Make and Create Weekend Retreat: PCA&D and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen

schedule all of the things you would like to explore? Join instructors from the Center for Creative Exploration at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen for a very special weekend creativity retreat!

Mornings will be spent on PCA&D’s campus in studio experiences such as portrait drawing and colored pencil techniques. Lunch is on your own with ample exciting options within walking distance in downtown Lancaster! Afternoon workshops take place just a couple blocks away at the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, where you will get a chance to dive into glassblowing and learn how to make botanical ink.

Saturday April 6, 9 am – 12 pm

Portrait Drawing with Leah Limpert-Walt

In this focused workshop, an academic understanding of the head and artistic understanding of the material merge to provide you with an enlightening and applicable experience of drawing the portrait from life in charcoal. Understanding anatomy, light behavior, terminology, tools for conceptualizing the 3 dimensional into the 2 dimensional, and the capabilities of the medium will be the foundations of the class. You should expect to gain accuracy in their portrait drawing and observational drawing, confidence in your material (and material choices), effective and efficient mark making, and the vocabulary to support their critical eye. This class works from a live model.

About the instructor: Leah Limpert Walt is a painter and sculptor living in Lancaster City, PA. She has studied at University of Delaware, Moore College of Art and Design, and received her BFA from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. She was the 2022-2023 PCA&D Alumni Fine Art Artist in Residence. She teaches painting and drawing and has exhibited in New York City, Philadelphia, Bethlehem, PA and throughout the lower Susquehanna Valley.

Saturday, April 6, 1 – 3:30 pm

Introduction to Glassblowing with Michael Peluso

Join us for an afternoon of glassblowing and explore the world of glass! Come knowing nothing, leave with lots of knowledge and your own creations. Shot glass, a bud vase, or a holiday ornament are some examples of what can be made in this fun class. No prior experience is required.

About the instructor: Michael Peluso was interested in drawing and art from early childhood. When he started his undergraduate work he initially majored in architectural and interior design, however, he quickly discovered that he preferred a greater art base within his work. He returned to Central PA and when he took his first glassblowing class on a whim, he knew he had found his calling. He went on to discover that his ancestors had blown glass in both Italy and Germany. Michael’s studies in glass continued at the soft glass studio of Harrisburg Area Community College, where he received a degree in visual art and design. Michael has taken numerous classes at The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY. He has studied under glassblowing and flame-working masters such as William Gudenrath, Michael Scheiner, James Nowak, Michael Rogers, Milon Townsend, Jane Bruce, and the late Elio Quarisa. Michael has 20 years of experience in functional glass making and currently operates a soft glass and flameworking studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

Sunday, April 7, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Beginning Colored Pencil Drawing with Amanda Scudner

In this introductory workshop, you will learn a variety of colored pencil techniques. These include stippling, hatching, scumbling, and more. They will learn to blend and layer colors to create a vibrant drawing. You will also learn how to transfer an image using graphite transfer paper and how to lighten marks using a kneaded eraser. Using a handout practice sheet, you will learn the names and methods of a variety of mark-making methods. You will then learn how to combine these techniques with blending and layering. Students will complete this class with a final colored pencil drawing and a practice sheet with techniques.

About the instructor: Amanda Scudner graduated from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design with a Fine Art degree in 2019. She loves to work with kids and had previously taught children’s classes at Art Matters Studio. Her personal work focuses on organic forms and texture. She loves dogs and often uses her own dogs as inspiration.

Sunday, April 7, 1:30 – 4:30 pm

Making Botanical Ink with Carol Reed

Step back in time and create ink using plants and iron. We’ll create two inks, one gray/black from nuts or sumac and iron and a clear yellow from marigolds. While the ink is cooking, you’ll create a sketchbook with drawing and watercolor paper to practice your penmanship with when the ink is ready. And we’ll make string using naturally dyed beads and cotton cloth. Participants will leave with two bottles of ink, a calligraphy pen (pen holder and nib), and a 6” x 9” sketchbook they created.