Explore botanical and floral forms as a starting point for layered mixed media work, using acrylic paint and paper collage to build rich, expressive surfaces. Working from plant imagery, you can stay representational or begin to stylize and abstract shapes into new, personal motifs. Each day begins with a short slideshow for inspiration, followed by focused exercises to loosen the hand and sharpen observation, and demonstrations showing how paint and collage merge into cohesive compositions.
At the center of the workshop is a simple idea: lean into what you love. By noticing what draws your eye—in nature, in color, and in the work of other artists—you can begin to identify what you want more of in your own work. With ample open studio time to build, revise, and explore, along with optional evening sharing circles, this is a chance to immerse yourself in possibility and come away with a stronger sense of your visual direction and a deeper understanding of your process.
About Dar James
Dar James is a full-time mixed media artist, writer, and illustrator of six children’s picture books. A lifelong teacher and workshop leader, she trained with Golden Acrylics and is a Silver Brush Educator. Based in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, she exhibits regionally, leads annual art retreats, and runs an online artists membership focused on deepening color understanding and building a strong foundation in acrylic through experimentation and play. She has been a featured instructor for Drew Steinbrecher’s Collage Maker’s Summit, Este MacLeod’s Colori Flori, and Lifebook by Willowing and Sonheim Productions.
About her work, Dar says: “Color is always my way in. Each mark leads to the next in what I call ‘rocks to sand,’ a process of building form and meaning through details. My imagery begins in nature but lives in imagination. To be an artist is to live in wonder, and I love helping others find their way there!”
Rates & Enrollment
Day Student Tuition: $1,220.00
Full 5-Day Package*: $2,973.28 (double occupancy) or $3,287.12 (single occupancy)
*5-Day Workshop Package includes: Tuition for 5 full class days, 6 nights of dinner, lodging, breakfast, daily cookie and fruit breaks, unlimited coffee and tea, and welcoming wine and cheese reception. Your choice between a room to yourself (single occupancy) or bring a friend and split a room (double occupancy).
Get more information about your options to enroll here.