AAJ Instructors (part one)

Registration is fast approaching for the 2014 Winter Retreat, so I hope you have the date (August 26!) circled on your calendar; you can find all the details and info right here.  Our venue is the lovely Presentation Center, nestled in the redwoods just above Los Gatos, in northern California.  All five workshop offerings are amazing, each one very unique, so I hope you've had a chance to look through them and see which one 'speaks' to you.  In this post, I'm highlighting Katie Kendrick's class and Albie Smith's, just to give you a little insight on why I love having them teach for AAJ.  I'll introduce you to the others next time around!

I don't recall the exact moment that I first met Katie (over 10 years ago!) but I can tell you that once you meet her, you never forget her.  She has a certain spirit about her that just lifts you up, that makes you feel better by just being near her.  You want to just hang out with her, hoping that some of her goodness will rub off on you.  She's funny, generous, accepting, and the talent and creativity just drip from her fingertips.  In all the years I've organized workshops, I've had only glowing reviews of her as an instructor, which is really something!

She'll be teaching at AAJ for the 4th time, including the workshop she did when she and Judy Wise came for a Day Journey weekend years ago.  We have some great memories of that trip, involving "snakes" in the pool, sloppy doggy wake-up kisses, and crashing into screen doors.  And there was even more fun in the workshop...lol!

There is no doubt that you will have a fun and memorable experience in her class as well.  Her painting techniques and methods come from many years of exploration and self-discovery.  I promise that you'll be better for knowing her, both as an artist, and as a human being.  (I can honestly say that about all of the instructors lined up for the 2014 retreat, so I don't know how you'll choose among them!) 

You can check out all the details of her workshop right here; be sure and contact her directly if you have any questions about the class.  She'd love to hear from you!

I was first introduced to Albie when I signed up for a book workshop with her at Artfest many years ago.  She was such an excellent instructor that I actually finished the project (which is a huge deal, as those who know me can attest to).  Since then we have worked together many, many times and we have become very dear friends. 

She's taught at An Artful Journey a few times and each time, her students turn out the most amazing work.  She's a great teacher, she's playful, she gives it her all (and then some), and she's an absolute hoot!  

It's hard to imagine the retreat without her, and I'm just so blessed that she keeps wanting to come back for more.  She likes to limit her class size to 14 so that she can give every person the attention they deserve.  She's been playing with the Gelli plate and is so excited to be incorporating this tool into her surface design workshop!  You can check out all the details of her workshop right here.

So there you go—just two of the five offerings that we have in store for you.  Next up I'll be highlighting DJ Pettitt, Stephanie Lee, and the awesome duo, Mindy Lacefield and Danielle Daniel.  Hope you're considering spending a few days with us next year!  Check out all the retreat details right here.  I also want to remind everyone that there are two partial scholarships being offered, and the deadline for applying is August 21; details can be found here on the retreat page--just scroll down to find the document.  I'm so excited to be able to help a couple of well deserving people attend the retreat!  See you again soon!