Maps are fascinating. They’re visual tools that can tell us where we’re going, or record where we’ve been. They can be analytical or whimsical, realistic or imaginary, historical or futuristic. No matter what, they always tell some kind of story: of the people who make them, the places they depict, and the time period they were made in.

If the story of your life was a map, what would it look like? This class will be a journey of imagination and discovery for artists and enthusiasts at any level, as you create personalized mixed-media maps based on your own history and experiences. Stephanie will use some guided writing exercises to help you dig up images and stories from your life, then help turn what you find into an expressive piece of art. She will also demo techniques for creating map-like imagery with found papers and acrylic paint, including collage, image transfer, and drawing.

“This workshop freed up my inhibitions, let me just play, try stuff, no pressure, no right or wrong, it was a wonderful, freeing and immersive experience.” Susan Reid

 About the Instructor:  Stephanie has a BA from the UofA, and has studied traditional weaving arts under several teachers in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. She is an artist, writer, and traveler; when she’s not working on art you can find her on some kind of adventure — riding her motorcycle through small towns, backcountry camping, or flying to another country. Her current mission is to help people who have lost touch with their creativity find their way back to their creative selves. She blogs about creativity and her own creative adventures at www.stephaniemedford.com. She teaches workshops in printmaking, mixed media, and mindfulness and the creative process.

$80 + Supply List - Participants get 20% off supplies at The Paint Spot

10007 80 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta

Register here

How often do you walk around your neighborhood without really noticing what’s there? What wonders might you discover if you started to pay more attention to your surrounding? Elizabeth Gilbert says that, “When you are attentive you see that every hour is different. It's a new universe every minute."

In this workshop, we’ll go for a walk around the neighborhood and use all our senses to explore and discover. Then we’ll return to the gallery to create a mixed media artwork based on what we found. We'll learn to open up our eyes and ears to the creative inspiration that is all around us as we practice observation, mindfulness, and non-judgement.

Supplies for mixed media artwork will be provided.

Where: Bleeding Heart Art Space, 9140 118th Ave

Cost: $25

Register here

Maps are fascinating. They’re visual tools that can tell us where we’re going, or record where we’ve been. They can be analytical or whimsical, realistic or imaginary, historical or futuristic. No matter what, they always tell some kind of story: of the people who make them, the places they depict, and the time period they were made in.

If the story of your life was a map, what would it look like? This workshop will be a journey of imagination and discovery, as you create personalized mixed-media maps based on your own history and experiences. Stephanie will use some guided writing exercises to help you dig up images and stories from your life, then help you turn what you find into images.  Experimenting with making map-like imagery from found papers and acrylic paint, we’ll use what we learned to make a mixed-media map on canvas.

$80 + Supplies. Participants get 20% off supplies at the Paint Spot. 

Register here