Skill Level: Beginner To Advanced

We will learn the fundamentals of technique for landscape painting in the studio, and venture outdoors to use our skills under the beautiful Catskill sky. There will be demonstrations of a methodical approach to painting landscapes that can be used in the studio, as well as painting directly from observation in these ancient mountains, valleys, and glens. The focus will be on representational painting, but we will discuss, and practice techniques used to blend realism, abstraction, and imagination. All levels are more than welcome.

An American realist oil painter, Nathan Loda received a MFA degree from George Mason University in 2015 and a BFA in Painting from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He shows with Adah Rose Gallery in Kensington, Maryland. Loder lives and works with his young family on a farm, that has been in the family since the Revolutionary War, near Homer, New York.

Learn more: nathanloda.com

Fee: $530 + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner To Intermediate

If you are looking to improve your skills in throwing great pots with porcelain, this workshop is for you. Come study in our sunny studio with one of the most gifted teachers of the craft while focusing on making better pots. Through demonstrations, practice, and discussions, students will explore the anatomy of pots, and concentrate on aspects of their craft that deserve improvement. From feet to bellies, lids, glazing and beyond, more successful pots are guaranteed. Students will take home to their studios a greater knowledge of their own approach and ‘voice’, as well as greenware, bisqueware, and high fired celadons from our gas reduction kiln!

Francine Epstein is a ceramicist and educator based in Chester, New Jersey. For over 20 years, she has nurtured a thriving community of artists through her teaching studio. Her passion for the medium extends beyond the studio walls, where she cultivates an encouraging teaching practice. Francine has supported aspiring artists of all ages, sharing her knowledge and inspiring students to embrace responsible creative practices and appreciate the role of Art in society. Epstein is a “gem,” according to anyone who has been fortunate to cross paths with her.

Fee: $560 (includes first bag of clay) + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced

There are few aspects of human communication that are as sophisticated as written alphabets. Integral to language and meaning, letters, designed and drawn, offer infinite aesthetic possibilities. This unique workshop will emphasize the importance of white space, sensitivity to shapes, and ways to render. Students will be introduced to methods that can be applied to type design as well as image-making of all kinds. This workshop will be a dynamic, hands-on, and mostly computer-free, exploration of drawing, making, and thinking about letters in ways that will enable students to see the world in different ways.

Cyrus Highsmith is a drawer of letters, teacher, author, and graphic artist. He teaches type design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He wrote and illustrated the acclaimed primer, Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals. In 2015, he received the Gerrit Noordzij Prize for extraordinary contributions to the fields of type design, typography, and type education. In 2017, his type foundry, “Occupant Fonts,” became a brand of Morisawa.

Learn more: occupantfonts.com

Fee: $340 + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced

John Gill is known for his unique approaches to constructing planular vessels that exhibit both contemporary and historical associations. Gill’s expressive angulars challenge gravity with cantilever, colliding with surfaces that feature dynamic painting. There is undeniable magic in his hands, and a plausible logic guided by the idea that working with function opens-up possibilities. Join us in this workshop that could change your trajectories in thinking and creating. Gill has been a leader in our field, absorbing stories, and working intuitively to put together forms in direct yet activated relationships. He comes to materials with simple tools and ideas, solving problems in the moment. The opportunity to study with this artist is a rite of passage and not to be missed.

John Gill earned his MFA from Alfred University, and BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. A member of the International Academy of Ceramics, John Gill has presented lectures and workshops in the United States and internationally for over 30 years. He presented the keynote address at the Seventh International Ceramic Biennale in Korea.  His work is held in numerous permanent collections including the Brooklyn Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He was elected as a Fellow of the American Crafts Council in 2014.

Learn more: metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/828145

Fee: $650 (includes first bag of clay) + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner To Advanced

Designed for those interested in not only the basic understanding of oil painting techniques and applications, but this workshop will also address advanced knowledge of practical uses. This workshop is ideal for anyone wanting to perfect their craft with a better understanding of how to apply specific methods to individual studio practice. You will learn application methods of ‘ground’ on various substrates, paint-mixing techniques, presentation, and preparation of artwork for transportation. Primarily focusing on oil, this workshop will also include a range of water media such as acrylic, flashe, ink, and watercolor.

Gabe Brown holds a BFA degree from The Cooper Union in New York City, and MFA in Painting from the University of California, Davis. A recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting and Sustainable Arts Foundation Award, she has been a Resident Fellow at The Virginia Center for Contemporary Art, the Women’s Studio Workshop, and others. Brown’s work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums such as Kenise Barnes Fine Art, The Chautauqua Institute, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Tayloe Piggott Gallery, The Saratoga Arts Center, Garrison Arts Center, SUNY Brockport, The Horticultural Society of New York, and the Albany International Airport, and others. Gabe Brown has taught at Fordham University, SUNY New Paltz and Marist College, and currently lives and works on a sustainable farm.

Learn more: gabebrownstudio.com

Fee: $540 + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner To Advanced

In this introductory workshop, you'll learn the essential techniques for crafting classic trout flies, from the alluring wet patterns that mimic aquatic insects to the vibrant streamers that tempt larger fish. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a curious beginner, this hands-on experience will equip you with the skills to create effective and beautiful lures. Under expert guidance, you'll master the art of tying the Black & Olive Woolly Bugger, a versatile wet fly; the Black-Nosed Dace, a classic dry fly that imitates a small minnow; the Hendrickson, a dry fly designed for mayfly hatches; and assorted nymphs, essential for imitating underwater prey.

While basic tools and materials will be provided, students with their own vise, scissors, and bobbin are encouraged to bring them to maximize their workshop experience. Join us at Sugar Maples Center For Creative Arts and unlock a new dimension of fly fishing creativity!

Since childhood, fly fisherman, Judd Weisberg has been casting lines on the Schoharie Creek and far off destinations such as Montana, Wyoming, and Japan. Each fall, a tradition born in 1966 beckons him back to the vibrant currents of Moosehead Lake. Judd’s creativity flows beyond the riverscape. As an artist, Judd works in various media, exploring the essence of Nature. He recently collaborated with noted pianist, Yi-heng Yang, who teaches at Julliard, creating the "Woven Currents" series. Their collaboration was Inspired by the Schoharie's junction pools.

Learn more: instagram.com/fishwithjudd/

Fee: $120 + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced

This workshop provides a hands-on experience in wheel throwing and soda firing. Students will experiment with altering and incorporating various flashing slips to enhance the aesthetic aspects of their work. Participants are encouraged to bring gathered materials, such as sand and small stones, to be added to slips. Each material can provide unique textures, patterns, or even contrasting colors. This process adds both aesthetic and tactile dimensions to the fired works. The combination of wheel throwing, alterations, slip additions and atmospheric firing allows for a diverse range of artistic expression. Fresh ways of throwing will be demonstrated, and individual attention emphasized.

Chad Steve was raised in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He received his BFA from University of Wisconsin-Stout and his MFA from University of Hawaii at Manoa where he worked as an adjunct professor and a lab technician. Chad has instructed at a variety of institutions. He’s had the honor of being an artist-in-resident at Clay Studio of Missoula and the Armory Art Center. He’s currently the Director of Ceramics and Sculpture at the Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta, Florida.

Learn more: ceramicchadsteve.com

Fee: $570 (includes first bag of clay + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee

Skill Level: Beginner To Advanced

This workshop is designed for beginners or students who wish to continue working with watercolor and other water-based painting such as tempera gouache and acrylics. Techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, scumbling and “dry brush” will be demonstrated. Students will learn how to create patterns, layers, color relationships, brush strokes and effects in watercolor painting. In-depth explorations of various types of paper will be led, in addition to using unexpected tools to apply paint and achieve unique results. Bring your creativity and love for color, and let loose in the beautiful, yet unpredictable, world of water-based painting. All levels are most welcome!

Loreen Oren graduated from Cornell University with a dual degree Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, followed by a Master of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute. Art and design as disciplines were instilled in her from a young age, and she is a third generation architect and artist. Loreen has traveled to over 40 countries, which has provided inspiration for her work. She works in various mediums, including watercolors, ink, acrylic and oil paint, but linear repetition inspired by nature is the essence.

Learn more: instagram.com/loreen.oren.art

Fee: $350 + $40 Non-Refundable Registration Fee