Workshops
Workshops at Chester Springs Studio include watercolor painting, oil painting, plein air, mixed media, ceramics, raku firings and more with guest artists.
CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP: ITALIC with Kathy Hughes
Level: Beginners, Adults and Teens
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Kathy Hughes
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2023
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Location: Chester Springs Studio, Fine Art Studio
Tuition: $60 Members, $75 Non-members
Materials Fee: $10 (payable to instructor on day of workshop)
Includes: All supplies for workshop
Calligraphy Workshop: Italic is an introduction to calligraphy using calligraphy felt-tip markers. This workshop will focus on the Italic alphabet, a semi-cursive style of calligraphy that was developed during the Renaissance in Italy. Today, it is one of the most popular letterforms used by Western calligraphers.
During the workshop, students will practice Italic’s lower case, and review the upper case alphabet. They will receive instruction sheets for the complete alphabet and can continue practicing the upper case alphabet after the workshop. Many students find the act of calligraphy relaxing and meditative.
All supplies are provided by the instructor (pay $10 materials fee to instructor at the workshop). Adults and teens who are new to this script and beginners are welcome.
In this workshop you will:
- Review the entire Italic Alphabet
- Practice the lower case Italic Alphabet
- Learn about materials and tools used in calligraphy
- View instructor demonstrations
- Learn how to hold your pen and paper
- Receive instruction sheets for the alphabet (upper and lower case)
About Kathy Hughes
Kathy Hughes has taught calligraphy at art centers, organizations and colleges, offering classes for both adults and children. She has worked as a calligrapher and artist for over 25 years. She received a BA from Boston College, and studied calligraphy and fine art at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Of An Abstract Nature
Level: All levels, Adults/Teens
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Nancy Barch
Date: June 17, 2023
Time: 10am – 4:00pm
Location: Chester Springs Studio, Fine Art Studio
Tuition: $125 Members, $145 Non-members
Using nature as a workshop theme, we will develop abstract imagery using leaf and tree shapes to express our artistic view. This includes stencils and printmaking of the appropriate shapes of nature, and we will incorporate these shapes into our mixed media paintings.
About Nancy Barch
Nancy Barch started her career in art as a freelance illustrator in Philadelphia. She received commissions for Scottie Tissue Company, McDonalds LPGAA Golf Classic, and the American Cancer Society.
Eventually, Ms. Barch left the commercial art field and entered the fine art arena where she focused on watercolor and earned signature membership in the American Watercolor Society in New York. Ms. Barch served as Vice President of AWS for ten years and garnered numerous awards for her work.
Raku Firing Workshop with Dina Schmidt
Level: All levels
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Dina Schmidt
Date: June 17, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Chester Springs Studio
Tuition: $100 Members, $120 Non-members
Join us for a Raku workshop. Experience the mysterious, spontaneous, and immediate process of Raku firing. Bring 6-10 bisque fired, average sized pots made of Raku clay or stoneware (low-fire clay will not survive the process). All glazes will be provided. We suggest long pants and closed shoes if you wish to actively participate in the firing process. Bring a brown bag lunch. Space is limited.
About Dina Schmidt
Dina Patukas Schmidt earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art & Design and a Bachelor of Arts from Arcadia University, both with concentrations in clay. After graduate school, she was juried into the Resident Artist program at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia. Much of her work is Raku fired using a variety of glazes and metallic washes. It has been exhibited in group and solo shows regionally and across the country. Dina has enjoyed teaching at schools and art centers for over 20 years. Currently, she is the Chair of the Arts Department at Church Farm School, Exton, Pennsylvania.
Over, Under, In and Out
Sudents: Adults/Teens
Level: All levels
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Jeanie Silver
Two-Day Workshop:
September 23, 2023, 10am – 4pm and
October 1, 2023, 12 - 3pm
Location: Chester Springs Studio, Fine Art Studio
Tuition: $130 Members, $150 Non-members
This is a busy, hands-on workshop designed to help you learn what commercial underglazes are, what they do, and how you can use them.
All commercial underglazes are not the same! We will have three brands for you to test on small dishes we will provide. You can also bring two bisque pieces to glaze. You will learn what an underglaze is and what each kind can do. Some are adaptable while others are limited in temperature and in how they are applied. The workshop will show you how to choose the right one for your clay work.
On Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 AM to 4 PM: We will learn underglaze qualities and make our tests.
On Sunday, Oct. 1, from 12 PM - 3 PM: We'll gather together to see our tests and share them with each other.
Our goal is to learn what underglazes work at cone 6 and how to keep track of your results so you can make clay work that is what you imagine.
About Jeanie Silver
After a BFA in painting I discovered that clay was what endlessly drew me on. I work with terracotta, using slips and glazes, historically based in English slipware, but contemporary in feel. I love imagery on three-dimensional form, and work hard for strong forms married to complex imagery that celebrates the encounter of humans and the natural world.
The Art of Shibori with Jean-Marie Baldwin
Level: All levels, Adults and Teens
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Jean-Marie Baldwin
Date: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023
Time: 11am - 3pm
Location: Chester Springs Studio, Fine Art Studio
Tuition: $95 Members, $115 Non-members
Materials Fee: $40 (payable to instructor on day of workshop)
Includes: Two silk hand-hemmed scarves, Shibori dyes, all needed materials and equipment
Learn the ancient art of Shibori, a traditional Japanese resist-dyeing technique dating back longer than any other fabric dyeing method. The word Shibori comes from the Japanese root “shiboru,” meaning “to wring, squeeze, press.” In Shibori, fabric patterns are made by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, compressing, dyeing, and then releasing the binding pressure to reveal the design. The original Shibori techniques were ancestral, handed down exclusively within Japanese artisan families.
The Shibori workshop is led by expert textile instructor Jean Marie Baldwin. With over thirty-five years of teaching experience in the textile arts, Jean Marie shares a wealth of tips and insights for beginners and experienced artists alike. The workshop is packed with both traditional and inventive Shibori techniques, clear step-by-step dyeing instructions, and the hands-on experience of creating your own unique designs. You will be provided with all the supplies and information a Shibori beginner will need to get started, as well as innovative techniques that inspire experienced textile artists to take their designs to a new level. Experience the magic of Shibori when creating your own one-of-a-kind design. Apply all you have learned to the high-quality hand-hemmed silk scarves provided with this workshop. When the cloth is unbound after dyeing, the design that emerges is the result of the folded and bound three-dimensional shape. When your wearable work of art is complete, take the final step in learning how to sign your name on the fine silk fabric.
Learn About:
Shibori
- What is Shibori? A brief history.
- Learn about silk fabric and the quality of its fibers.
- Review materials and equipment used in creating Shibori.
Shibori Techniques and Demonstrations
- Kanoko Shibori: Learn the ancient technique of folding and binding to achieve the desired pattern—one method with many variations.
- Arashi Shibori also known as pole-wrapping shibori. “Arashi” is the Japanese word for rain storm. The pleated cloth is wrapped and bound, resulting in diagonal patterns which suggest the driving rain of a heavy storm.
- Shibori Dyeing
- Color theory as applied to dyeing
- Double dipping
- Variations of colors, tones and visual textures
- Catalytic reaction in fabric dying
Create Your One-of-a-Kind Design
- All materials and supplies included in fee.
- Use Shibori folding and dyeing methods to create beautiful patterns and your own unique design. Different techniques can be combined to achieve more elaborate results.
- Learn how to sign your original silk Shibori creation.
- You will come out of the workshop with two one-of-a-kind hand-dyed Shibori scarves of your individual design.
About Jean Marie Baldwin
Jean Marie Baldwin has been teaching textile arts for over 35 years, giving demonstrations and lectures at art centers and studios along the East Coast. She has owned an Art-to-Wear business and sold wholesale to over 25 high-end retailers. Throughout her career Jean Marie has created over 2,000 scarves using the Shibori as well as other textile methods. Her classes have included textile techniques and design in Shibori, Batik, fabric painting, textile dye, resist and print methods.
Jean Marie attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia on full scholarship and is a Founding Member on the Board of Directors for Phoenix Village Art Center.
Architecture in the Landscape
Students: Adults / Teens
Level: All levels
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Louise Dusinberre
Date: TBD
Location: Chester Springs Studio, Fine Art Studio
Tuition: $90 Members, $110 Non-members
Join Louise Dusinberre for a morning of pastel painting in Historic Yellow Springs. Find inspiration among the gardens and beautiful historic buildings on the property. Learn the tools of editing your subject matter when painting “en plein air” (outside). Explore how to use atmospheric perspective to create depth in your paintings. Hone your skills when drawing architecture and using one- and two-point perspective.
In this three-hour workshop Louise shares new techniques in pastel painting where you use sanded papers and rubbing alcohol to build an underpainting before creating your chalk pastel drawing on the surface. These techniques allow you to work with pastels in a painterly style—perfect for building the contrast of soft and hard edges in landscape and architecture compositions. If you prefer to work inside, you may work from a photo in our air conditioned studio.
Easels and drawing boards will be provided. Student grade pastels and paper will be available as well. Feel free to bring your own materials if you prefer. Also bring water and a snack or lunch and picnic on the grounds thereafter. All levels welcome.
About Louise Dusinberre
Award-winning artist Louise Dusinberre works in the medium of pastel. She currently works as an artist and instructor, teaching art for over twelve years, including classes in drawing, pastel, printmaking and collage. Louise is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, with a BA in Graphic Design. Her former career was in the fashion and textile design industry, where she was the Senior Designer for NYC clothing company, Putumayo. Louise exhibits her artwork at galleries throughout the Delaware Valley area and is represented by Bishop’s Stock Gallery in Snow Hill, Maryland.