Gouache is having a moment. Painters of other mediums have adopted it as their plein air and travel medium, or for small paintings. It is opaque like oils but water-based and painted on watercolor paper, drying quickly with easy clean up, and is lightweight and portable. 

However, gouache has unique consistency challenges that might have frustrated you if you tried to learn it on your own. Luckily, it is pretty easy to figure it out when someone shows you the tricks. Teaching artist Anne Pfeiffer has been painting with gouache for 15 years and will quickly expose the mysteries.

We will start with a slide show of examples from modern day gouache masters, do a few mixing exercises, and then move on to a simple still life to get the feel of gouache. After lunch we will go outside and paint en plein air on the beautiful Fort Worden grounds (or if the weather is not ideal, we will paint more complex still lifes in the classroom). 

SUPPLY INFORMATION

Students should bring:

• Artist grade gouache in tubes - In warm and cool primaries plus white, or whatever palette colors you are used to using in your other medium, or have already purchased in a set.  Artist grade brands are: Winsor Newton Designer Gouache (not the ones that aren't the designer line), Turner Designer Gouache (preferably not the Acryl), M. Graham, Schminke, Daniel Smith, Holbein Artist Gouache (not the acrylic gouache). Feel free to save money by sharing tubes with a friend who is also attending the workshop because this is one of those mediums where the less expensive brands and student grade versions are a waste of your money and will just cause you more frustration. Online stores like Blick or Jerry's can save you money but order early because delivery can take two weeks. 
• 140 lb (300 gsm) cold press watercolor paper in a pad, 9" x 12" or 8" x 10". Suggested brand is Fluid cold press because of its texture, but other quality watercolor pads are fine. Drafting tape, or low-tack beige tape, or artist tape to make borders (you can share with a friend).
• Brushes - Gouache is different from watercolor because you don't want your brushes to hold a lot of water, so leave your beautiful sables or other soft, thick brushes at home. Inexpensive short handled synthetic white or golden taklon brushes that are thin at the flat bristle edge, with a little bounce in the bristles are the best for gouache. 1/4" and 1/2" flat or bright, and an optional small round or smaller flat.  You want them to be softer and thinner than oil brushes, but a little stiffer and thinner than watercolor brushes. You can find these at Michael's. 
• Mixing tray (these are also available for your use at the school).
• Absorbent paper towels or Scott shop towels. Optional: the fat, absorbent green auto towels will save you from using a lot of paper towels, but also bring some paper towels for cleaning your mixing area.
• Plastic bag for throwing your used towels in.
• A portable chair or tripod stool, and a hat with a brim for plein air. Optional: A table top easel for painting the still life, a plein air easel for painting outdoors. Like watercolor, you can also just paint in your lap when outdoors. A portable or easel umbrella.
• Sketchbook for notes and preliminary sketches, 2B pencil, eraser, portable sharpener.
• Water in a tightly-lidded large container for plein air. Second empty tightly lidded container for emptying your dirty water into. Water dish. You will refresh your water more often than watercolor or acrylic. Optional: The airtight 16-well paint storage box from Dugato on Amazon, which comes with a collapsing silicon water dish. The removable silicon cover keeps colors from spilling into each other when traveling.
• Small misting spray bottle.
• Drinking water and snacks.
• A bag or backpack for carrying your supplies.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Anne Pfeiffer has a graduate degree in painting and decades of experience as a high school art teacher, community college art instructor, and adult and teen workshop instructor. She currently lives in Port Angeles and paints landscapes and still lifes, often plein air, and participates in regional and national exhibitions and events.

Artist website: Anne Pfeiffer, @annepfeifferartist and @annepfeiffer

Since May 2018, Print Night has been a monthly gathering of photographers interested in showing, looking at, and talking about prints in a casual, friendly environment. You do not need to share prints to participate in Print Night, so everyone is encouraged to come be part of the conversation and get some inspiration too. Participants can bring up to six prints-- in color or black and white, digital or darkroom, finished or in progress.

We hope you will join host Rick York and a vibrant community of photographers and photography enthusiasts on the second Monday of every month from 6:30pm - 9pm!

There is a $5 suggested donation at the door.

After registration additional course details will be provided by Print Night host Rick York to participants via email.

Here's a rare opportunity to learn how to construct a functional floor broom that is also a piece of art! We'll start the morning with a short introduction to broom-making and its history, including a foray into the Shaker culture in Maine and instructor Dan Hawkins' connection to it.

Then we'll select our fibers, and while they're in buckets soaking and softening, we'll shape our wooden handles from blanks Dan provides. While we're shaping, Dan will lead a conversation about draw knives, wood grain, and finishing.

After lunch, with the handles shaped, we'll jump into the process of adding the sweeping head using the pre-soaked sorghum. We'll finish by learning how to stitch, clamp and flatten the fiber. During that process, Dan will share insights on technique, broom size, uses and more. From this workshop, you'll walk away with at least one completed broom, along with the ability to make more of them in the future.

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All materials and supplies are provided.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dan Hawkins was born in Maine and has worked as an architect and carpenter in China, Denmark, England, and the United States. In 2021, he moved to Portland, OR, where he started Bodge, a platform for his sculpture, woodwork, and brooms. His work explores domestic tools, as well as the craft traditions and techniques associated with those objects. Dan also teaches broom-making and woodworking classes and workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest.

In this weekend workshop, you'll build your skills and confidence and create a stylish, custom-sewn-fit top to wear. True beginners to intermediate sewists are welcome and encouraged! Using a provided pattern you will select a style that suits and flatters your shape, then learn how to read and interpret pattern instructions, lay out and cut fabric, make size adjustments and work with interfacing to add structure where needed.

Guided step-by-step through the garment construction process, you will gain hands-on experience while learning expert tips and techniques from Evette Allerdings, who brings a degree in fashion design and more than 27 years of experience as a professional theatrical costumer.

SUPPLY INFORMATION

The following supplies are provided:

• Mix-and-match top pattern (multiple neckline, sleeve, and pocket styles);
• Interfacing;
• Clear snap;
• Sewing machine needle.

Students should bring the following:

• Sewing machine (if you have one) with a basic sewing foot and bobbin. ContactEvette if you would like to use one of Northwind’s sewing machines;
• Fabric:
  • Beginners: 2¼ yards (45”) of cotton or cotton/poly blend. Optional ½ yard of contrast fabric if desired;
  • Intermediate: Fabric suitable for a top — 2¼ yards (45”) or 2 yards (60”);
  • Optional: contrast fabric if desired;
• Matching thread (50wt, all-purpose);
• Measuring tape;
• Fabric and paper scissors;
• Glass-head pins or fabric clips and a hand-sewing needle;
• Cutting mat (if you have one);
• Notepad and pen.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Evette Allerdings is an artist whose primary work is silk paintings, while she also sews, embroiders, beads, quilts, designs, and much more. She was born, raised, and lived in Hawaii for the majority of her life, and moved to Washington in 2018. Evette has a BS degree in Fashion Design and is a multi-award winning costumer. Always searching for the perfect fabric for a costume, Evette ventured into painting on silk in 2015 and found a new passion. She started by attempting to create the design of a vintage kimono, which was inspired by childhood memories of her grandmother dressing Evette up in the most colorful kimonos to celebrate Girls' Day. She still loves color and all her paintings are quite colorful. Evette won first place in the 2D division at the 2021 Silk Painters International Festival for her piece Solace. She also won the People's Choice Honorable Mention Award in 2022 for Goodbye Dad.

Artist website: Evette Allerdings

In this workshop, you will interpret your observations of the Fort Worden State Park environment to create abstract art that is wholly your own. You’ll also expand your artist’s eye by learning different ways of seeing, loosen your grip on realism, and move into an exploration of essence. Teaching artist Meg Kaczyk guides you in an iterative approach, so you can lean into a variety of mediums, including watercolor, graphite, oil pastel and cut paper, to personally express the magic of the Olympic Peninsula landscape. Along the way, creative process insights are shared that can free your hand and strengthen your visual voice. This Mothers Day weekend class can be a joyful gift for Mom or oneself, and/or a shared activity!

SUPPLY INFORMATION

Students should bring:

• A smartphone or tablet with a camera or a digital camera. Photographing in the field can be the sole or supplemental source material for the workshop’s studio sessions.
• Whatever they may normally use for outdoor, informal field sketching such as portable sketchbook, watercolors, pencils, pastels, etc. Sketching in the field can be the sole or supplemental source material for the workshop’s studio sessions.

All other course materials and supplies are provided.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Meg Kaczyk guides artists of all levels in classes and workshops based on her own studio process. Her work is fed by daily life, the natural world, poetry, and a long-standing meditation practice. Originally trained as an illustrator and graphic designer, Meg has enjoyed a long creative career including art direction, graphic design, arts administration, and teaching. She exhibits her paintings across the region.

Artist website: Meg Kaczyk, @megkaczyk