Workshops

Welcome to the Workshop page. Below you’ll find the listings with details for workshops in May and June. Note that special guest Val Bembenek will be teaching her popular papermaking and paper mache workshops in May. In addition, I’m offering Monotype Printing again in June.

If you would like to put together a special workshop for a group of friends or have ideas for additional workshops, please contact me.

Art Workshops in Oracle–The Springtime into Summer Series!

Presented by Barbara Kemp Cowlin

REFRESH YOUR CREATIVITY!

Whatever your art interest or experience level join me for casual, comfortable half-day sessions to learn and practice an exciting variety of arts and crafts. Enjoy my bright, spacious studio in Oracle, 35 miles northeast of Tucson (see instructions and map below). When you arrive, I’ll have light snacks, lots of art materials and wonderful learning experiences waiting for you

YES-YOU-CAN  DRAWING SERIES

Stay posted for the upcoming Summer drawing series. I will be putting together weekly, 3-hour workshops in 3 week sessions. Dates and times TBA. If you are interested, please let me know if you have particular dates, days of the week or times of the day that work for you and I’ll take these into consideration when I plan the schedule!

 

THE CRAFT SERIES

May 7 and May 8, Tuesday and/or Wednesday, 10am – 2pm–PAPERMAKING WITH VAL BEMBENEK Take one or both, for experienced and beginners alike. Learn pulp preparation techniques and make a stack of papers using traditional mold & deckle

Tuesday: “GOURMET” PAPERS DAY
  • Pulps of pineapple leaf, onion skin, artichoke, corn husk
  • Learn to use oregano as a natural dye material
  • Leave with lots of great paper for use in cards, collage, and book making
  • Fee $75 with all materials provided (please send check to Val Bembenek, P.O. Box 5084, Oracle 85623 to reserve your spot)Papermaking Workshop
  • Limit of 5 participants

Wednesday: WILD PAPERS DAY

  • Pulps of iris leaf and of cattail fluff, plus cotton/abaca pulps
  • Learn to use thistledown, creosote leaf, and ocotillo flower inclusions
  • Leave with lots of great paper for use in cards, collage, and book making
  • Fee $75 with all materials provided (please send check to Val Bembenek, P.O. Box 5084, Oracle 85623 to reserve your spot)
  • Limit of 5 participants

SAVE $20! Take both papermaking workshops for a $130 fee


Select 1 or 2 Days



 May 14 & 15, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10am – 2pm–ACCORDION FOLD BOOKS, SIMPLE TO SPLENDID
  • Learn to make a basic accordion fold book
  • Learn to make a series of more elaborate (but still easy) accordion fold books, including a miniature tabbed accordion book, an accordion with pockets, a back to back accordion book and more!
  • Experiment with several transfer techniques with which to embellish the books
  • Work with acrylic paint, ink, collage materials and more (instruction provided!)
  • Decorate the books for use as journals
  • Create one of a kind books with themes of your choosing: think transfers of family photos, poems, dream images, whatever you like
  • Fee $100 with all materials provided



 
May 21 & 22, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10am – 2pm–PAPER MACHE  WITH VAL BEMBENEK
  • Five projects!
  • Craft a contemporary vase for dry weeds or flowers using pulped mache of recycled yellow pages over a lost form
  • Design and create two decorative bowls using the layered-paper technique with handmade papers–from my stash or yours
  • Make two collage heart-of-my-heart baubles with a scrunched paper base laybered with your free-form designs
  • Limit 5 participants.
  • Fee $120 with all materials provided (please send check to Val Bembenek, P.O. Box 5084, Oracle 85623 to reserve your spot)



 
May 28, Tuesday, 10am – 2pm–OPEN STUDIO FOR CRAFTS
  • Stalled out on a project either from previous workshops or projects on your own? Move them forward during this workshop
  • An array of wonderful materials available for your useCharla and Merrill at work on their projects
  • Brainstorm solutions to design problems
  • Get help with technical issues
  • Have fun and get creative!
  • Fee $65 with all materials provided



 May 29, Wednesday, 10am – 2pm–OPEN STUDIO FOR DRAWING AND PAINTING
  • Stalled out? Having trouble getting started or continuing a painting or drawing?
  • Need help in setting up a still-life or working from photographs?
  • Learn how to problem solve design issues
  • Get help with technical issues
  • Have fun and get creative!
  • Fee $65 with all materials provided



SIGN UP TO TAKE BOTH OPEN STUDIOS  AND RECEIVE A DISCOUNT– $110 FOR BOTH DAYS, A $20 SAVINGS
 
PRINTMAKING IN JUNE
June 11 & 12,   Tuesday and Wednesday, 10am – 2pm–MONOTYPE PRINT MAGIC
  • Learn about the exciting possibilities in monotype printing (a simple printmaking process where each print is unique)
  • Make a series of one color prints
  • Learn how to use multiple colors to create effective colorful one of a kind prints
  • Experiment with ghost prints
  • No experience is necessary
  • Have fun and get creative!
  • Fee $120 with all materials provided




Questions? Suggestions? Please contact me, send me an email or give me a call (the phone number is on the upper right side of the contact form)
Workshops are held in Barbara Cowlin’s spacious studio in Oracle. The address is 952 W. Linda Vista Road. Here are directions from Tucson:1) From Tucson, go north on Oracle Road (AZ 77) through Oro Valley and Catalina to Oracle Junction.
2) At Oracle Junction, stay on AZ 77 going east. Do not turn onto AZ 79.
3) Ten miles from Oracle Junction, bear right onto American Avenue at the well-marked intersection.
4) At the Circle K, turn right on Calle Futura.
5) From the stop sign at the T intersection, turn left, staying on Calle Futura.
6) Drive one mile to the Y in the road. Bear left to the stop sign at Linda Vista.
7) Turn left to the first driveway on the left.Click here for a Google map to create specific directions from your location.