Arts & Theater

Through fun and perhaps unexpected techniques, learn how to paint a colorful autumn landscape in watercolor. We’ll include a road or a stream for interest. Reference(s) will be provided by the instructor, or you can use your own, from which a basic drawing will be made before painting. All skill levels are welcome. Supply list provided upon registration. Bivenne Harvey Staiger is known for her colorful, dramatic watercolors of natural motifs she loves, like birds, other animals and flowers, and is the recipient of many prestigious awards.  Among the most recent is the Silver Medal from the American Watercolor Society’s 152nd International Exhibition (2019).  She is professionally affiliated with many art groups, including but not limited to the Salmagundi Club, American Artists’ Professional League, Academic Artists Association, Connecticut Academy of Fine Artists, Connecticut Watercolor Society, and many others.  Bivenne regularly gives instruction, demonstrations and workshops in watercolor, and in fact has an upcoming weekend workshop, focusing on painting flowers in watercolor, at Yale Peabody Museum in August.  At least two major solo exhibitions and a few group exhibitions featuring her work, including Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut, are scheduled for the end of this year and next.

Celebrate the winter season by creating your own holiday wreath. During this workshop, participants learn techniques for making a 26-30in wreath using natural materials such as pine, balsam, cedar, holly, laurel, winterberry, Andromeda and pinecones.  Discover how to work with a wreath form and to mix textures, shapes and shades of green for a lush dimensional look.  Personalize your wreath form by choosing one of our festive ribbons. All wreath materials and supplies are provided including the wreath form, wire and all decorating materials.  We recommend bringing a pair of garden gloves and garden shears/scissors. Leave with a handcrafted holiday wreath perfect for your door!

Learn to wrap the gifts you give this year in unique ways not found in any store but created by you.  In this colorful holiday workshop design gift tags, a mini triangle gift box, a holiday card and a unique “apron” gift bag.  A variety of double-sided holiday patterned papers and supplies will be available for each set of projects. Please bring- a scissor, glue (liquid or glue stick), ruler and any other tools you think you might need.  Make each of your gift recipients feel “special” with gifts wrapped in these designs.  Happy Holidays! Introducing Nancy Souza, a teacher, mixed media artist and crafter. Creating unique cards and paper projects using a variety of techniques, colorful cardstock and card layouts including inks, stencils, collage, upcycled vintage items, and more. Souza is a certified teacher, teaching at the elementary & high school levels and graduate level courses at Sacred Heart University Griswold High School campus, including her 6th Year post graduate level. Twenty-six years ago, a teaching colleague suggested Nancy sign up for a local card making class and the rest is history.  It’s been an interesting and rewarding crafting journey both taking classes, sharing with crafting friends and teaching […]

Add a little handmade sparkle to your holiday season!  In this afternoon workshop, learn two different wire crochet techniques to create two unique pairs of beaded earrings.  Choose from a beautiful selection of holiday inspired beads, crystals and sparkling accents to create earrings that reflect your personal style.  Keep one pair for yourself and give the other as a special holiday gift, No previous jewelry making experience necessary. Jessica Dickens is an artist whose passion for creating original handmade jewelry spans over two decades. With an eye for bold and unique designs, Jessica draws inspiration from abstract and organic elements, infusing each piece with a distinctive touch. Many designs feature wire crochet and are inspired by its fluidity, reflecting a free-spirited aesthetic that resonates with those seeking individuality. Recently, she has embraced the versatility of polymer clay and marries the two motifs yielding captivating results. Her work has been featured on fashion show runways, Jewelry Television (JTV) Jewel School and in publications including Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine. For 15 years, she sold her work at jazz and arts and crafts festivals on the east coast and continues to sell her work online and her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in […]