The Vermont Landscape as Muse: Encaustic on Paper & the Written Word

Read about some of the things Cynthia and I have planned for this retreat in her latest blog post.

Interested in combining your art with writing or text? Read my latest blog post Art & Writing: How to go from Bad to Brilliant

FAQ’s and secrets revealed…Read my latest blog post for 12 More Reasons to join us in Vermont this summer!

Lifting a brush, a burin, a pen, or a stylus
is like releasing a bite or lifting a claw.
-Gary Snyder

What The Vermont Landscape as Muse: Encaustic on Paper & the Written Word

When July 24-28, 2023

Monday 7-9pm Orientation
Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours
Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours
(Scroll down for detailed daily itinerary)

Where  Lareau Farm Inn, Waitsfield, Vermont

Limited to 10 participants!
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
$2100 includes accommodations** (See the list of available rooms below), breakfast and lunch everyday, one dinner and most workshop materials (see supply list below)

Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch?
$1300 includes workshop fee and most materials (see supply list below)

Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn:
1. Visit the Lareau Inn web site and choose your room. See the list below of available rooms. DO NOT book the room from the Lareau Inn web site!!!
2. Contact Lorraine via email lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.

Available Rooms at the Inn as of July, 2023

Respect

Beauty

Gratefulness

Additional Accommodations are available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn.
**Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday afternoon, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.

Payment Payment of 50% of the workshop fee + materials + accommodations ($1050 if paying via check or Venmo, $1085 if paying via Paypal is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($1050) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.

For Registration, Please Contact: Lorraine Glessner, lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com

Who A collaborative teaching venture with Cynthia Morris &
Lorraine Glessner (Scroll down for more about Lorraine and Cynthia)

Workshop Description
In response to the recent pandemic, some artists had to adapt to smaller spaces, modify their painting media or change their work content entirely. As a result of these changes, many artists turned to the simplicity of working on paper. This workshop explores the immediacy and process-diverse technique of encaustic mono-printing in combination with the written word. Mapping, journaling and image gathering provide the inspiration to develop ideas and areas of focus for series based work. Exploring the widely varied Vermont landscape, we will use our body’s sensory connection and it’s direct relationship to the landscape to explore our personal artistic voice. Through journaling, readings and expressive mark-making exercises, we will access layers of the self and apply that to the page. Optional individual critiques with both Cynthia and Lorraine are offered to all participants.

**Please note that participants should be prepared to spend time outside as well as in the studio. Any participant unable to take part in the outdoor activities are welcome to opt out and alternative indoor creative exercises will be provided.

Detailed Workshop Itinerary

Monday 7-9pm Orientation
Meet & Greet Wine and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit

Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
We will begin by seeking our muse through a short walk, taking in the various areas of Lareau Farm- river, meadow, forest and garden-pausing periodically to write and meditate. During this walk, Cynthia will lead us in several multi-sensory journaling/writing exercises and walking meditations designed to capture, gather and convert our experiences into written expression. After lunch, Lorraine will demonstrate basic encaustic mono-printing, including a discussion of paper and tools. The rest of the afternoon is devoted to experimenting with this process and combining it with the sketches and writings from our hike, free painting time and/or more inspiration gathering. . Cynthia and Lorraine will begin conducting personalized individual mentoring sessions.

Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
We will take a deeper dive into both writing and encaustic work on paper, making connections to writing and imagery with morning writing exercises and mark-making, including a brief discussion of interesting mark making products suitable for encaustic.
Later, Lorraine will demonstrate basic collage to further enhance your works on paper. We will continue with uninterrupted work time for refining drawings, writing, painting, working toward a series and individual discussions with Lorraine & Cynthia.

Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
After morning discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time to further explore writing/journaling, paper, encaustic mono-printing, translucency, collage and mark-making to build a series that expresses your personal connection to the landscape.
After a brief discussion on mounting encaustic work on paper, take the rest of the afternoon to experiment with marks, make color studies, ask questions, request informal demos, and continue with individual discussions with Cynthia and Lorraine.

Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop
Morning work time to complete projects, look at books, journal your thoughts and continued individual mentoring with Cynthia and Lorraine. Late morning project show and tell with the group, lunch, clean up and good-byes.

What Else?

• Color relationships, composition, application, content, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
• Learn how to use encaustic’s strengths (layering, transparency, luminosity) to tell your story.
• Mark-making exercises geared toward making simple or complex marks to generate a personal language.
• The option of an Individual Consultation/Critique discussion with each instructor. Bring a piece of work, a question, a concern, a problem and discuss it with Cynthia and Lorraine.
• Guided meditation time and planned hikes will relax and open your mind and spirit to the land, helping to support and nurture your unique creative voice.
• A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the ideas and concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration.
• Lots of open studio time to explore and interpret the inspiration gained from the meditations and hikes.

SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THIS POST TO SEE Images of student work and fun scenes from encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021 & 2022, student work and images from other workshops taught by Cynthia and Lorraine.
For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..

For Registration, Please Contact: Lorraine Glessner, lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com

About Lareau Farm Inn & Barn
Nestled on 25 acres of natural beauty, with the Mad River just steps away as well as trails for walking, hiking, mountain biking and swimming, Lareau Farm Inn and Barn is the perfect place to spark and inspire your artist vision. Our workshop studio is in the magical Event Pavilion situated to the rear of the Lareau property, offering tons of space in which to create. The quaint rooms at Lareau Inn feature antique furnishings, comfortable beds, and charming baths in a Vermont farmhouse setting with delicious farm to table dining. There is plenty of room to relax and enjoy the view in the common areas including a charming dining room, back porch and backyard fire pit. An added bonus is Peter, the sweetest farm kitty, stops by our classes everyday for a visit. Please visit Lareau Farm Inn Web Site for more images and information.

About Cynthia Morris

http://orginalimpulse.com
Instagram @cynthiamorris
Cynthia Morris is an acclaimed creativity coach, author and artist living in Denver, Colorado. Believing that we all have the impulse to create, she coaches writers, artists and entrepreneurs to make their creative dreams an exciting reality. Through her company Original Impulse, Cynthia leads workshops in the US and Europe.  Author of the Paris novel Chasing Sylvia Beach and the how-to guide The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book, Cynthia has also published several e-books on creative travel such as Visit Paris Like an Artist. Her newsletter, Impulses, has been published since 2001, inspiring people across the globe to be more creatively expressed. Cynthia’s personal library of illustrated journals are bursting with color, drawings, and snippets of life both on the road and at home in Colorado. Her pages show how to see familiar and faraway places with new eyes. Cynthia’s journal process led her to a path as an illustrator. She’s the creator of Writual Blessings, a colorful deck of affirmations for writers. Cynthia illustrated the book, How to Sell Your Art Online (Harper Design, 2016) by Cory Huff. She creates lovely watercolor illustrations and whimsical drawings that illuminate the sweetness and depth in everyday objects. Cynthia teaches creativity workshops Magical Journey, Magical Journal, Paris Sketchbook and Drawing As Meditation. They all offer a way to slow down and savor even the smallest details of life around us.  A sought-after speaker, guest writer and podcast guest, Cynthia believes that our creativity is the source of our vitality. Her art, writing and teaching inspire others to relish their own creative impulse on a daily basis.

About Lorraine Glessner

lorraineglessner.net
Instagram @lorraineglessner1
Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, wax, pyrography, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Recent professional achievements include curating With Wax: Materiality & Mixed Media in Encaustic at Chester County Art Association in West Chester, PA, a Grand Prize Award from the show (re)Building, Atlantic Gallery, New York, NY and a recently appointed position as a Tier Artist at R&F Paints. Lorraine’s work is included in the recently released Encaustic Art in the 21st Century by Ashley Rooney and Nuance, a curated book by artist, Michelle Stuart. Lorraine frequently lectures and participates on academic panels at various Conferences including The International Encaustic Conference, SECAC and The College Art Association Annual Conference. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.

Workshop Supplies & Materials

Materials Included: The following list of materials is provided for the student

• All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, tools and equipment
• a variety of pigment sticks
• Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
• Misc. drawing papers
• Paper towels/rags
• Extra encaustic brushes
• Stencils and other textures
• Misc. collage materials
• Extra rice/printing papers for encaustic monoprint
• A limited selection of encaustic mono-printing tools

What to bring: the following is a list of materials for the student to bring to the workshop (Visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store for Art Supply/Portable Art Supply Ideas)

• Sketchbook/notebook for writing and portability, pencil or pen (4×6 Hahnemuhle Diary Flex is recommended)
• Portable watercolor sketchbook (lay flat, size 9 x 12 or 11×14, mixed media or watercolor sketchbook, heavy stock to withstand wet media, encaustic sketching-at least 117 lb or above)
• 1-2 drawing media of your choice (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, Sharpie felt pen, etc.)
• Inexpensive Rice Paper Pack for encaustic mono-printing
• Additional absorbent papers for encaustic monoprinting (mulberry, masa, other printing papers (Lauren at Paper Connection can recommend some excellent printing papers if you’re feeling adventurous OR Arches Oil Paper)
• Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
• 2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine
• 4-6 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
• materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
• stencils or objects with open and closed areas
• Optional Materials Smock, any encaustic paint color or pigment stick color you favor, Iwatani torch with extra butane, basic pyrography set, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax, flat edge Catalyst wedge, silicone tipped clay tools or Catalyst tools, 1-2 inspiring books to share with the class, sweatshirt or sweater for chilly evenings and mornings, head lamp or battery operated desk lamp, 1-2 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10, but no larger or smaller, please) Other suggested substrates are: masonite (coated with encaustic gesso), Ampersand Encausticbord, MultiMedia Art Board. If you decide to bring something other than what is suggested here, it must be rigid and not coated in acrylic or acrylic gesso!!

Hiking Equipment Recommendations

• Sturdy hiking shoes/boots
• Small waterproof cushion or portable chair
• Butt pack or small backpack
• Comfortable clothing
• Light rainwear
• Hat
• Water bottle
• For art supply/portable art supply/hiking or travel ideas, visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store

Cancellation
Please note a $50 cancelation processing fee will be deducted from any refund.
In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email.
Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee).
Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.

For Registration, Please Contact: Lorraine Glessner, lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com

Workshop Image Gallery
Images of student work and fun scenes from previous encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021/2022, as well as student work and images from other workshops and retreats taught by Cynthia and Lorraine.
For more images of additional Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
Image Credit: Cynthia Morris & Lorraine Glessner