Creative Arts Eliot 2018
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 06:00 PM
Your choice of workshops:
Morning:
Shannon Applegate - Writing Poems and Seeing Words Afresh
Program Description:
Poems newly connect words in surprising ways, inspiring the flow of imagination from our deep interior to the country of consciousness. Inspired, as one poet says, from what "we have heard, dreamed, and seen in the world," the poems emerging in this workshop will reveal the rich material each of us carries in the course of living our lives. Can't swim yet? Here's your chance to dive in anyway.
Biography:
Published author, poet, and teacher Shannon Applegate is a recipient of the Oregon Governor's Arts Award. She has recently completed her novel Minus Tides which is "making the rounds" in New York. Her first book, Skookum: An Oregon Pioneer Family's History and Lore (Wm. Morrow/NY) is still in print and has been called an Oregon classic. Since 2006 she has helped select Oregon's official Poet Laureate.
Drew Betz - Small Art Quilts 101
Program Description:
We will be working on creating small art quilts using a variety of techniques. We will begin our work with consideration of design and construction methods and quickly move to making our first small (no larger than 8 ½ x 11 is recommended) quilt. Class members can work by hand and/or machine. There will be many samples and ideas to encourage your creative urges using the quilt form as your canvas. Drew will be bringing lots of scraps and embellishments and will provide a list of recommended supplies after registration takes place.
Biography:
Drew has been making quilts since 1997. She has made all sizes of quilts but prefers to work small. She has made a series of journal quilts and quilted prayer flags and has entered her small quilts in the local fair and area quilt shows. She has shown quilts at local, countywide and multi-state shows and is the proud winner of a number of blue ribbons. She and her friend Francie have shared several exhibits of their work. Drew is a trained quilt judge and regularly judges a local county fair. She has also taught classes on small quilts, wearable art and has given a number of lectures at local quilting guilds. Her recent work has focused on working with her Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Quilters on a series of quilts that are being gifted to a transitional housing program. She is in the process of blogging about her work. You can visit her blog at https://drewsquiltedmemories.blogspot.com/. She looks forward to being part of the Creative Arts presenting team in 2018.
Rob D'Arc - Dimensional Paper Maskmaking
Program Description:
We will create an atmosphere conducive to creativity, within an active exploration of dimensional paper construction, using simple inexpensive materials. Participants will create mini-masks which can be worn as pins or badges, as well as full-size face character and animal/bird masks. Rob will be available throughout the week to help facilitate ideas, in the classroom or out.
Biography:
Rob began his career as an artist, writer, director and puppeteer in 1980 with the French puppet troupe, "Les Marmouset." In 1987, he founded the Kidstuff Puppet Theater in Riverside California, coordinating all elements of production, creating over 30 shows. He received an "Artist in Schools" residency from the California Arts Council to teach puppetry to G.A.T.E. classes; instructed librarians, teachers, and therapists with in-service programs; taught puppetry techniques at three National Puppetry Festivals; and won awards for specialty makeup, the promotion of literacy, and artistic excellence. In 2000, Rob directed three plays, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, and a comedic version of A Christmas Carol for the Riverside Community Players, the oldest theater-in-the-round in the U.S. In 2001, Rob directed a production of The Little Prince and co-created (with artistic partner Susannah Faith) a comedic version of Adam and Eve for the 2001 Southern California Renaissance Faire, featuring large scale puppets and masks. Rob was Makeup Designer for Sea World San Diego's haunted event, Terrors of the Deep in 2001-2002. Locally, he has created a 20-foot blue whale for the Fremont Solstice Parade and adapted and directed an H.P. Lovecraft story for Open Circle Theater, build marionettes for Seattle Opera's production, Tales of Hoffmann, and has taught courses in puppetry for the Master's degree Summer Program at Central Washington University. Rob lives in Seattle, sells Puppets and Mask Wall Hangings at the Pike Place Market and tours with his neo-vaudevillian act, Professor Humbug's Flea Circus.
Chris Last - improv
Program Description:
The focus of Chris’ workshop will be using play and playfulness to stoke creativity, generate entertaining improvised sketch scenes, and practice positive social skills that improve one’s ability to collaborate effectively with others. This workshop is for everyone, regardless of experience level. It will be a safe and comfortable place for the most shy introverts, and it will challenge even the most outgoing extroverts. Also, don’t worry about whether you think you’re funny or not. In improvisational theatre, comedy is a thing that we find together through our collaboration--not a thing that you bring to the group. So just relax and be yourself.
Biography:
Chris Last is a performer, director, and teacher of Improvisational Theatre (“improv” for short) in Seattle, Washington. He has been with Unexpected Productions, Seattle’s oldest and most venerable improv theater, since 2015, and he also coaches high school improv throughout the greater Seattle area. Chris has experience performing and teaching improvised sketch comedy (short-form), improvised plays (long-form), storytelling, musical improv, and dramatic improv.
Sharon O'Keefe - photography
Program Description:
This workshop will introduce you to the basic Rules of Composition, how lenses and other choices and decisions affect your photographs. Instruction has been designed to take you from “Happy Snapper” to thinking like a “Photographer”. Presentations, assignments and photo walkabouts will focus on specific elements of photography, i.e., seeing and photographing light; shadows; reflections; how to emphasize your subject, understanding “where you stand” affects your composition, and more. This workshop is suitable for anyone with a dSLR or Mirrorless camera, wanting to learn how to consistently create more compelling photographs.
Beginning with class #2 you need to bring a USB Flash Drive with JPEG images from assignments for projected critique and feedback. This means you need to be able to transfer image files from your camera to a laptop or tablet for editing before loading them on the USB Flash Drive for critique. Upon completion of your registration additional information relevant to the workshop will be provided.
Biography:
A native Oregonian, Ms. O’Keefe has been a freelance photographer for over 35 years. She is Director of Camerawork Gallery, Founder of Northwest Center for Photography, i witness gallery and Co-Founder Plates to Pixels Online Gallery. She has taught photography classes for more than 25 years—independently, through Portland Community College and most recently Clark College in Vancouver, WA.
She inspires her students to find new ways to see the world while providing a positive and encouraging learning environment. She is committed to educating individuals with an interest in photography and finds ways to make the learning process fun. Ms. O’Keefe is a talented photographer and a gifted teacher. Her goal is to help her students find the joy, passion and personal enrichment that photography continually brings to her life.
Jilly Watson - painting
Program Description:
Colourful Creations 3 -- Jilly will continue teaching the basic elements of composition, shapes, colour, depth and value, while exploring the diversity of acrylic paints (transparent and opaque) and various mediums. Each morning the group will explore a different technique and composition that will help them produce a joy-filled colourful painting.
Each day Jilly structures the class in a step by step process which helps beginners but also enables artists who have more experience to challenge themselves in different directions.
Each student will receive a folder with clear directions about the processes and techniques we used to encourage them to continue to paint when they get home. This year the class will include landscapes, forests, flowers, clouds, and Seabech buildings in their compositional efforts. Jilly is looking forward to another wonderful experience at the creative art camp.
Biograpny:
Jilly Watson, artist and long-time Elioteer will be leading her third painting workshop at the Eliot creative arts camp in the summer of 2018. Jilly has loved painting since she was a child, and returned to her love of art and painting when she retired from teaching seventeen years ago. Jilly is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Jilly is also the Past President of the North Shore Artists’ Guild, and was for many years chairperson of the North Shore Unitarian artists’ group. Jilly sells her work out of the Catching Stars Gallery on Bowen Island and 32 Books and Art Gallery in North Vancouver.
Brooksie Wells - Intuitive Songwriting
Program Description:
Intuitive Songwriting: A Spiritual Journey through Music. Participants will bring songs and song ideas with them along with instruments and lyrics. We will share our personal reasons for creating music. We will work together to complete pieces and also do some co-writing. We will explore the business of music as well as the art and craft of songwriting. Our end result will be some lovely songs and a shared artistic experience.
Biography:
Brooksie Wells has traveled a winding road to reach a place where she can flourish as an artist. Bobby Darin signed her to a deal as a songwriter at the age of 19. She appeared on the eclectic début album of Kid Creole And The Coconuts in 1980. After that, Wells moved back to Virginia, settled down and raised a family. She often performed children’s music for Montessori schools. As her kids grew up, she decided the time was right to launch the “mature” stage of her music career.
Her album, “Been There” was nominated for a WAMMY for best country record in 2005. Wells released two more albums including an all-female record with musical friends Missy Raines, Nancy Gardner, Lisa Kay-Howard Hughes, Heather Haze, Ruth Wyland, and Lisa McCormack. While these albums were well received, the music business had changed a lot since Wells dropped off the scene in the early ‘80s. For her 2015 release she got some help from Kari Estrin, who has managed such artists as Tony Rice and Suzanne Vega. “She helped me focus my songs towards folk,” said Wells. “Since most people never heard me, that record was appropriate for folk radio..”
“North East Rising Sun” also includes some great guests including mandolin/fiddle player Frank Solivan, fiddle player Jenny Leigh Obert, guitarist Billy Gewin and Wells’ son, John Bridstrup on drums and percussion. The songs cover a wide variety of topics drawn from Wells’ personal experiences—from race relations to relationships, addiction to recovery. This album made the top ten on the Folk DJ charts in October 0f 2015. Ms. Wells is currently at work on a new CD which should be out this spring.
Tim Hesterberg - Active Sports
Program Description:
An additional morning option, "Active Sports" will be available for those wanting a more physical activity. Led by Tim Hesterberg, there will be options for biking, hiking, kayaking, a service project at Seabeck, etc. What this group does will depend on the interests of those who sign up.
Afternoon:
Kate Landis - theater games
Program Description:
Do you like laughing so hard your stomach aches? Come to Theatre Games! With much goofiness we will experiment with developing a character, miming, improv as problem solving, and work in small teams to create a skit using a prompt. Absolutely no experience is necessary, just come and play! Improv games are just plain fun for people of any age or physical ability. Participants will take home outlines for games they can do with friends and family.
Improvisation is awesome because it helps in so many aspects of life: giving a presentation at work, college admission interviews, confidently flirting, making small talk at a party, think creatively about where your life might go next, writing creative fiction...theatre games will make anyone more self-assured and ready to handle life's unexpected occurrences. Theatre games are even better for you then going to the dentist, and a lot more fun.
Biography:
Rev. Kate Landis serves as minister at Shoreline UU Church in suburban Seattle. She was Presidential Scholar at Andover Newton Theological School. Kate loves theater, dance, art, and music, as well as her spouse, Jay, and their rambunctious dog, Wally.
Calyn McLeod - Dragon Sculpting
Program Description:
Learn to sculpt a dragon from polymer clay! I will guide you through the whole process from armature to painting. You will have the option of adding wings in whatever shape you desire. At the end of the workshop you will have your very own unique dragon to take home. All materials will be provided - all you need to bring is your imagination and enthusiasm.
Biography:
Calyn is an artist and designer with a passion for details, and a special love for dragons and other fantastical creatures. She has an online business specializing in pose-able fantasy creatures, but also enjoys working in countless other media too. Sculpting, painting, sewing, ceramics, jewelry making, and tie dye are just a few of them! Check out her portfolio at cmwyvern.com.
Nancy Stevens - intermediate ukulele
