DYEING TO RUST WITH PAM NICHOLS

June 28-30, 2024

Port Orchard, WA

Pam Nichols is returning stateside and will teach a Dyeing to Rust class with Kathie Vezzani. The two are rust queens that love to share their rust collections and knowledge to create beautiful papers and fabrics for your artistic creations. Encaustic painting will be the focus of this workshop.

Itinerary

Day One: Friday, June 28

9:00 We will meet for introductions and we will go through the schedule. Pam will give a demonstration on how to create a “lasagna” of rusty gold. Then you will be set 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: Saturday, June 29

9:00 We will start with what is our 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: Sunday, June 30

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.

THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES

• Three days of instruction by Pam Nichols and 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 $700 and does not include lodging or transportation. A $500 non-refundable fee is due upon registration. The remaining $200 is due April 15, 2024.

Port Orchard is the site for the workshop. The location is 9 miles north of Gig Harbor, WA which is listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or live). It is located south of Seattle, across the Narrows Bridge on Hwy 16.

The Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops in Gig Harbor and in Port Orchard.

There are many Arbnbs and B&Bs in the area. A list of accommodations will be provided if requested.

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 - I have a lot

• 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

Pam Nichols is an artist now living in Perth, Australia. While living in Portland, OR, she was a gallery artist with a thriving practice. Now, she is forever searching for rusty fodder in Australia since she was unable to take it with her. Kathie was the lucky recipient of a lot of her rust and blames Pam for her rust fetish. Picking rust at Swift & McCormick is their favorite activity to do together when they are not golfing.

Kathie Vezzani is a mixed media artist who loves anything rusty. She rusts, paints and uses encaustic and cold wax in her practice. She also creates mixed media sculptures. She creates workshops for other artists in her spare time.

SIZZLING PAPER ART ESCAPE WITH JUDY WISE

April 25-28, 2024

Port Orchard, WA

Immerse yourself in color in this 4-day process class with Judy Wise as we experiment with watercolor and dyes, hot metal, and rusty bits from Kathie’s metal stash.

This class will be fast moving and full of surprises. The papers created will get your ideas flowing for projects ranging from book and paper arts, to finished paintings. Brings lots of papers; you will want to make a lot.

You will have the option of covering a book or journal that you bring, making a coptic stitched or long stitch sample book, or making a painting on one of Builder Bob’s wooden panels.

As a final optional project, we can sew a dyed portfolio to hold our papers. So many possibilities!

This Art Escape includes

• Four days instruction from Judy

• beautiful studio to create in

• 4 lunches, 1 dinner

• some supplies

• one 12”x12” cradled board

• new tribe

The cost for this Escape is $800. A $500 nonrefundable deposit is due upon registering. The remaining $300 dollars is due January 14, 2024.

Port Orchard is the site for the workshop. The location is 9 miles north of Gig Harbor, WA which is listed as one of the most desirable cities in the US to visit (or live). It is located south of Seattle, across the Narrows Bridge on Hwy 16.

The Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter stops in Gig Harbor and in Port Orchard.

There are many Arbnbs and B&Bs in the area. A list of accommodations will be provided if requested

We will Provide

• Dye colors

• Some griddles and irons

• Rulers

• Metal

• Some paper

• Linen thread and needles

• Written instructions for books

• Glue (Mod Podge)

• Gesso

• Mixing tray

Student Supply List

• Watercolors in tubes; yellow, red (Quinacradone or Magenta), Ultramarine or Phthalo Blue, Virdian, Raw or Burnt Sienna

• 4 inch brush and smaller brush - chip brushes okay

• Paper to dye: try everything from inkjet to 140 lb. watercolor paper and bring a lot

• Fat glue stick

• 1 sheet of 140 lb water color paper if you want to make a portfolio (it will be folded in half in case you need to fit it in your suitcase)

• Pliers that can lift pieces of hot metal; medium sized needle nose and larger

• 2 old bath towels

• Optional: fabric - muslin, canvas, etc.

• Optional: bring a book or journal to cover

Judy Wise is an Oregon artist who has worked as a printmaker, painter, writer and teacher for more than four decades and has kept daily journals of her writing and art since childhood. She still delights in learning new methods and loves to share with other artists.

Kathie Vezzani, our host, is a mixed media artist who loves anything rusty. She rusts, paints and uses encaustic and cold wax in her practice. She also creates mixed media sculptures. In her spare time, she organizes workshops for other artists. She will be hosting this workshop in her new studio.

RAW, RUSTY JOURNALS WITH ALEX CASTRO FERREIRA

Oaxaca City, Oaxaca Mexico - February 9-17 2024

Portugal mixed media Artist Alex Castro Ferreira loves to create worn, raw, rusty journals that you can write, paint, doodle, stitch, and play with. What inspires us about her work is the use of rust, resin and metal. We are thrilled that she will be joining us in Oaxaca next year.

This journey with Alex in Oaxaca will make us smile, laugh and feel grateful for all the blessings in our lives. We will gather photos and memorabilia, wire, rust, paper, fabric and whatever else appeals to us as we create our raw, rusting journals.

If you have seen Alex’s journals on Facebook or Instagram, you already know how yummy her books are. Filled with memories but also with strips of collage that she creates, rusty papers, wire, a spoon, a book spine, and gorgeous resin papers.

We love her use of metal throughout her journals and the covers?! Little pieces of art in themselves.

Itinerary

Day 1, Friday Feb. 9

7:00 We will meet, imbibe in a drink and some botanas before settling in for the night.

Day 2, Saturday Feb. 10

Breakfast at the hotel and then we will gather in the studio to begin our lesson with Alex. She will share our schedule for the week. Today we will rust watercolor papers and fabrics, and create resin papers. Lunch will be from 1-2, then it’s off for a quick walking tour of the city to give you glimpses of places you will want to return to further explore.

We will continue working this afternoon until around 5:00. This evening will be at La Olla, with our friend Chef Pilar Cabrera.

Day 3, Sunday Feb. 11

Breakfast at the hotel, and at 9:30, create all day with Alex stopping for lunch at 1, then stopping around 4:30. We will use black beans to dye papers and fabric. Then we will begin assembling pages using some of the organic materials. You will have free time before we meet this evening for dinner.

Day 4, Monday Feb. 12

Travel Day

Breakfast at the hotel, then class at 9:30. We will begin creating a patchwork with photos and reveal our black tea dyed papers.

We will leave for the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle for a special cooking class with our amiga, Reina Mendoza.

Dinner will be on your own tonight.

Day 5, Tuesday Feb. 13

Breakfast at the hotel, then class begins at 9:30. Today we will work on our book covers, write a love letter and start assembling our journals. We will stop for lunch and you will have some free time after class before we meet for dinner.

Day 6, Wednesday February 14

Happy Valentine’s Day! Travel Day

Breakfast in the hotel, then we are off to the pottery village of Santa Maria Atzompa where we will visit Ana Maria Alarzon’s taller de escultura y ceramica. We saw Ana’s face pots in a local restaurant and tracked her down. Her son’s studio is nearby with many more modern interpretations.

You will have some time to explore this village and lunch will be on your own. Free time after you return to the hotel to work on your journal or walk around the city until this evening’s cooking class with Chef Ana Elena. Of course, there will be chocolate!

Day 7, Thursday February 15

Breakfast and then a full day in the studio, assembling and binding our journals. We will provide lunch and dinner.

Day 8, Friday February 16

Have breakfast and then at 9:00 head to the studio where we will finish stitching, stapling, and binding our journals. Alex will share how to create a wrapping for our journals.

We will have lunch in the market and then you will have all afternoon to finish shopping or visiting the many museums. This evening we will have our farewell dinner at Nois.

Day 9, Saturday February 17

The trip is over and you may leave anytime this morning.

This Escape Includes

• 8 nights accommodation at Hostal de La Noria, double occupancy

• Lessons with Alex

• Welcome reception and fiesta

• All meals except for one lunch and one dinner

• Visits to markets

• Two cooking classes

• Free time to explore

• Visits to local artisans

• Farewell dinner

• Some supplies

• Private Facebook page

• New art tribe

The price for this workshop is $3,800 and limited to 12 people. A limited number of single rooms are available for an additional $600.

A $1,000 non refundable deposit is due upon registering. The final payment is due September 10, 2023.

Price does not include airfare to/from Oaxaca.

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. 

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.

WE WILL PROVIDE

• some paint

• black ink

• some metal for rusting

• coffee, salt for rusting

• some papers

• spray bottles/vinegar

• envelopes

• lighter

• black beans

• adhesive spray

• baby wipes

• sponges

• masking tape

• gloves

STUDENT SUPPLY LIST

• Original photos from beloved ones that you will print in black and white laser /reverse on plain paper

• Gather precious items again from beloved ones like drawings, old recipes, handwriting letters, passports, identity cards, a watch, an earring, a ring, bits of hair, a tooth endless list

• Organic elements like a small branch of wood, coconut leaves, eucalyptus leaves, dried flowers…

• Two vintage hard book covers - 7” x 5”

• Small tintypes (Alex buys hers online either on Ebay or Etsy shop) or small black and white original photos

• 1 matchbox (2 x 1.20 inches)

• Small brush

• Small bottle of matte gel medium (Alex uses liquitex)

• Paper scissors

• An awl and a hammer

• Strong glue - Alex uses loctite

• Double sided tape

• A stapler with extra staples

• A minidater (optional)

• Vintage dictionary pages or old pages

• Feathers

• Fasteners

• Small objects found in flea markets like old brushes, rulers, nails ….

• Tim Holtz remnant rub specimen (optional)

• Rusty wire (Alex has several gauges and buys them online)

• Yellow/white tape

• Exacto knife with extra blades

• Watercolor paper

• Plain paper

• A stamp with lettering (optional - Alex uses it a lot)

• Rusty flat objects found in flea markets to rust our papers and fabrics

• Kitchen thread

• White fabric like linen, cotton, silk, organza (think old T-shirts, skirts that you don’t use anymore will be perfect)

• Negative photos

• Slides

• Spines from old books

• Vintage paper

• DMC thread/sewing machine thread

• A needle/thread

• A rag

• A bone folder

• Wax thread

• Glue stick

• Alcohol inks - Alex uses Dijon and Cranberry by Tim Holtz

• small cutting mat

• pen, ruler, and a compass

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

Portugal mixed media artist Alex Castro Ferreira embraces her French and Portuguese cultures in her altered books and journals. She uses rust, resin, recycled objects and talisman jewelry to tell her story, where she is from, and where she is going. A world traveler, Alex collects ephemera everywhere she goes. She lives with her beloved husband, Luis in Portugal. This is Alex’s first Bellissima Art Escape.