MAEA 2024 Fall Conference
September 27th-29th
The Maine Art Education Association’s annual Fall Conference provides limitless opportunities to bridge boundaries between different aspects of our personal and professional art realms. During the conference we participate as artists in exciting workshops and are immersed in every stage of creativity. It is also an opportunity to connect with fellow art teachers, meet with old friends, and make new acquaintances. When we depart, our time during the weekend invigorates the upcoming school year in our interactions with students, parents, school personnel and community.
Magic is transformative. It is creative and mysterious, it’s otherworldly and ephemeral. Our hope is that as you journey through your Haystack weekend, whether it’s your very first or one of treasured many, you feel the presence of magic. We hope you are inspired by the facilitators, by your colleagues and conversations and by this verdant, fog washed space.
Again, thank you for all your ideas and support, YOU are our magical influences!
Artistically,
Lynn Bustard & Ellen Hodgkin
Haystack 2024 Co-Chairs
Magic is transformative. It is creative and mysterious, it’s otherworldly and ephemeral. Our hope is that as you journey through your Haystack weekend, whether it’s your very first or one of treasured many, you feel the presence of magic. We hope you are inspired by the facilitators, by your colleagues and conversations and by this verdant, fog washed space.
Again, thank you for all your ideas and support, YOU are our magical influences!
Artistically,
Lynn Bustard & Ellen Hodgkin
Haystack 2024 Co-Chairs
Registration is now closed (6/4/24)
Click HERE to Register!
Please read before registering:
Refund/Cancellation Policy, Membership, Conference fees, and CEU Credits
We recognize and understand that events come up that require a change in plans. Please understand that conferences are a symphony of coordinated events. This concurrent timing requires extensive pre-planning, financial, and facilitator responsibilities. The cancellation/refund policy below honors this commitment. Requests for cancellations and refunds must go through the registrar: Hope Lord - [email protected]
Notification of Cancellation received by:
July 31st - Full conference rate refund;
August 15th - Full conference rate refund minus 5% service fee;
August 31st - 50% full conference rate refund;
After September 1st - no refund.
* Note that the $295 conference fee includes accommodations, meals, and approximately $20 of studio materials.
Accommodations and Payment:
On-Campus accommodations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, there is limited space on campus.
You will be notified within the week following registration, if you have a spot in the conference or if you will be placed on the waiting list. If you have a spot, you will also be sent a form with payment options, housing preferences, dietary and medical needs, and so on.
MAEA membership ends May 31st, regardless of when you register. In order to register for the fall conference, you must be an active member for the 2024-2025 membership year. The opportunity to renew your membership (see fees below) and register for the conference will happen simultaneously.
Additional Fees:
Some workshops will require you to supply some of your own tools/materials.
Some workshops will require an additional studio fee to cover the cost of materials.
And, some will offer additional materials available for purchase through the presenter.
Please look carefully at the offerings and descriptions BEFORE registering.
CEU Credits and Contact hours are available:
There is no additional fee for Contact Hours. There is a $20 fee for the CEUs from the CEU granting institution (UMaine) when you submit your paperwork.
Notification of Cancellation received by:
July 31st - Full conference rate refund;
August 15th - Full conference rate refund minus 5% service fee;
August 31st - 50% full conference rate refund;
After September 1st - no refund.
* Note that the $295 conference fee includes accommodations, meals, and approximately $20 of studio materials.
Accommodations and Payment:
On-Campus accommodations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, there is limited space on campus.
You will be notified within the week following registration, if you have a spot in the conference or if you will be placed on the waiting list. If you have a spot, you will also be sent a form with payment options, housing preferences, dietary and medical needs, and so on.
MAEA membership ends May 31st, regardless of when you register. In order to register for the fall conference, you must be an active member for the 2024-2025 membership year. The opportunity to renew your membership (see fees below) and register for the conference will happen simultaneously.
- If you are renewing as an active member - add $35
- If you are renewing as a full-time student - add $5
- If you are renewing as a retired art educator - add $18
- If you are no longer teaching and want to renew with a retired lifetime membership - add $140
- If you are already a retired lifetime member - there is no additional cost.
Additional Fees:
Some workshops will require you to supply some of your own tools/materials.
Some workshops will require an additional studio fee to cover the cost of materials.
And, some will offer additional materials available for purchase through the presenter.
Please look carefully at the offerings and descriptions BEFORE registering.
CEU Credits and Contact hours are available:
There is no additional fee for Contact Hours. There is a $20 fee for the CEUs from the CEU granting institution (UMaine) when you submit your paperwork.
Anticipated Schedule:
Friday
9:00-11:30 Registration & Art Vendor Exhibits
11:30-11:45 Conference orientation for facilitators & studio monitors (on Deck)
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:45 Haystack Orientation & MAEA Annual Meeting (at Gateway, door prizes!)
2:00-5:00 Studio time
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-8:30 Art Educator Opportunities & Facilitator Slides
8:30-? Studio time
Saturday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Studio time
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-5:00 Studio time
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-8:00 Art Educator of the Year Address and Facilitator slides
8:00-9:00 Silent Auction
9:00-? Studio time
Sunday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-10:30 Critiques, closure, clean-up studio
10:30-10:45 Set-up workshop exhibits
10:45-11:15 Meander through exhibits
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Departure time
9:00-11:30 Registration & Art Vendor Exhibits
11:30-11:45 Conference orientation for facilitators & studio monitors (on Deck)
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:45 Haystack Orientation & MAEA Annual Meeting (at Gateway, door prizes!)
2:00-5:00 Studio time
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-8:30 Art Educator Opportunities & Facilitator Slides
8:30-? Studio time
Saturday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Studio time
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-5:00 Studio time
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-8:00 Art Educator of the Year Address and Facilitator slides
8:00-9:00 Silent Auction
9:00-? Studio time
Sunday
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:00-10:30 Critiques, closure, clean-up studio
10:30-10:45 Set-up workshop exhibits
10:45-11:15 Meander through exhibits
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Departure time
2024 Offerings/Facilitators:
Susan Bennett / Forms in Nature
In this weekend workshop, I will share fundamental skills in metal work and we will create a form from nature. We will use heating, bending, cutting and welding to form a stem and weld to the stem leaves and possibly a flower, time permitting.
Facilitator will supply…
Materials to bring…
Biography
Susan graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Fine Art in 1998 and started her academic experience studying art and business at the University of Maine in Augusta. Prior to this, Susan was employed as a combination pipe welder where she honed her craft. As a nontraditional, older student in both of these endeavors, she decided it would be a good idea to create metal sculpture. Direct Metal Sculpture, a relatively modern innovation in Fine Art, and gives consideration to an integrated and instinctive process. When Susan makes carbon and stainless steel sculpture, she considers its industrial traits as she intuitively explores its innate qualities. There is sensory appeal in creating biomorphic form, and often, this subconscious method is not unlike automatic drawing.
Facilitator will supply…
- metal, welding rod
- plasma cutter
- bottle of argon
- Some welding jackets
- Up to 4 welding hoods
- Other small equipment depending on what is available in the metal shop.
Materials to bring…
- natural fiber long sleeved shirts and long pants
- boots or old shoes (no open toed shoes)
- leather work gloves
- safety goggles or glasses
- hair tie
Biography
Susan graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Fine Art in 1998 and started her academic experience studying art and business at the University of Maine in Augusta. Prior to this, Susan was employed as a combination pipe welder where she honed her craft. As a nontraditional, older student in both of these endeavors, she decided it would be a good idea to create metal sculpture. Direct Metal Sculpture, a relatively modern innovation in Fine Art, and gives consideration to an integrated and instinctive process. When Susan makes carbon and stainless steel sculpture, she considers its industrial traits as she intuitively explores its innate qualities. There is sensory appeal in creating biomorphic form, and often, this subconscious method is not unlike automatic drawing.
Karen Brooks / Folding a World: The Magic of Paper Art
In this workshop we will dream with paper! I’ll show you simple techniques to bend, fold, and layer paper to build work in bas relief. You can make work that lays flat or pops off the page. Using x-acto knives and bamboo bone folders, we will explore ways to give your pieces depth. Rather than all working from one image we will be using simple techniques to create work that is resonant with ourselves and the beauty that surrounds us. Feel free to bring sketches and photographs, be open to inspiration from forms in the environment, or the pure poetry of paper’s bends and folds. I’ll provide sketch paper, colored paper and glue, you are welcome to bring small scissors and favorite papers.
You will leave the workshop with tools to continue your sculpted paper work: A cutting mat, knife with #11 blades, a bamboo folding tool, and your own sculpted paper artwork.
Facilitator will supply…
Materials to bring…
Biography
I am a visual artist, living in Lewiston, Maine. My primary medium is paper art, which I have exhibited widely. I studied at Mass College of Art and California Institute of the Arts. I also have a BSN from the University of Vermont and worked for 20 years as a nurse. Working as a nurse broadened my experience of developmental growth throughout the lifespan and the arts showed me creative approaches to the inevitable changes and losses that life brings. I am on the Maine Arts Commissions' Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster. I have taught arts to people of all ages in school classrooms, institutions and private settings. Through doing this I have witnessed how art activities in a social setting can contribute to an individual’s agency and sense of mastery. I like living in the interplay of the imagination and everyday life, building worlds from paper. My guiding interest is in our place in the more-than-human world.
You will leave the workshop with tools to continue your sculpted paper work: A cutting mat, knife with #11 blades, a bamboo folding tool, and your own sculpted paper artwork.
Facilitator will supply…
- Blick Cutting Mat 81/2 x11
- X Acto knife #1 with cap
- Aitoh bamboo paper folding tool
- Blick glue stick
- Pacon tru-ray construction paper 9x12 assorted 50 sheets
- Sketching paper
Materials to bring…
- Your favorite scissors including small ones such as curved manicure scissors or embroidery scissors etc.
- A favorite sketchbook
- Your favorite sketching tools, pencils, eraser, pens, etc.
- Sketches, photos, bits of nature, sources visual inspiration
- Favorite papers
Biography
I am a visual artist, living in Lewiston, Maine. My primary medium is paper art, which I have exhibited widely. I studied at Mass College of Art and California Institute of the Arts. I also have a BSN from the University of Vermont and worked for 20 years as a nurse. Working as a nurse broadened my experience of developmental growth throughout the lifespan and the arts showed me creative approaches to the inevitable changes and losses that life brings. I am on the Maine Arts Commissions' Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster. I have taught arts to people of all ages in school classrooms, institutions and private settings. Through doing this I have witnessed how art activities in a social setting can contribute to an individual’s agency and sense of mastery. I like living in the interplay of the imagination and everyday life, building worlds from paper. My guiding interest is in our place in the more-than-human world.
Ian Trask / Trash to Art
This workshop will be a guided exploration of art-making using materials intercepted from the waste steam. Whether the motivations are ecological or financial, creatively reusing trash resonates with artists of all ages. It is inherently a complex medium - the potential materials to draw from are infinite, while the methods for manipulating those materials are diverse and often unscripted.
Ian will share some of his techniques and approaches to improvisational art-making with reclaimed materials. A primary focus will be placed on individual play and creation. We will also discuss methods for scaling up processes to generate larger installation work, as well as concepts for group-based collaborative projects.
Participants are strongly encouraged to collect and bring materials that interest them. The artist facilitator will also contribute a wide variety of materials that he enjoys using. Particular attention will be paid to one specific material that has an abundant presence in the waste stream - clear, thermoformed plastic packaging. Together we will explore its vast potential for both individual and group creative projects.
Facilitator will supply…
Materials to bring…
Biography
Ian Trask is a sculptor and multimedia artist who transforms waste materials into objects and installations with new purpose and integrity. His immersive works often play with sophisticated patterns, lending unlikely materials exquisite beauty. At other times, he works on an intimate scale with puckish humor. Trask began his career in New York City, where he was a core member of the Invisible Dog Art Center and exhibited at the Spring Break Art Fair, the Figment Festival, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Upon returning to Maine, where he studied biology at Bowdoin College, Trask has exhibited at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, University of New England, University of Maine, and Cove Street Arts. In 2018, he published his first artist book, Strange Histories: A Bizarre Collaboration, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Portland Press Herald, Maine Magazine, and Brooklyn Magazine.
He received his degree in biological science from Bowdoin College in 2005. Following graduation he worked several years in research labs, before eventually deciding in 2007 to leave the world of science to pursue a career in visual art. After leaving his lab job, Trask worked as a hospital groundskeeper cleaning up trash daily, an experience that proved to be formative in his artistic development. Ian saw the artistic potential in the waste he was confronted with everyday and quickly began working with discarded manufactured goods as the main platform for his pieces.
In many of Trask’s sculptures, the viewer will find a mischievous invitation. Texture and tangibility are essential to the experience of these objects, and by provoking the impulse to explore, each piece rouses in the beholder the same spirit of curiosity, experimentation and play that occasioned their creation.
Ian will share some of his techniques and approaches to improvisational art-making with reclaimed materials. A primary focus will be placed on individual play and creation. We will also discuss methods for scaling up processes to generate larger installation work, as well as concepts for group-based collaborative projects.
Participants are strongly encouraged to collect and bring materials that interest them. The artist facilitator will also contribute a wide variety of materials that he enjoys using. Particular attention will be paid to one specific material that has an abundant presence in the waste stream - clear, thermoformed plastic packaging. Together we will explore its vast potential for both individual and group creative projects.
Facilitator will supply…
- Miscellaneous reclaimed materials, including but not limited to: yarn, thread, leather, textiles, plastic, etc.
- Thermoformed plastic packaging
- Some painting materials: oil markers, random acrylic paint, chip brushes
- Some adhesives
- Some 2-D substrates (paper, cardboard, etc.)
- Wire
- Monofilament
- Cutting mats
- Tools:
- Awls
- Staple gun
- Drill and screwdriver
- Pull saw
Materials to bring…
- Any/all reclaimed materials of interest
- Thermoformed plastic packaging (cleaned)
- Materials to draw and or paint
- 2-D substrates (paper, cardboard, etc.)
- Adhesives (glues, tapes, etc.)
- Tools:
- All purpose scissors/shears
- Awl (if they have)
- Needle nose pliers (small and medium sized)
- Utility knife
- Any additional tools they prefer to use in their practice (ex: hot glue gun, screwdrivers, drills, etc
Biography
Ian Trask is a sculptor and multimedia artist who transforms waste materials into objects and installations with new purpose and integrity. His immersive works often play with sophisticated patterns, lending unlikely materials exquisite beauty. At other times, he works on an intimate scale with puckish humor. Trask began his career in New York City, where he was a core member of the Invisible Dog Art Center and exhibited at the Spring Break Art Fair, the Figment Festival, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Upon returning to Maine, where he studied biology at Bowdoin College, Trask has exhibited at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, University of New England, University of Maine, and Cove Street Arts. In 2018, he published his first artist book, Strange Histories: A Bizarre Collaboration, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Portland Press Herald, Maine Magazine, and Brooklyn Magazine.
He received his degree in biological science from Bowdoin College in 2005. Following graduation he worked several years in research labs, before eventually deciding in 2007 to leave the world of science to pursue a career in visual art. After leaving his lab job, Trask worked as a hospital groundskeeper cleaning up trash daily, an experience that proved to be formative in his artistic development. Ian saw the artistic potential in the waste he was confronted with everyday and quickly began working with discarded manufactured goods as the main platform for his pieces.
In many of Trask’s sculptures, the viewer will find a mischievous invitation. Texture and tangibility are essential to the experience of these objects, and by provoking the impulse to explore, each piece rouses in the beholder the same spirit of curiosity, experimentation and play that occasioned their creation.
Erica Moody / Elixir Spoons
This workshop will be about exploring ways of moving and forming hot & cold metal sheets and rods into spoons for daily rituals. Through demonstrations and experimentation, students will have the opportunity to make one or more of their own spoons - for practical use or for pure sculptural concept.. Techniques encouraged can include cutting, drilling, forming (light forging, sinking, forming, bending), cold connections (riveting), finishing and detailing (hand filing, sanding, burnishing), combining different materials (different metals and/or materials found or brought in such as wood/bone/scrap metal etc.). For all levels.
Facilitator will provide…
Materials to bring…
Biography
Erica Moody is a metal craftsman working in midcoast Maine, where she cultivates her line of forged and fabricated serving utensils, and continues her craft’s foundation of fabricating custom metal hardware commissions for architects and designers. Erica teaches metalworking classes and workshops at locations such as Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Penland School of Crafts, Haystack, Center for Metal Arts, and The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Her utensils have been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit, Saveur, Metalsmith, Maine Home & Design, London’s Financial Times, and New Yorker’s The Cut.
Facilitator will provide…
- Nickel, silver and brass sheets
- Jeweler saw blades
- Drill bits
- Rivets
Materials to bring…
- Sketchbook & pencil
- materials you might want to incorporate into your pieces (wood/bone/found objects)
- safety equipment you know that fits you well (leather palmed gloves, hearing protection, safety goggles, apron, closed toed shoes of natural materials)
Biography
Erica Moody is a metal craftsman working in midcoast Maine, where she cultivates her line of forged and fabricated serving utensils, and continues her craft’s foundation of fabricating custom metal hardware commissions for architects and designers. Erica teaches metalworking classes and workshops at locations such as Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Penland School of Crafts, Haystack, Center for Metal Arts, and The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Her utensils have been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit, Saveur, Metalsmith, Maine Home & Design, London’s Financial Times, and New Yorker’s The Cut.
Anna Low / Book Arts Exploration: Gel Plate Printing and Folded Book Forms
We’re going to make some colorful magic with playful, explorative gel plate printing. Gel plate printmaking is a monotype process with endless possibilities that does not require a press. We’ll explore printing on our plates with found objects, natural material, stencils, layers and transfer techniques. As a fluid, experimental and playful process, the emphasis will be on finding your own groove, color palette, and imagery. With our prints we’ll making several different folded book forms including a lotus fold book, simple accordions, Franklin fold and magic wallet. All of these book forms can be developed into beautiful artist books, made into zines, and taken back to your classroom to make with students.
Facilitator will provide…
Materials to bring…
Biography
Anna Low’s formal education is in photography and art education, with a BA from Hampshire College, a year studying at Speós - The Paris Photographic Institute, and a MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After many years of teaching, first in the Chicago Public School System and then running an art department at a private school in Rhode Island, she made the leap to full time artist. She now focuses her energies on bookbinding and is the creator behind Purplebean Bindery, a business focused on creating unique, durable and inspiring blank journals. To satisfy her endless creative itch, she makes artists' books using a variety of printmaking and photographic processes. Her photographs and artist books have been exhibited throughout New England and published in several periodicals, including Maine Magazine. Her home studio is bright and sunny, in Auburn, Maine.
Facilitator will provide…
- block printing ink
- assorted papers for printing
- printing material (found objects, textural objects, stencil material, etc.)
- YES! glue
- gluing brushes
- book board
- bone folders
- xacto knives
Materials to bring…
- a gel plate, 8 x 10” (such as Gelli Arts or Speedball Gel Plate)
Biography
Anna Low’s formal education is in photography and art education, with a BA from Hampshire College, a year studying at Speós - The Paris Photographic Institute, and a MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After many years of teaching, first in the Chicago Public School System and then running an art department at a private school in Rhode Island, she made the leap to full time artist. She now focuses her energies on bookbinding and is the creator behind Purplebean Bindery, a business focused on creating unique, durable and inspiring blank journals. To satisfy her endless creative itch, she makes artists' books using a variety of printmaking and photographic processes. Her photographs and artist books have been exhibited throughout New England and published in several periodicals, including Maine Magazine. Her home studio is bright and sunny, in Auburn, Maine.
Jeffrey Lipton / Treasure Boxes
This workshop will focus on making small and intimate treasure boxes for your most magical finds. A variety of techniques will be demoed, from handbuilding to the use of wheel thrown elements. Participants will be encouraged to make a variety of Treasure Box forms so come with your wild ideas and lets make the magic happen!
*a bisque firing will be done prior to the end of the weekend so participants will be encouraged to have at least one box completed by the end of the day on Friday.
Materials to Bring…
Biography
Jeffrey Lipton is a studio potter living and working in Central Maine. He graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a BFA in Ceramics in 2008 and then went on to spend a year at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME. Following his residency, Jeffrey moved to Western MA where he participated in a 3 year apprenticeship at Stonepool Pottery. He primarily sells his work to individuals and collectors at fine craft shows around New England and out of his studio in Litchfield, ME.
In addition to his studio work, Jeffrey has taught workshops at area high schools, colleges, and craft centers throughout New England. During his apprenticeship, Jeffrey was an adjunct ceramics instructor at The Academy at Charlemont in MA and worked as a studio assistant for sculptor, Emmett Leader. When not working with clay, Jeffrey also runs a small landscape gardening business taking care of some of Maine’s most beautiful and privately owned properties.
Jeffrey’s ceramic work is focused on functional and aesthetically beautiful forms. With a distinct emphasis on making finely crafted vessels, his work continually evolves as each pot informs the next.
*a bisque firing will be done prior to the end of the weekend so participants will be encouraged to have at least one box completed by the end of the day on Friday.
Materials to Bring…
- Clay tools you enjoy working with
- aprons
Biography
Jeffrey Lipton is a studio potter living and working in Central Maine. He graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a BFA in Ceramics in 2008 and then went on to spend a year at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME. Following his residency, Jeffrey moved to Western MA where he participated in a 3 year apprenticeship at Stonepool Pottery. He primarily sells his work to individuals and collectors at fine craft shows around New England and out of his studio in Litchfield, ME.
In addition to his studio work, Jeffrey has taught workshops at area high schools, colleges, and craft centers throughout New England. During his apprenticeship, Jeffrey was an adjunct ceramics instructor at The Academy at Charlemont in MA and worked as a studio assistant for sculptor, Emmett Leader. When not working with clay, Jeffrey also runs a small landscape gardening business taking care of some of Maine’s most beautiful and privately owned properties.
Jeffrey’s ceramic work is focused on functional and aesthetically beautiful forms. With a distinct emphasis on making finely crafted vessels, his work continually evolves as each pot informs the next.
Margaret Dwyer/Watercolor Magic!
Embrace the world of watercolor and all its possibilities. Learn how unconventional and traditional techniques work together to create luminous, dramatic results. An overview of brushwork, color choices, and the timing of techniques will be demonstrated. We’ll do some studies of how these techniques can be used for painting abstracts, nature, and Maine landscapes. Then go in the direction that inspires you most. Develop your work in a process-oriented way that does not conform to a preconceived outcome. Once you experience the magic of this medium, your artistic journey will lead you to new horizons.
Facilitator will provide…
Materials to Bring…
Biography
Margaret Dwyer holds a BFA and MFA degree in Visual Art. Her thesis work involved researching, writing, and creating art based on psychological themes such as trauma, dreams, and the unconscious. She works with a variety of mediums, but her favorite is watercolor. Her paintings have been recognized in numerous juried national and international exhibitions and have been published in fine art books and magazines, which include:
“Splash, America’s Best Watercolors “- (North Light Books), “How Did You Paint That?”- (International Artist Books), “American Artist Magazine”, “The Artist’s Magazine”, “Southwest Art Magazine” and “Manhattan Arts Magazine”.
From 2019 to 2021, Margaret was the Artist in Residence for Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock VT, followed by a residency at Woodstock’s Billings Farm Camp; Museum. The imagery in her artwork often reflects life experience and is represented through a variety of subject matter. Margaret loves to develop experimental watercolor techniques. Her vibrant paintings often combine unconventional techniques with traditional ones, branding her work with a unique style. She has extensive experience teaching watercolor throughout New England at art centers, galleries, schools, and through her own private studios.
“Being a visual artist in New England allows me to explore diverse themes and unique environments. I love being a studio artist, but I also have a passion for teaching. Opening the world of watercolor to people has been and continues to be a purposeful mission for me. This incredible medium always surprises me. I continue to learn through teaching and being in a group dynamic. Ideas and artistic methods are constantly in motion in my studio, and it is a joy to share that with others.”
Facilitator will provide…
- Brushes
- Masking fluid
- palettes
Materials to Bring…
- Margaret Dwyer’s recommended supply list
- Your current favorite watercolor paints and tools
Biography
Margaret Dwyer holds a BFA and MFA degree in Visual Art. Her thesis work involved researching, writing, and creating art based on psychological themes such as trauma, dreams, and the unconscious. She works with a variety of mediums, but her favorite is watercolor. Her paintings have been recognized in numerous juried national and international exhibitions and have been published in fine art books and magazines, which include:
“Splash, America’s Best Watercolors “- (North Light Books), “How Did You Paint That?”- (International Artist Books), “American Artist Magazine”, “The Artist’s Magazine”, “Southwest Art Magazine” and “Manhattan Arts Magazine”.
From 2019 to 2021, Margaret was the Artist in Residence for Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock VT, followed by a residency at Woodstock’s Billings Farm Camp; Museum. The imagery in her artwork often reflects life experience and is represented through a variety of subject matter. Margaret loves to develop experimental watercolor techniques. Her vibrant paintings often combine unconventional techniques with traditional ones, branding her work with a unique style. She has extensive experience teaching watercolor throughout New England at art centers, galleries, schools, and through her own private studios.
“Being a visual artist in New England allows me to explore diverse themes and unique environments. I love being a studio artist, but I also have a passion for teaching. Opening the world of watercolor to people has been and continues to be a purposeful mission for me. This incredible medium always surprises me. I continue to learn through teaching and being in a group dynamic. Ideas and artistic methods are constantly in motion in my studio, and it is a joy to share that with others.”