Join us for a beautiful paddle down the St. Croix River with artist and naturalist Amy Mester and enjoy a day dedicated to slow observation, sketching, and watercolor activities.

Join us for an exciting workshop that explores the artistry of traditional brush making! Discover both time-honored and modern techniques for crafting brushes using natural materials such as deer tail, human hair and horsehair.

Join us for a class that focuses on creating and enhancing painting surfaces using textiles. We will begin by drawing inspiration from our surroundings and observing the colors, lines, forms, and movements around us. Then, you can explore acrylic paint in a relaxed environment, painting freely and loosely on canvas. As the class progresses, you will incorporate textiles into your paintings.

Andy Goldsworthy is one of our most well-known environmental artists. He has been engaged in outdoor art-making since the 1970s. His decades of practice have fostered a humble and sensitive attention to form, light, color, condition, and temporality. Like many land artists, he exclusively uses natural materials found at the site of his creations, avoiding glue, rope, or other artificial tools. This approach allows him to understand the intrinsic qualities of the natural materials.

We will begin the evening by constructing a loom frame using branches and twine. After learning some basic weaving techniques and examining various examples, we will pack into a Paddlefish Adventures van and head to Standing Cedars Land Conservancy to collect natural materials to create plein air weaving while walking along the beautiful paths. Long grasses, fallen twigs, colorful leaves, and textured bark will form a lovely composition. We will conclude back at Treehaus Studio with a fun show-and-tell, where we can share our unique, ephemeral weavings.

This introductory class on experimental weaving transforms ordinary sumac branches into looms. Participants will learn fundamental weaving techniques using up-cycled materials and found objects.