Creativity Unleashed

Strengthen your artistic repertoire with exercises designed to challenge, invigorate and breathe fresh air into your creativity. With Sitka's rich, natural environment as our muse, we will use guided experimentation in mark making with mixed media to include pen/ink, markers, watercolor, colored pencils and collage, both in the studio and outdoors. Learn new ways to see your environment and shift perspectives. Be willing to discover the unexpected! Participants will generate 12-24 'snapshot' sketches in a folded journal that explores layers in texture, color, imagery, text and line work.

Lauren Ohlgren, from Corvallis, Oregon, has taught mixed media, book arts and travel journaling through Linn Benton Community College for over 13 years. She has a strong penchant for creating art communities and getting others to play. Ohlgren was the curator of Journal 365, A Page A Day community project in 2015 and The She Project, 2005-2013. Ohlgren is also the author of 2005 award winning book, The She Project; How ‘She’ Inspired a Community.

• Sketchbook or notebook for jotting notes and warm up exercises

• 1-2 large single sheets (18"x 24" or 22"x 20", or similar) of Mixed Media OR watercolor paper 98-140lb which we will fold in class (I prefer hot press)

• Watercolors or gouache (in tubes or pans) any colors

• 2-3 medium size brushes of different sizes (ex. 8, 10, 12 round, or ½" flat) and/or a Large Pentel water reservoir brush (perfect for using outdoors)

• Your favorite drawing/sketching/mark making tools that you already own, both water-soluble and non-water soluble, which MAY include: a variety of black sketching pens, bottled ink (any color), colored markers and colored pencils, soft and hard graphite pencils

• Glue or soft gel medium

• Scissors and/or utility knife

• Straight edge (ruler or yardstick)

• Extra Canson XL 18"x 24" mixed media paper for journals

• Vellum overlay

• Extra Watercolors and Ink

• Extra Brushes

• Extra Mixing palettes

• Assortment of pens, graphite, charcoal, markers