Tag: art making

BASE: Create & Sip – Make a Wreath with Julia Kemerer

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

This month’s class will be led by November’s Artist of the Month, our own Julia Kemerer, who will teach us to make festive wreathes that will include a mix of new materials alongside the repurposed and reimagined. Everyone’s project will be unique, and creativity is highly encouraged. We will have a variety of objects available to use for your wreath, but if you have something of your own you would like to bring and try to incorporate into your artwork, you are welcome to bring it!

As you craft away, enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere while listening to a craft-themed musical soundtrack. Feel free to bring your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 and up) and some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process.
At the end of the class, you’ll leave with your own handmade wreath. Plus, you’ll take home newfound skills and inspiration to continue your crafting journey beyond the class.

You can also see Julia’s  Brushwood Center Gallery from October 25 – November 29.

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Julia Kemerer is a mixed media artist and an avid maker of all things. She paints and sculpts with paper, found objects, fabric, wood, and clay, and has a passion for creative reuse, or what she refers to as “using what you have to make what you need.” Julia’s creations will often make appearances at Brushwood Center, where she has been the Art Director for over a decade. At Brushwood, she curates shows and art markets, runs BASE, and teaches classes in addition to working behind the scenes on several area public arts projects. An online portfolio of her work can be found at juliakemerer.com. Julia attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and holds a degree in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in northern Lake County, Illinois with her husband and daughter in a 100 year old lake house full of pets, art and plants.

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by November 17. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – Experimental Mixed-Media Paintings with Katherine Lampert

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

This month’s class will be led by November’s Artist of the Month, Katherine Lampert, who will teach us to make Experimental Mixed-Media Paintings. Join us for this fun workshop designed for all experience levels. Together we will create mixed media paintings inspired by patterns in nature in a fun and supportive environment. We will use a variety of experimental techniques, tools and methods for creating interesting textures and visual interest. Try out a variety of water-based materials, handmade stamps and stencils, and learn to apply paint with inventive and unexpected tools. Demonstrations as well as time to create your own unique artwork will be provided. You can also see Katherine’s work displayed in the Brushwood Center Gallery from October 25 – November 29.

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Katherine Lampert’s multi-layered paintings begin with a study of pattern in nature, such as the rhythmic elements of landscape or the lace-like remnants of a fossilized sea creature. These images serve as inspiration and a point of departure for her semi-abstract works. Lampert received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Northwestern University. She has exhibited internationally, with a recent solo show at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago. She has been a Community Artist in Residence at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago, an Artist In Residence at the Cooper Union, and received two fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center. Lampert is also the recipient of a Full University Fellowship and a Teaching Fellowship from the Graduate School at Northwestern University, a City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, and a pARTners of Jackson Hole Grant. Her work has been featured in a number of publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Hyperallergic, and Michigan Avenue Magazine, among others. Lampert lives and works in Chicago, IL.

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by November 17. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – Clay Ornaments with Kirsten Saunders

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

This month’s class will be led by September’s Artist of the Month, Kirsten Saunders, who will teach us to make Clay Ornaments. Use clay, large cookie cutters and clay stamps to create your own ornaments for any occasion. Great for ages 10+. Working with clay relieves stress, increases focus, and engages both hands and mind. It’s a fun way to expand your creative and expressive repertoire! You can also see Kirsten’s work displayed in the Brushwood Center Gallery from August 30 – September 27.

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Kirsten began working with clay in college in 1982 and was hooked right away. Though her B.A. is in Psychology/Sociology, she took many fine art classes and workshops through the years to hone her skills and develop her own style. She taught children’s art classes while raising her own children, and still enjoys teaching occasionally and experiencing children’s playfulness and discovery. She is most inspired by her ever changing garden, whimsy, and her love of nature and it’s amazing creatures. Each piece is one of a kind, created in her home studio in Gurnee Illinois. Working mostly with Terra Cotta clay, pieces are wheel thrown, hand built, or a construction of both. Her mosaics are a blend of crockery, her own pottery, glass and other enticing items.

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by September 15. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – View From Your Window Accordion Art Books with Susan Teller

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

This month’s class will be led by August’s Artist of the Month, Susan Teller, who will teach us to make Accordion Art Books. Recycle paper CD covers into your own unique accordion art book! Participants will paint, draw, and / or collage each page, with Susan’s guidance.You can also see Susan’s work displayed in the Brushwood Center Gallery from July 26 – August 30.

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Susan Teller graduated from the University Of Illinois Chicago with a BFA in 1979. She worked at Spring Studio, United Letter, and the Marshall Fields Advertising Department. She was the Skokie Public Library Staff Artist/ Librarian, from 1997-2022. She currently teaches workshops in paper making, watercolor painting, and book binding. She also teaches classes about women artists, the process of making art, and storyboard drawing and development.

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by August 11. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – Junk Journals with Magdalena Kranc-Velasquez

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Magdalena Kranc-Velazquez is a mixed media artist, working in collage. Her work includes intricate collages that feature layering and delicate, yet dramatic, hand painting and drawing. She also creates altered books, creating one-of-a-kind keepsake memory books for her clients, using their photos, jewelry, documents, buttons, and fabrics

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by June 15. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – Nature’s Emotion Photo Collage

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Diana Noh is an interdisciplinary artist working with photography, fiber, and installation. Her practice celebrates reconstructions of distressed photographs of architectural spaces and landscapes, exploring themes of trauma embedded in her family relationships and cultural in-betweenness. 

Diana has exhibited pieces in Asia, North America, and Europe, at venues including Space HNH in Seoul, South Korea; Griffin Museum in Winchester, MA; Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL; The Arts Council in Fayetteville, NC; Eastern Market in Detroit, MI; Editart in Geneva, Switzerland; The Art Center Highland Park in Highland Park, IL; Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, NY; Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Her work is collected in the collections of Jennifer and Dan Gilbert, Kyungil University, and numerous Private Collections.

Diana currently resides in Chicago, IL. She holds a B.F.A. from Kyungil University (South Korea) and earned an M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI).

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by May 12. BYOB. 

BASE: Create & Sip – Natural Dyes with Invasive Species

We’ll have a variety of supplies and tools available. Everyone’s project will be unique. No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist:

Katelyn Patton is a visual artist working in Chicago who was born and raised in the Midwest. Her practice focuses on the urban ecology and biodiversity of plants in the city and beyond, the ways that material and color can be naturally derived from them, and how this hyper localized knowledge can be used as a vessel for connecting multiple overlapping histories, stories, and meanings. She has been the Maker-In-Residence at the Harold Washington Library, received a DCASE award in 2020, and has had solo shows at Extra Projects, the Lillstreet Arts Center and the NEIU Fine Arts Center Gallery. In 2024 she received her MFA in studio art from UIC. She also received an award from the UIC Sustainability Fund to establish the Art Garden, a space for cross-disciplinary explorations with plants and alternative materials.

What to Bring:

• Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)
• Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process
• Your friends (make sure they register!)
• Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org

$20/person. Please register by April 14. BYOB.