This workshop explores the creation of expressive, slightly larger-than-life ceramic heads that prioritize gesture, exaggeration, and surface over literal realism. Participants will work solid and with armatures while developing an understanding of structure, proportion, and intentional distortion. The course begins with a low-fire soda kiln experience, allowing participants to explore atmospheric surface effects that will inform their sculptural work. Designed for artists ready to push beyond safe forms, this workshop emphasizes focused making, problem-solving, and guided experimentation.

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Encaustics will fire up your creative soul! Just imagine being able to play with melting colors—- layer after layer until you finally recognize your masterpiece! This workshop is designed to help you loosen up and take chances… every day you will finish at least 3 paintings.. imagine that!?!? Some of you have taken all 12 years of this workshop and I welcome you back with a happy heart! New artists— be not afraid— this medium will allow you to create freely!

Celebrate Dahlias with a playful, beginner-friendly painting workshop inspired by the color and energy of dahlias. Using abstraction and expressive mark-making, participants will create a vibrant floral-inspired painting—no experience required. A fun, creative way to engage with the festival and explore painting in a relaxed, supportive setting.

This class is for anyone passionate about Dahlias and wants to capture this passion in a painting!

All materials are provided. You will go home with a painting!

Learn how to use locally farmed flowers and foraged greens to create a large, lush dahlia-focused arrangement in a ceramic footed compote.

Artist and floral stylist, Christy Curcuru, will demonstrate how to arrange a large centerpiece while talking you through her design philosophy (structural principles, color theory, texture, shape and scale). Each attendee will receive hands-on guidance throughout the entire process, ending with help photographing finished work to cherish forever. If time allows, Christy will demonstrate how to work with other vessels you might have at home. Please bring a vessel you have questions about!  All other supplies included.

Take your woodturning skills to the next level in this intermediate-level workshop. Participants will expand their repertoire by learning pull and shear cuts while focusing on projects such as bowls, Christmas ornaments, and small vases. The class will also explore surface enhancements to add depth and character to turned pieces. Additional projects and diagnostic turning may include making a mallet or a tool handle.
This workshop is designed for students with prior turning experience who are ready to refine their technique and broaden their creative possibilities.

This hands-on workshop introduces students to the process of creating a turned bowl with a fitted lid and decorative finial. The class begins with an overview of the studio, tools, and safe lathe practices, then moves into preparing and mounting wood and understanding grain direction. Throughout the workshop, emphasis is placed on good technique, thoughtful design, and achieving clean, well-proportioned forms.

Students will work through shaping, sanding, and finishing each element of the piece while building confidence and refining their skills. The class concludes with finishing options such as coloring or surface treatments, followed by a group discussion of the completed work and the ideas behind each piece.

This workshop is suitable for both beginners or those who have some experience woodturning, but are looking to deepen their knowledge and learn new techniques.

Various approaches to painting the abstract will be covered throughout these 6 online
sessions, designed to inspire exploration beyond the representational environment. Beginning
with a series of mark-making exercises using graphite and charcoal, the artists will further
explore line, form, and pattern to create spatial relationships within a compositional structure.
Color theory, design, visual and physical reaction, process, and individual taste, will additional
be covered in order to establish a ‘personal’ voice within the language of abstraction.
Approaching abstraction from a ‘pure’ internal vantage point, as well as using a variety of
reference that exists around us, will be explored as a way to develop into the abstract territory.
These methods of approach and reasoning will guide the artists into designing their own process
of working abstractly. Various tools and mediums will also be introduced to help push variety
and expansion toward artists intention of the final painting. While all mediums are welcome, oil
and acrylic will be used during the lecture and demos.
Whether you want to paint purely abstract or not, the foundation and structure to solid
painting is based on simple elements and principles of abstraction. This class will end with
discussion on critiquing your own work, as well as finish and presentation. Each sessions will
have a lecture, various demos, and individual critiques that will be submitted before each online
class. All sessions will be recorded so they can be watch at a future date if needed.