Yellow Poppy, Pan Pastel,
Donna Downey
Snowy Mountain Art Retreat at the VeeBar Guest Ranch
with Special Guest Artist Donna Downey
September 9 – 14, 2012Maybe you have been to other art retreats or perhaps you are just considering this retreat as your first experience. What makes Snowy Mountain Retreat at the VeeBar Guest Ranch different?
Unusual, stunning location - the wide open vast landscape of Southern Wyoming, the Little Laramie River outside your cabin doorstep, a green oasis along the river bank on the 900 acre VeeBar Ranch, the Snowy Range Mountains in the near distance.
Experience the West! The Big Sky...at sunset...the stars, wagon rides, live cowboy music, campfires, hiking, delicious family-style meals in the lodge dining room, cattle ranches, horses and much more. (Horseback riding is optional -see registration for details)
The wildlife - bald eagles, red tail hawks, elk, mule deer, antelope and jackrabbits just to name a few!
Small personal atmosphere, only 26 participants max. The VeeBar will be ours exclusively for the retreat.
The wonderful people, professional staff, amenities and accommodations at the VeeBar Guest Ranch - located near Laramie, Wyoming - www.veebar.com - the best of the best in guest ranch hospitality and comfort.
New and different art workshops - fresh content and thoughtful presentation with attention to detail on every level. See Workshop Descriptions.
All art supplies are included – we use only high quality materials
Off-site afternoon field trip to the Snowy Mountain Range for nature inspiration hike in the glacial alpine landscape of 13,000 feet
Yoga classes every morning to begin each day with a peaceful state of mind and relaxed stress-free body
Massage therapist will be available every afternoon (optional, by appointment)
Meet and make life-long friends with other creative women who want to experience a once in a lifetime art experience in an absolutely unique environment for learning
Full Access Open Studio hours to work on your projects and time to connect with new friends
Attention to detail, we will take care of you as if you are our own family (and we like our family)!
Snowy Mountain artists are really fun people! We can't wait to get to know you!
We are thrilled that Donna Downey has chosen Snowy Mountain Art Retreats to make her debut appearance in Wyoming! Check out her website at www.donnadowney.com for a complete sampling of what this internationally known artist has been up to.
We are equally excited to announce Donna will be teaching a new series of classes for Snowy Mountain using Pan Pastels. Take this amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in Donna's unique Pan Pastel techniques. You will leave with a new set of skills and supplies to begin creating with this versatile medium as soon as you get home.
Workshop Descriptions
(Each participant will take all of these workshops during the week)
Pan Pastel 101
Artist: Donna Downey
Pan Pastels, with its pure pigments, offer a wide range of creative opportunities with a variety of applications in many kinds of projects. This workshop is designed as an introduction for beginners as well as to challenge the seasoned artist. As students, you will explore and enjoy the palettes of color, tools, surface preparation, application, layering, shading, blending and fixing while creating mixed media projects.
Bookmaking
Artist: Mary Grissim
Handmade books are a beautiful vessel for carrying the passion and creativity of your art. Whether it is practicing your new Pan Pastel skills to art journal, writing about your adventures at the Vee Bar or sketching and writing poetry, doing it your own uniquely designed book is an exceptional way to capture the experience. You will create a Flap Book with Asian Stitching, using decorative papers, waxed linen and mixed media, approximately 8 x 10 inches. Feel free to bring personal photos, ephemera or notions to embellish your book.
Pan Pastel 102
Artist: Donna Downey
Building on your new found Pan Pastel knowledge we will progress through practices, demos, composition and techniques for applying and using Pan Pastels in your mixed-media art applications; using design and composition building, collage, laying color, and much more.
Encaustic Experience
Artist: Lindi Stevenson
If you have never dabbled in the medium of beeswax, color and collage, get ready to be smitten. If you have, then you know how intoxicating it can be. Together we will investigate the creative possibilities with encaustic medium exploring how this ancient material can transform the plain into something quite extraordinary using a wide range of techniques and tools. Bring any embellishments, copies of photos, special stamps, ephemera, fabric, pieces of artwork, natural found objects, etc. to be encased in wax on 8 x 8 boards primed for encaustics.
Power Pillow
Artists: Mary Grissim and Lindi Stevenson
Power Pillows are the ultimate gift to honor someone you love (even yourself!) Always a favorite workshop, this project will bring together all of your mixed media and Pan Pastel creative art experiences into one unique and decorative piece. Bring several photos of a cherished person or animal friend (pets are welcome here!) along with any unique notions or special fabric remnants that would help tell your story about the honoree. With these sentimental items, you will create a personal tribute collage image (8 1/2 x 11) which will be scanned and printed onto fabric. Using this one of a kind fabric image you have designed, we will use other fabric elements and embellishments to create a finished “Power Pillow” that will bring good wishes and powerful energy to the one who receives it!
Willow Baskets
Artist: Mary Grissim
Willow, is a slender tree with pliable branches that grows wild along the rivers in the Snowy Range Mountains. Natural cane or reed will be dyed beautiful colors with Procion cold water dyes. All materials will be prepped and ready for you to learn the age old technique of weaving an Egg Basket. Because of the organic form of the willow frame, each basket will be unique in shape. The baskets will be approximately 8 inches in diameter.
Pan Pastel 103
Artist: Donna Downey
Expanding on your growing storehouse of skills in Pan Pastels, hit the next level with advanced techniques, focused design and mixed media approaches. You will find yourself completely immersed in the moment creating with Donna. A unique opportunity and experience!
Outside the Lines
Artist: Lindi Stevenson
Creating art is supposed to be a personal journey filled with experimentation but sometimes the fear of not getting it "right" can hold us back. Pushing outside the lines by asking the questions "what if?" and "why not?" we will remain totally in the present crossing boundaries with mixed media techniques. Boldly going where we may not have been before we will pioneer together through collage, paint, stamps, stencils, sprays, whatever it takes - getting wild with luscious layers of color as we fall in love with the process of creating mixed media works of art.
Unusual, stunning location - the wide open vast landscape of Southern Wyoming, the Little Laramie River outside your cabin doorstep, a green oasis along the river bank on the 900 acre VeeBar Ranch, the Snowy Range Mountains in the near distance.
Experience the West! The Big Sky...at sunset...the stars, wagon rides, live cowboy music, campfires, hiking, delicious family-style meals in the lodge dining room, cattle ranches, horses and much more. (Horseback riding is optional -see registration for details)
The wildlife - bald eagles, red tail hawks, elk, mule deer, antelope and jackrabbits just to name a few!
Medicine Bow, Wyoming
In September, the wildflowers and the aspens are beautiful.Small personal atmosphere, only 26 participants max. The VeeBar will be ours exclusively for the retreat.
The wonderful people, professional staff, amenities and accommodations at the VeeBar Guest Ranch - located near Laramie, Wyoming - www.veebar.com - the best of the best in guest ranch hospitality and comfort.
New and different art workshops - fresh content and thoughtful presentation with attention to detail on every level. See Workshop Descriptions.
All art supplies are included – we use only high quality materials
Off-site afternoon field trip to the Snowy Mountain Range for nature inspiration hike in the glacial alpine landscape of 13,000 feet
Yoga classes every morning to begin each day with a peaceful state of mind and relaxed stress-free body
Massage therapist will be available every afternoon (optional, by appointment)
Meet and make life-long friends with other creative women who want to experience a once in a lifetime art experience in an absolutely unique environment for learning
Full Access Open Studio hours to work on your projects and time to connect with new friends
Attention to detail, we will take care of you as if you are our own family (and we like our family)!
Snowy Mountain artists are really fun people! We can't wait to get to know you!
We are thrilled that Donna Downey has chosen Snowy Mountain Art Retreats to make her debut appearance in Wyoming! Check out her website at www.donnadowney.com for a complete sampling of what this internationally known artist has been up to.
We are equally excited to announce Donna will be teaching a new series of classes for Snowy Mountain using Pan Pastels. Take this amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in Donna's unique Pan Pastel techniques. You will leave with a new set of skills and supplies to begin creating with this versatile medium as soon as you get home.
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Workshop Descriptions
(Each participant will take all of these workshops during the week)
Pan Pastel 101
Artist: Donna Downey
Pan Pastels, with its pure pigments, offer a wide range of creative opportunities with a variety of applications in many kinds of projects. This workshop is designed as an introduction for beginners as well as to challenge the seasoned artist. As students, you will explore and enjoy the palettes of color, tools, surface preparation, application, layering, shading, blending and fixing while creating mixed media projects.
Bookmaking Artist: Mary Grissim
Handmade books are a beautiful vessel for carrying the passion and creativity of your art. Whether it is practicing your new Pan Pastel skills to art journal, writing about your adventures at the Vee Bar or sketching and writing poetry, doing it your own uniquely designed book is an exceptional way to capture the experience. You will create a Flap Book with Asian Stitching, using decorative papers, waxed linen and mixed media, approximately 8 x 10 inches. Feel free to bring personal photos, ephemera or notions to embellish your book.
Pan Pastel 102
Artist: Donna Downey
Building on your new found Pan Pastel knowledge we will progress through practices, demos, composition and techniques for applying and using Pan Pastels in your mixed-media art applications; using design and composition building, collage, laying color, and much more.
Encaustic Experience
Artist: Lindi Stevenson
If you have never dabbled in the medium of beeswax, color and collage, get ready to be smitten. If you have, then you know how intoxicating it can be. Together we will investigate the creative possibilities with encaustic medium exploring how this ancient material can transform the plain into something quite extraordinary using a wide range of techniques and tools. Bring any embellishments, copies of photos, special stamps, ephemera, fabric, pieces of artwork, natural found objects, etc. to be encased in wax on 8 x 8 boards primed for encaustics.
Power Pillow
Artists: Mary Grissim and Lindi Stevenson
Power Pillows are the ultimate gift to honor someone you love (even yourself!) Always a favorite workshop, this project will bring together all of your mixed media and Pan Pastel creative art experiences into one unique and decorative piece. Bring several photos of a cherished person or animal friend (pets are welcome here!) along with any unique notions or special fabric remnants that would help tell your story about the honoree. With these sentimental items, you will create a personal tribute collage image (8 1/2 x 11) which will be scanned and printed onto fabric. Using this one of a kind fabric image you have designed, we will use other fabric elements and embellishments to create a finished “Power Pillow” that will bring good wishes and powerful energy to the one who receives it! Willow Baskets
Artist: Mary Grissim
Willow, is a slender tree with pliable branches that grows wild along the rivers in the Snowy Range Mountains. Natural cane or reed will be dyed beautiful colors with Procion cold water dyes. All materials will be prepped and ready for you to learn the age old technique of weaving an Egg Basket. Because of the organic form of the willow frame, each basket will be unique in shape. The baskets will be approximately 8 inches in diameter.
Pan Pastel 103 Artist: Donna Downey
Expanding on your growing storehouse of skills in Pan Pastels, hit the next level with advanced techniques, focused design and mixed media approaches. You will find yourself completely immersed in the moment creating with Donna. A unique opportunity and experience!
Outside the Lines
Artist: Lindi Stevenson
Creating art is supposed to be a personal journey filled with experimentation but sometimes the fear of not getting it "right" can hold us back. Pushing outside the lines by asking the questions "what if?" and "why not?" we will remain totally in the present crossing boundaries with mixed media techniques. Boldly going where we may not have been before we will pioneer together through collage, paint, stamps, stencils, sprays, whatever it takes - getting wild with luscious layers of color as we fall in love with the process of creating mixed media works of art.
What is the Vee Bar Guest Ranch?
Known for their brand of "True Western Hospitality", the historic Vee Bar Guest Ranch is 800 acres of green oasis nestled in the shadows of the Snowy Range Mountains of the Medicine Bow National Forest. The Little Laramie River winds its way through the Centennial Valley and across the ranch babbling right beside the sitting porches of the gracious guest cabins. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, this 1800’s cattle and buffalo ranch once served as a stagecoach stop. The original buildings still stand as a part of everyday life and it is a working ranch.
Only three hours from Denver, but 100 years back in time - come live Wyoming’s history at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch! A setting right out of a John Wayne movie; Guest accommodations that are comfortable, spacious and tastefully appointed - fireplaces, washer/dryer, refrigerator in all cabins; delicious chef-prepared family-style meals served in the rustic lodge dining room; the multi-generation family and staff are warm and welcoming, attending to every need and request; true western ranch activities ensure memories made for a lifetime. Check out the Vee Bar website at www.veebar.com for complete information on their accommodations and activities.
