Pressed Flowers, Botanicals & Encaustic

A COLLABORATIVE TEACHING VENTURE WITH BETH MURPHY & LORRAINE GLESSNER

All of my life-so far
I have loved best how the flowers rise and open, how
the pink lungs of their bodies
enter the fire of the world
and stand there shining
and willing

— Mary Oliver

JULY 29 -AUGUST 2, 2024 AT LAREAU INN & FARM, WAITSFIELD, VERMONT

Limited to 10 participants

This retreat was such a blast in 2023, we decided to schedule it again-this time with more focused learning on the flower structure, more collecting and foraging and more content development. If you have always wanted to combine pressed flowers and botanicals into your encaustic paintings, then this is the retreat for you! Utilizing the gorgeously cultivated flower and vegetable garden, wildflower meadow and lush forest at Lareau Farm to study and forage, we will explore the myriad ways to use natural materials and processes in combination with encaustic. Working on both paper and fabric, we will experiment with pressed botanicals, flowering pounding, photo transfer and in depth encaustic collage processes. New this year, we have also added botanical paper cutting and cyanotype using pressed botanicals and the brilliance of the Vermont summer sun. Bridging the gap between art and craft, content and creation, participants are encouraged to develop a personal vocabulary by applying these new techniques to their current ideas and methodologies. Optional individual critiques with both Beth and Lorraine are offered to all participants.

**Please note that participants should be prepared to spend time outside as well as in the studio. Any participant unable to take part in the outdoor activities are welcome to opt out and alternative indoor creative exercises will be provided.

Retreat Information

The Retreat fee includes accommodations for 4 nights at Lareau Inn, daily breakfast and lunch, one dinner, daily afternoon snacks and first night orientation, plus most workshop materials. A list of available rooms with links to images is listed on each of the Retreat pages below.
$2300 Per person includes all of the above accommodations, food, snacks, most workshop materials and FUN.
Payment of 50% of the workshop fee ($1150 if paying via check or Venmo, $1190 if paying via Paypal is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($1150) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch?
$1300 includes workshop fee and most materials.
Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn:
1. Review the list of available rooms below and choose your room-each is linked to images and a brief description.
2. DO NOT book your room from the Lareau Inn web site. All rooms have already been booked in advance for our Retreats.
3. Contact Lorraine via email with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe as well as Additional Accommodations in Waitsfield (see menu item below).
Beauty
Kindness
Available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn.
Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.
In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email.
Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee).
Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
In this circumstance, a credit of 50% of the deposit may be applied to another Vermont Retreat Only. The other 50% of the deposit will not be credited or refunded.

Itinerary & Materials

Monday 6-9pm Orientation
Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours
Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours
*NOTE* A Detailed Daily Itinerary including optional evening activities is emailed to participants a few weeks before the Retreat start date.
Monday 6-9pm Orientation
Meet & Greet Wine, Cheese, Snacks and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit
Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
We will begin this exciting day of exploration, learning and gathering with a walk through the garden and wildflower meadow where Beth will discuss the differences in flowers, propagation and what works best for the pressed flower process. Beth will also lead us in a series of journaling exercises designed to clarify the structure of flowers and plants into simple elements, such as movement, color, texture and form . Back at the studio, Beth will share her process for pressing flowers and botanicals through her personal sketchbooks and garden journals. Later in the afternoon, Lorraine will lead a basic encaustic collage and photo transfer demonstration. The rest of the afternoon is devoted to finishing garden journal entries and working on content building exercises. Beth and Lorraine will begin conducting personalized individual mentoring sessions.
Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
After a brief morning discussion, Beth will demonstrate cross section pressing of certain flowers so as to achieve a very flat pressing.
Lorraine will demonstrate flower pounding on both paper and fabric. Spend the rest of the morning experimenting with these new processes in combination with encaustic, beginning to layer these papers and fabrics with pressed botanicals, photo transfers and mixed media collage items.
After lunch, we will continue with uninterrupted work time working toward a series on paper or panel using layers of encaustic collage, painting and printing. Individual discussions with Lorraine & Beth will continue.
Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio
After our morning discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time to further explore the layering and printing of natural materials in combination with encaustic, collage and mark-making to build a series that expresses your personal connection to plants, flowers and the landscape at large.
Take the rest of the afternoon to experiment with marks, make color studies, ask questions, request informal demos, and continue with individual discussions with Beth and Lorraine.
Early evening project show and tell and group dinner.
Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop
Morning work time to complete projects, look at books, journal your thoughts and continued individual mentoring with Lorraine and Beth. Lunch, clean up and good-byes.
All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, tools and equipment
A variety of pigment sticks
Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
Misc. drawing papers
Paper towels/rags
Extra encaustic brushes
Stencils and other textures
Misc. collage materials
Pressed flowers and botanicals
Carbon copies for photo transfer
The following is a list of materials to bring to the Retreat—Visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store for Art Supply/Portable Art Supply Ideas
Small, portable watercolor set with water brush
Watercolor or Mixed Media sketchbook (lay flat, size 9 x 12 or 11×14, heavy stock to withstand wet media, encaustic sketching-at least 117 lb or above)
Small, portable sketchbook or tablet for taking notes or sketching outdoors
1-2 drawing media of your choice in black or earth tones (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, Sharpie felt pen, etc.)
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
4-6 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
Materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
4-6 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10 or 12×12, but no larger or smaller, please)
Pressed botanicals or flowers (only if you have them!) Beth has a huge stash she is generously sharing with the class.
Optional Materials
Smock, any encaustic paint color or pigment stick color you favor, Iwatani torch with extra butane, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax, flat edge Catalyst wedge, silicone tipped clay tools or Catalyst tools, 1-2 inspiring books to share with the class, sweatshirt or sweater for chilly evenings and mornings, head lamp or battery operated desk lamp. If you would like to share your current work with Beth or Lorraine, bring 2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine.
Sturdy hiking shoes/boots
Small waterproof cushion or portable chair
Butt pack or small backpack
Comfortable clothing
Light rainwear
Hat
Water bottle
For art supply/portable art supply/hiking or travel ideas, visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store

Questions? Email Lorraine

FAQ's

Vermont Retreats General Info

About Lorraine & Beth

Beth Murphy’s mixed media collages are fine art that is both familiar and modern. “I want to share the serenity I feel while creating my collages with others, and pull you into the peace, flow, mystery and magic that nature offers.” Flower petals, stems, leaves, grasses even some vegetables make their way into my presses to yield one surprise after the other. I work these amazing colors, shapes and textures into mixed media collages where paints (acrylic or watercolor) and hand printed papers are used to accent the organic beauty. My hope is that these works allow you to experience nature in a new way as well as opening up to the use of botanical materials as an art medium. My artwork is created in my Vermont studio and incorporates the flora that reflects the landscapes of New England, the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic. I cannot over stress the relaxation and peace that is achieved while working with organic materials.

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Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art (2003-2016), a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, photography and digital imaging. Recent professional achievements include curating, With Wax: Materiality & Mixed Media in Encaustic at Chester County Art Association in West Chester, PA, a Grand Prize Award from the show (re)Building, Atlantic Gallery, New York, NY and a recently appointed position as an Artist Instructor at R&F Paints. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, universities, Fine Art Shows and more. Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, experimentation and discovery.

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