lunch and two dinners on your own)

• Visit to markets

• Two Cooking classes

• Free time to explore

• Visits to local artisans

• Farewell dinner at Origen with Rodolfo Castellanos,

• A new art tribe

Price: $3,850, limited to 12 people based on double occupancy, limited single rooms are available for an additional $600.  

A $1,000 non refundable deposit is due upon registration with the final payment due June 1, 2022

Price does not include airfare to/from Mexico

Accommodations: Located in a colonial building just two blocks from the zocolo, Hostal de La Noria has free wifi, a restaurant, a pool, bar and rooftop terrace. It is located across from the Textile Museum. 

Airport: Xoxocotlan International Airport is an international airport located in Oaxaca City, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Airport has only one terminal that handles domestic and international air traffic. Code: OAX.

COVID REQUIREMENTS

Each participant will need to show proof of vaccination and a rapid test result three days before departure to Oaxaca. We will wear masks whenever we are in a public place and especially in the small villages where we will travel. There are no exceptions. We will also follow any local/country requirements as needed.

WE WILL PROVIDE

• Dowels

• Brazing Rods

• Torches

• Firing Stations

• Copper Tacks

• Copper packet

• Drills and Drill bits

• Grinder

• Copper wire

STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

• 8 ounces matte medium

• 2 part 5 minute epoxy glue

• Apoxie Sculpt, 4LBS, white

• 75 ft roll of aluminum foil   

• Exacto knife

• Pliers Kit: needle nose pliers, rounded needle nose pliers, wire cutters

• Black and raw umber acrylic paint

• Small and medium paint brushes

• 2 rags

• 2 sheets paper for pattern making

• Scissors

• Roll of masking tape

• Sharpie Ultra Fine point marker in black or blue

• Box of wood screws, size #4 x ½” OR #4 x 3/8” (most hardware stores or on Amazon

• Small screw driver to fit box of above screws

• Elmer’s glue OR Elmer’s Wood Glue

• Twine (basic cheap twine made with natural jute fiber. Most hardware stores)

• Colorful/interesting (to you) string, yarn, gut string, in small quantities for decoration

• Beads, also for decoration

• Interesting paper, ephemera, fabrics to wrap totems’ bodies.

• Charms (also of a smallish scale); i.e. clock parts, very small glass vials, fur, leather bits, old jewelry to disassemble, typewriter keys, bones, Milagros, etc. …whatever is interesting to you! All is fair game.

Morgan Brig is a mixed media artist from Vashon Island, WA. She loves to capture emotion in her sculptures using multiple layers of media that bring the subtlety of expression to each character. Her layers include etched metal detail, enamel patinas and found objects that suggest the old and familiar, but ask to be viewed in a new light. She often uses language and occult symbols in her designs to support her belief that there is always guidance to be found from external and internal sources as we go through life. There also is playfulness in her design inspired by her love of old metal and tin toys and her desire to lay humor next to truth or fear in her work.

BIRD ASSEMBLAGES WITH BILL SKRIPS

Los Cerillos, New Mexico

September 21-24, 2022

Everybody’s heard about the Bird…

Bird, Bird, Bird-Bird is the word

This workshop is full.

There’s no denying when you walk into Bill Skrips’s studio, that you are in for a visual overload. Not only from his creations that are hanging on all the walls, but by all the projects in mid-creation. And. Then. There are the SUPPLIES! It’s an assemblage artist’s dream come true.

You are welcome to join Bill for his second Bellissima Art Escape in his studio and this time we will be making bird assemblages.

In this workshop, we’re going to carve a bird head and wings out of basswood or pine, make some simple wire bird legs and feet, and then assemble everything around a small hinged craft box which class participants can fill/paint in class or at home.

Itinerary

Day 1, Wednesday Sept. 21. We will meet at Bill’s studio at 9:30 a.m. After settling into the studio, and after introductions, we will go over the schedule and then it is off to work! We will break for lunch around 12:30.

After lunch, we will continue working on our projects, ending the day around 4:30. We will leave the studio and have an early dinner nearby.

Days 2-3, Thursday-Friday, Sept. 22-23. We will meet at the studio at 9:30, break for lunch and end the day around 4:30. Dinners will be on your own.

Day Four, Saturday, Sept. 24. We will meet in the studio at 9:30, continue finishing our projects, breaking for lunch. Then we will finish up, and around 3:30 we will pack up and have our Show ‘N Tell, sharing our work.

Bill uses a lot of bird imagery in his assemblages. Shown below are some of his unique creations.

COVID REQUIREMENTS

Each participant will need to show proof of vaccination at registration and you will be required to take a rapid test two days before the workshop. We will wear masks whenever we are in a public place. There are no exceptions. We will also follow any local requirements as needed.

This Escape Includes:

• Four days of instruction with Bill

• Some Materials

• Other materials will be for sale for your use

• Use of tools on site (limited)

• Welcome Dinner

• Four lunches

• Carving Tools

Price: $1,400, limited to 8.

A $700 non-refundable deposit is due upon registration with the final payment due June 1, 2022

Price does not include airfare to/from New Mexico, lodging or alcoholic beverages. There are many hotels, VRBOs and B&Bs nearby. Santa Fe is 36 minutes from Los Cerrillos.

Bring ideas and supplies for filling the bird bodies (aka unpainted, hinged craft boxes), wing covering and/or texture, bird eye(s).

If you are not already an ornithologist, it might help to gather some bird photos for reference before the class…Bill will have some bird head and wing shapes roughly cut in wood to choose from to help you get started.

Student Supply List

• modeling paste for texture

• favorite carving tools (or use Bill’s)

• sculptor’s rasps to help refine your carvings

• Water soluble paint that you may want to use to highlight your finished form-(although, this can be done after the class at home)

• Ephemera to embellish

• Pencils, sharpies for detailing or delineating modeled form and carved head

We Will Provide

• Soft carving wood-basswood or pine

• Plain, hinged craft boxes

• bird head blanks provided

• wing blanks provided

• wire for legs and feet

• carving tools

• Some vises and bench hooks

• Clamps

• Nails, dowels

• Some rasps

• Chisels/knives

• Bits of wood and tin that you may want to use

• Some items from Bill’s studio will be for sale for you to use (limited amount)

Los Cerrillos artist Bill Skrips has always collected things or their constituent parts, treating them as raw material for his sculptural work. Sometimes mysterious in origin or purpose, sometimes more obvious, these bits and pieces tend to spur him on creatively. Added handmade components bring the sculptures to completion—including carved, welded, painted and otherwise constructed bits. In the work, he attempts a union between the humorous and the dark, which represents his outlook on life. Using the influence of Southern folk art as a springboard, his work often approaches the absurd and sometimes the surreal. In incorporating found, “dirty” materials, the grittiness of the work neutralizes its playfulness. His artwork rarely draws conclusions or edifies—he finds posing questions more satisfying.

CREATING TOTEMS WITH MORGAN BRIG

Gig Harbor, WA

THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL

Morgan Brig has this uncanny ability to create little beings that just make you smile. Join her in this totem making workshop in Gig Harbor this summer where you will learn how to create your own small or large totem.

You will create totems that can stand alone or be affixed to a large sculpture. You will be amazed at what shows up during your practice. Each little creature has its own distinct personality. Combining Morgan’s techniques with your own style will create something to treasure.

Itinerary

Day 1

9:30 We will meet for introductions and a class overview by Morgan with samples.

This will be followed by a demo on how to use Apoxie Sculpt. You will be set free to start creating your three totems and one larger piece.

Lunch 12:30-1:30

Class resume at 1:30. At the end of the day, Morgan will demonstration how to paint, fit and cut copper wrap and other variations on wrapping.

Class will be over at 4:30. Dinner will be made by Kathie this evening.

Day 2

Class starts at 9:30. Morgan will demonstrate how to use the torches. Instruction will include safety, annealing, brazing wings, antlers, ears, and arms.

Lunch 12:30-1:30

When we return from lunch, Morgan will demonstrate charms, jump rings, wire hangers, chain, brazed charm hangers and brazing wrap tacks and u-hooks and other parts, with a grinder safety demonstration.

I know, it sounds overwhelming, but you will get it and there will be lots of help from Morgan and students who already know how to do these techniques.

We will end the day at 4:30. Dinner is on your own.

Day 3

We will meet at 9:30 to continue working on our projects. Breaking at 12:30 for lunch and ending the day at 4:30. Dinner will be made by Kathie this evening.

Day 4

We will meet at 9:30 for our last day together. Everyone will be working on their projects until lunch at noon.

1:00-3:00 Class continues working

3:00-4:00 We will clean up and then share our work with each other. Picture time!

Shown below are some of the wonderful pieces created by artists in Morgan’s Spirit Beings class.

COVID

You must be vaccinated in order to attend this workshop and you will need to take a rapid test at least two days prior to the workshop. Your card and negative test will need to be shown to Bellissima Art Escapes in order to join the workshop. Thank you for your cooperation and for considering your fellow artists.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• Four days of instruction by Morgan Brig

• Copper Packages

• Wood Block Bases

• Some paper supplies

• Two dinners, four lunches

• Facebook Private Page

• New Art Tribe

The price for this workshop is $950 and does not include lodging or transportation. 

A $500 non refundable deposit is due at registration with the remaining $450 due June 10.

The workshop is limited to 10  - WORKSHOP IS FULL, A WAITING LIST HAS BEEN STARTED

The picturesque town of Gig Harbor is the location for this workshop. Listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or to live), it is located just across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, WA on the way to the Olympic Peninsula.

It is south of Seattle and the SEATAC airport. Transportation to Gig Harbor from the airport - Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops at two locations in Gig Harbor, the Inn at Gig Harbor or Purdy Park and Ride. 

Accommodation: There are many Arbnbs and B&Bs in Gig Harbor. Here is a link for more options

WE WILL PROVIDE

• Dowels

• Brazing Rods

• Torches

• Firing Stations

• Copper Tacks

• Copper packet

• Drills and Drill bits

• Grinder

• Copper wire

STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

• 8 ounces matte medium

• 2 part 5 minute epoxy glue

• Apoxie Sculpt, 4LBS, white

• 75 ft roll of aluminum foil   

• Exacto knife

• Pliers Kit: needle nose pliers, rounded needle nose pliers, wire cutters

• Black and raw umber acrylic paint

• Small and medium paint brushes

• 2 rags

• 2 sheets paper for pattern making

• Scissors

• Roll of masking tape

• Sharpie Ultra Fine point marker in black or blue

• Box of wood screws, size #4 x ½” OR #4 x 3/8” (most hardware stores or on Amazon

• Small screw driver to fit box of above screws

• Elmer’s glue OR Elmer’s Wood Glue

• Twine (basic cheap twine made with natural jute fiber. Most hardware stores)

• Colorful/interesting (to you) string, yarn, gut string, in small quantities for decoration

• Beads, also for decoration

• Interesting paper, ephemera, fabrics to wrap totems’ bodies.

• Charms (also of a smallish scale); i.e. clock parts, very small glass vials, fur, leather bits, old jewelry to disassemble, typewriter keys, bones, Milagros, etc. …whatever is interesting to you! All is fair game.

Morgan Brig is a mixed media artist from Vashon Island, WA. She loves to capture emotion in her sculptures using multiple layers of media that bring the subtlety of expression to each character. Her layers include etched metal detail, enamel patinas and found objects that suggest the old and familiar, but ask to be viewed in a new light. She often uses language and occult symbols in her designs to support her belief that there is always guidance to be found from external and internal sources as we go through life. There also is playfulness in her design inspired by her love of old metal and tin toys and her desire to lay humor next to truth or fear in her work.

Kathie Vezzani, who is hosting the workshop, also is an artist who paints, rusts and waxes. She organizes trips for other artists and in a former life was a caterer. She has over two decades of experience organizing trips for foodies and artists.

Gig Harbor, WA

August 4-6, 2022

It seems that people are “dyeing to rust” using my vast supplies of rusty goodness, so let’s do it! Join me in beautiful Gig Harbor, WA for a 3-day rusting/encaustic class (prior encaustic experience is encouraged).

My friend and fellow artist, Pam Nichols is the reason behind my beautiful collection. Not only did she gift me some of her rust when she and her husband moved to Australia, but she introduced me to Swift & McCormick in Redmond, Oregon where we picked through their vast mounds of metal. Believe me, it is swoon worthy.

Both fabric and paper can be rusted and if you become addicted to it, you will find that it ends up in many of your creations whether encaustic paintings, journaling, even sculpting.

In this workshop you will learn how to rust on paper, fabric or even on your painting. You will have ample time to create a lot of rusted fodder for your art practice.

ITINERARY

Day One: Thursday, August 4

9:00 We will meet for introductions and I will go through the schedule. I will give a demonstration and then you will be let free to start making your rusty papers.

We will stop for lunch around 12:30, then return to prep boards and more demonstrations.

The day will end around 4:00

Day Two: Friday, August 5

9:00 We will start with what is my favorite part of the workshop - the unveiling. Here’s where you get to see what you created. While your papers are drying, you have time to set up another round of rusting. Once dry, you can begin to use your papers in your encaustic paintings.

We will stop for lunch, then continue creating until 4:30 when we will break for appetizers and dinner.

Day Three: Saturday, August 6

9:00 We will finish rusting papers and your paintings, adding rusty bits if you so desire.

We will break for lunch around noon, then back in the workshop to finish up. Around 3:00, we will start cleaning up and then we will share our work.

COVID

You must be vaccinated in order to attend this workshop and you will need to take a rapid test at least two days prior to the workshop. Your card and negative test will need to be shown to Bellissima Art Escapes in order to join the workshop. Thank you for your cooperation and for considering your fellow artists.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• Three days of instruction by Kathie Vezzani

• Use of metal collection

• One 12” x 12” cradled board

• Hot plates

• Butane gas for torches

• Nitrile Gloves

• Chip brushes

• Encaustic medium and some encaustic paint

• One dinner, three lunches

• Facebook Private Page

• New Art Tribe

The price for this workshop is $500 and does not include lodging or transportation. Fee is due upon registration.

The workshop is limited to 10 

The picturesque town of Gig Harbor is the location for this workshop. Listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or to live), it is located just across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, WA on the way to the Olympic Peninsula.

It is south of Seattle and the SEATAC airport. Transportation to Gig Harbor from the airport - Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops at two locations in Gig Harbor, the Inn at Gig Harbor or Purdy Park and Ride. 

Accommodation: There are many Arbnbs and B&Bs in Gig Harbor. Here is a link for more options

STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

• Bring encaustic paint - 3 or 4 of your favorite colors in tins with brushes,
  1 or 2 Hake 1.5" or 2" brushes

• Your favorite tools

• Apron

• Rusty Items (if you desire) to use for rusting or assemblage

• Natural papers such as silk tissue paper, mulberry paper, rice papers or cotton papers. Thinner paper works best in incorporating into the encaustic paint.

• Butane torch head such as Iwatani (we have some to share)

• Two 10 x 10 gessoed panels 1 1/2 deep or encaustic boards

• One 12 x 12 gessoed panels 1 1/2 deep or encaustic boards

• Any other materials you like to work with for mark making, etc.

• Box of waxed paper

BIRDS, BEES, AND BUTTERFLIES WITH GEOFFREY GORMAN

Geoffrey Gorman was born in Paris, France, but eventually moved to andgrew up on an old horse farm in the countryside near Baltimore, Maryland. The dilapidated architecture and abandoned quarries of his
childhood influence and inspire the found material sculptures the artist creates today. Gorman has worked as a contemporary furniture designer, gallery dealer, curator, and art consultant before becoming a full-time professional artist. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in China and South Korea. Gorman’s work is in public and private collections, including the Racine Art Museum; the University of Colorado Boulder, CO; and Delta Airlines. His work has been published in the New York Post, Southwest Art, American Craft, American Style, and Cloth, Paper, Scissors. Geoffrey Gorman currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

He has previously taught three workshops for Bellissima Art Escapes and at Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Peter’s Vally School of Craft, Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Ephemera Paducah

Kathie Vezzani, who is hosting the workshop, also is an artist who paints, rusts and waxes. She organizes trips for other artists and in a former life was a caterer. She has twenty-five years of experience organizing trips for foodies and artists.

TAKE THE ORDINARY AND MAKE IT EXTRAORDINARY WITH LESLIE WEST

Bainbridge Island, WA - May 20-22, 2022

Anyone who has seen Leslie West’s work is always impressed by her aesthetics. Clean, calming colors with lines and graphics that appeal to not only her staging clients, but to her patrons.

To enter Leslie’s studio/live space is a feast for your eyes. You don’t want to be rude but you can’t help but look at every detail tucked around in the corners, on the shelves and on the walls. And then you think, how did you come up with that?!

Leslie is about to embark on another adventure, leaving Seattle to move back home to Atlanta (though she has lived in Europe, and went to school in Italy.) She has traveled the world with her husband and children and it has influenced her art, the things she collects and her talent for taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary.

This move will be to your benefit because she is unloading her studio and staging inventory and she will share a lot of it with you in this class. You will not have to bring a lot of supplies, but you will be going home with a treasure trove.

In this workshop you will learn how to view ordinary objects and change them into treasures using encaustic, plaster, paper, and assemblages.

ITINERARY

Each day we will meet in the studio at 9:30, break for lunch, then return to the studio and create until 4:30. On our last day, after lunch we will finish any last minute touches, then clean up and share our work.

Student Supply List

• apron

• scissors

• matte medium

• ruler

• small tins like Altoids

• any personal ephemera

Venue

The Wacky Nut Farm studio is the venue for this workshop. Located on Bainbridge Island, it is a 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle. Alternatively, you can drive up the peninsula. Situated on 20 acres, it is a beautiful horse farm.

Please note: You must be vaccinated in order to attend this workshop and you will need to take a rapid test at least two days prior to the workshop. (These are available through your local pharmacist or online). Your card and negative test will need to be shown to Bellissima Art Escapes in order to join the workshop. Thank you for your cooperation and for considering your fellow artists.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• Three days of instruction by Leslie West

• Three lunches/snacks

• Encaustic supplies - hot plate, butane gas, torch heads, medium

• Fodder for creating - you won’t have to bring a thing!

• Facebook Private Page

• New Art Tribe

The price for this workshop is $550 and does not include lodging or transportation. Payment is due at registration

The workshop is limited to 10

ACCOMMODATIONS: There are limited spaces available in the guest house. There are two queen size rooms with on-suite bathrooms, and bunk beds that can be shared by two friends who share a separate bathroom. The cost of the luxurious bunk beds is $50/night/person. The queen beds, $100/night/person. Here is a video. These will be allotted on a first come basis and will be in addition to the workshop fee. Note: all accommodations have been taken

Other options are VRBO. There are several on the Island.

Even in her storage unit, her little vignettes are eye candy to an artist.

Leslie West is a Seattle based artist who specializes in encaustic wax, cold wax and assemblage mediums. She also uses her creative talents to stage homes in the Seattle area.

She lives in Seattle during the week in the Bemis Work/Art lofts just a homerun away from the Seattle Mariner’s stadium. On the weekend she lives with her husband Dick West in Port Orchard. Leslie has lived in the US and abroad, she was the Corporate Director of The Ritz Carlton hotel company before marrying her husband Dick. They traveled the world with their three children when they owned Cruise West. Now they lead small boat cruises around the world through Explor Cruises. Leslie shows her work in galleries, the Seattle Art Fair, and of course in her staging.

Kathie Vezzani, who is hosting the workshop, also is an artist who paints, rusts and waxes. She organizes trips for other artists and in a former life was a caterer. She has nearly thirty years of experience organizing trips for foodies and artists.