Introduction to Letterpress Printing Jackie Hefty

Using cast metal letterforms or large carved wood letters (type), you will handset a short quote, poem or personal greeting from the assortment of Whispering Woodlands fonts or typestyles. Type is set or placed in order, upside down and backwards. Challenging at first to say the least.  Print multiple copies to send to family and friends. There are also stock images, wingdings, etc. that can be used to enhance your piece. Think of this as pre rubberstamping, used in production printing before the typewriter or computer.  Discover the history behind the printing press, used as both a workhorse and an art form.  Class size will remain small to accomodate individual needs.

Tues May 4, 11, 18, 25  1-4  $185  Students will be responsible for purchasing papers for proofing and printing, based on individual preferences.

Papermaking Jackie Hefty

In this three-week introductory class you can experience pulp preparation in blenders and in a Hollander beater. Explore recycling papers, sheet formation, collage, embedments, pulp painting, and construct your own papermaking screen to keep. You will create a plaster mold from a clay form and take a paper cast of the mold. Many options will be discussed for continuing your papermaking adventures at home. Limited class size. *May be repeated and used as studio time.*

Thursdays May 6, 13, 20   1-4   $150/$15 supplies 

Come create colorful silk scarves for great gift ideas (remember Mother's Day). Use simple materials to dye and paint two easy yet beautiful scarves. No art background is necessary. Bring an apron and your imagination for an afternoon of creative fun. Take it with your mother or a friend, it's more fun together.

Spirits of Nature   

Ann Marie Waterhouse  Canceled 

We will spend time outside learning how to shift consciousness to learn from nature spirits: trees, animals, plants, the elements, etc. Some specifics include: finding power spots in nature, noticing the gifts or insights that come from these spots, working in partners to help each other find answers to questions, learning to do a rattle "journey" in nature, and finding a plant or tree you are drawn to and interact with it.   Prior shamanic journey experience is helpful, but not required for this workshop; if you can sit quietly and/or meditate you will be able to gain more insights from this workshop experience.  Contact Ann Marie at 608/837-7558 or eagleforth@charter.net for more information about the workshop experience.

Please bring:  A cushion or blanket you can use outside, journal and pen or pencil, and a drum and rattle if you have them.

Sat May 8    9:30 - 4:30     $90

Expressive Sumi-e and Haiku Poetry with Judy Paulson & Julie Adams Cancelled due to low enrollment see alternative below!

Artists Judy Hostvet/Paulson and Julie Adams will introduce you to the expressive strokes of Chinese Brush and Sumi-e painting along with the creation of Haiku Poetry.  Paintings will include traditional bamboo brush and ink techniques combined with watercolor.  Finished paintings may be completed with a Haiku poem, stamps and Japanese papers.  Experience 2 days of east art and culture, as you respond to the observation of Spring.  Beginner to advanced.

Sat/Sun May 15/16    9 - 4:30   $205

Expressions of the Orient: Calligraphy, Images, Meditation, Reflection & Book Structures  Jackie Hefty

 Rain Gardens for Sun or Shade

with Master Gardener, Suzanne Bauman and Jana Frolich

Come, be a part of the working crew, gain hands on experience, a terrific learning opportunity, and join in the fun as we construct two rain gardens here at Whispering Woodlands. A shade garden on the eastern side of the gazebo and a sun garden on the western side. Learn first hand the similarities and differences in consideration and construction. Besides what plants to consider, what is needed for a foundation, soil preparation etc. Learn all this and more, so you may create your own rain garden at home yet this summer. Local Master Gardener, Suzanne Bauman is preparing the design and has enlisted the assistance of her dear friend and fellow gardener, Jana Frolich, whose home is on the National Historic Registry and will be featured on Elgin, IL's House and Garden tour this summer. 

Sat May 22  10 - 3 (or finished) $10 lite lunch & beverages 

Sun May 23  1 - 4  $35/$5 materials

Monthly Group Critique - 4th Thursday of the Month! 

Starts May 27   Afternoon Open Studio

Great News!  Mark your calendars! A monthly group critique and open studio will be starting May 27 and continuing monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month. This opportunity is in response to numerous requests, so we are giving it try!  Meet at 10:30 a.m. for a group critique (completed artworks or works in progress).  This will be open to artists of all levels working in all media.  Stay for lunch if you want (bring your own or order locally), and then open studio (non instruction) until 4:30.   Come for one or both of these opportunities.

Critique begins at 10:30, open studio after lunch.   Group Crit $7   Open Studio $12   

Papermaking Continued Jackie Hefty

Continue the papermaking journey with this three-week class. In addition to pulp preparation and sheet formation, explore the possibilities of pulp painting on a larger scale. No longer confined to the mould and deckle, explore pouring paper pulp on felts and matts. Individualized pulp preparation will allow for more independent work. Limited class size. *May be repeated and used as studio time.*

Thursdays June 3, 10, 17   1-4   $150   supplies TBD by individual interest/need 

Wheels of Time and Place

Anne Forbes

assisted by Rebecca Power

Prepare to engage mindfully and playfully with the seasons and cycles of your life as spring comes to your home, garden, neighborhood, or schoolyard. We'll spend the day exploring what home place means to us; how to track the seasons with renewed curiosity; and how to tune in to the plants, animals, and elements of nature that surround us wherever we live.

The Wheels of Time and Place, created by Anne Forbes, is a set of circular journals that individuals, groups, or classrooms use to become more intimate with their home places. The Wheels serve as nature journals, storytelling journals, spiritual journals, or a combination. At the workshop, you'll be guided to start one or more Wheels of your own. We'll go step-by-step to create maps or images to ground the center of your Wheel and prepare to practice new habits of observation and recording through the seasons.

Like a wheel on a cart, time turns around the hub of your home place; the metaphor is a journey taken through a day, a month, a year, or a lifetime of curiosity and appreciation.

"Art Whimsy; Creating with Found Objects" Nancy Welch

Learn to see ordinary objects in an extraordinary way! Assemble unrelated found objects on a wood base, adding texture and color. We will work with sticks, rocks, wire, beads, papers, fabrics, glues, paints, household junk, and found objects. (Whispering Woodlands is a great place to scout out a few natural and discarded objects in case you don't have some of your own to work with.) Open to everyone, those exploring their creative side for the first time to the most experienced. A playful spirit is a must! 

Sat. June 5    10 - 5  $90/$5 materials

Needle Felted Puppets Pam Corcoran  Canceled

"Needle felting is my favorite medium for constructing puppets. My studio
is cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and when it is most comfortable,
I am busy in the schools. Needle Felted Puppets can be made in comfort!
This method of puppet construction allows me to sit in a most comfy chair
with my feet up and a basket of soft, fluffy wool beside me, as I make a
vast array of charming puppets without getting wet, spreading stuff on
every flat surface in the house, or getting poisoned!"
Learn needle felting techniques and skills while constructing a felted
hand puppet.  Although we will be focusing on hand puppets in the
workshop, other styles of puppets and other uses of needle felting will be
demonstrated.

Sun June 6    10 - 4:30    $95/10 materials

Decorative Papers 

Jackie Hefty 

Explore paste papers, paper marbling, fabric papers, stenciling and decorative stamp making in this four-week techniques sampler. You are bound to find one or two that resonate with your style. This is a terrivic opportunity to create unique decorative papers for end sheets or covers, to use with your handmade books or boxes.

Tuesdays June 8 - 29, 12:30-3:30

Limit 10, Enroll by June 1, offered in Conjunction with UW Continuing Studies.  1.2 CEU, $145  Program #2584

"De Humani Corporis Fabrica"  Ingrid Dijkers  

A delightfully creepy exploration into the world of vintage anatomical illustrations!  Our main focus will be on completing a collage cover for this journal complete with "specimens" and glass slides.  Then we'll work on incorporating additional backgrounds and imagery into our journal pages.  This journal will be made in the wildly popular chipboard binder format.  An on-line tutorial is available to prepare pages prior to class, so that precious class time doesn't need to be spent on a lot of prep work.

Prepped journal pages - as per on-line tutorial   WWW.IngridDijkers.com/TutorialDeCorporisHumaniFabrica

Fri June 11  9:30-4:30       $135/15 materials

Soft Pastel Exploration: Intermediate to Advanced Levels      Kay Brathol-Hostvet

Challenge yourself to take the next step in pastel!  This one-day workshop is geared toward those who have already taken numerous introductory pastel workshops, are fairly accomplished and comfortable with the medium, and have competent drawing skills.  Work toward increasing your artistry through technique and consider design and content in developing your images.  Specific papers and a selection of both hard and soft pastels are required; see supply list for more information.

Wed June 16, 10 - 4:30  $95

Mixed Media Fridays an evening call to work @ Whispering Woodlands

Let the weekend begin early, Once a month - usually the 3rd Friday of the month  6 - 9 pm

Join us for a relaxing evening of grazing and art making. Utilize some of the variety of supplies Whispering Woodlands has available; play, explore, and create in Mixed Media. OR   Bring your latest project, some art supplies and relish in the community studio time. For all our friends unable to come for the Thursday morning Crit and Afternoon Open Studio, we open the doors for you on a Fri evening. (of course we'd love to have you mark your calendars for both!)

Enjoy a group potluck; bring a dish and BYOB to share. Plates and utensils are provided. Wear your comfortable clothes, and unwind. Got a story to tell, new music to share, this is the place to relax, refresh and rejuvenate from your busy schedule.  

Gather ‘round, Mixed Media Fridays an evening call to work @ WW is for adults only. Budding, amateur, and professional artists or curious individuals are welcome.   

Starting June 18  6-9pm   $35 (most supplies included)

Paper and Wire Pooch Project Steve Wirtz

 This workshop involves creating a papier mache sculpture by pasting layers of paper over a pre-made wire frame. The basic steps involve pasting strips of different papers over the wire, including the use of colored papers to create the final layer and giving the pooch its coloration.   Steve is around to assist and help create some of the details like nose and eyes. Paper and Wire Pooch Project is fun and fairly easy, but participants have to be prepared to get their hands messy. The paste used in the workshop is non toxic and non-staining.  Since the wire forms are pre-made, the participants are guaranteed a successful sculpture, yet have an opportunity to be creative and express themselves with this fun art project.

Sat June 19  1 - 4:30   $55/materials included (child helper $10 additional) 

Monthly Group Critique - 4th Thursday of the Month! 

June 24    Afternoon Open Studio

Great News!  Mark your calendars! A monthly group critique and open studio started May 27 and continues monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month. This opportunity is in response to numerous requests, so we are giving it try!  Meet at 10:30 a.m. for a group critique (completed artworks or works in progress).  This will be open to artists of all levels working in all media.  Stay for lunch if you want (bring your own or order locally), and then open studio (non instruction) until 4:30.   Come for one or both of these opportunities.  Pre-registration is NOT necessary. Come on the spur of the moment if you wish.

Critique begins at 10:30, open studio after lunch.   Group Crit $7   Open Studio $12    

Watercolor: One Day Wonder

Judith Joseph

Do you admire watercolor paintings but find yourself unable to achieve the luminous, sparkling effects you see in paintings by the masters?  Get out of that rut in a structured workshop that will help you make real progress with your paintings.  Instructor will demonstrate techniques for flawless washes and color mixing and give personalized instruction to help each student reach a higher level. 

Fri June 25 9-4:30  $120

Weekend special sign up for all three days, Fri/Sat/Sun, receive a $50 savings - see Egg Tempera Workshop below!

Egg Tempera Workshop Judith Joseph

Jewel-like color, brilliant luminosity and crispness of detail are the hallmarks of egg tempera painting.  Create your own paint from pure pigments and egg yolk in the manner of Renaissance artists.  Master techniques of glazing, hatching, rendering and wash.

Sat/Sun June 26/27  9-4:30  $275/$75 materials

Weekend special sign up for all three days, Fri/Sat/Sun, receive a $50 savings - see below!