Learn the basics of soldering including torch skills, tools, and safety. Tools will be provided, and project materials are included in the workshop fee. Each participant will solder and finish several rings to bring home. This is a beginner's workshop, no prior experience is needed.

An optional tool kit is available for purchase HERE and will be delivered at the workshop. 

Please contact me at beryljewelrydesign@gmail.com if you have any questions or to be put on a waitlist if your desired time/date is sold out. Also, please add my email to your contacts as I will be sending out an information packet a few weeks before the workshop 

Instructor: Cindy Sassaman is a local jewelry designer and has been teaching workshops in SLO and Los Osos for the last 10 years. 

Requirements:
No prior experience needed
Enrollment is limited and all participants must be at least 18 to participate unless prior approval is given

Fee: $110 - for CCA members $100

Learn the basics of soldering including torch skills, tools, and safety. Tools will be provided, and project materials are included in the workshop fee. Each participant will solder and finish several rings to bring home. This is a beginner's workshop, no prior experience is needed.

An optional tool kit is available for purchase HERE and will be delivered at the workshop. 

Please contact me at beryljewelrydesign@gmail.com if you have any questions or to be put on a waitlist if your desired time/date is sold out. Also, please add my email to your contacts as I will be sending out an information packet a few weeks before the workshop 

Instructor: Cindy Sassaman is a local jewelry designer and has been teaching workshops in SLO and Los Osos for the last 10 years. 

Requirements:
No prior experience needed
Enrollment is limited and all participants must be at least 18 to participate unless prior approval is given

Fee: $110 - for CCA members $100

Learn the process of fusing glass onto metal using standard and Basse Taille enameling techniques. We’ll cover metal preparation, enamel properties, application, control, and troubleshooting. Explore both torch and kiln firing and work with opaque and translucent enamels.

This is a beginner’s workshop, no experience needed.

A project-oriented workshop, you’ll have the option of creating an enameled pendant or pair of earrings. All materials are included in the workshop fee.

Instructor: Cindy Sassaman is a local jewelry designer and has been teaching workshops in SLO and Los Osos for the last 10 years. 

Fee: $95 - for CCA members $85

Basse Taille is the technique of enameling transparent colors over a textured background.

Give yourself the precious time to take those travel photos you've collected and create a beautiful photo journal. Guided by Margaret, you will reflect on your journey and publish a book to share that reflects memories as well as photos. Share your stories and brainstorm with others while working through this creative process. Learn how to use Bookwright (with templates similar to PowerPoint) to compose your story and upload for publishing. The published rates are comparable to Shutterfly, but the program gives you much more flexibility to use the written word along with your photos. Our sessions will help you bring a creative flair to the process. 

Whether you are a "quick clicker" with your smart phone, or a pro with a set of long lenses; a hesitant writer or a published author; you will find new joy and skills emerge as we blend these two mediums into playful book formats dedicated to your journeys.

The workshops are designed for the beginner as well as those with more experience. Consider enrolling in Part 1 and 2 if you would like to be led through the entire process in one weekend. Enroll only in Part 1 if you’d like a jump start and the will to pursue the rest of the process on your own. For a preview of this process, join us for Margaret’s demo on January 24th.

Part 1 covers: 

• Journeys overview
• Sort and Prep your photos
• Draft simple text

Prerequisites/Materials: 

• Laptop computer
• Travel photos downloaded on laptop
• Free software, “Bookwright” downloaded on your computer
• Smart phone or camera to take additional photos if you like

About the instructor:

Margaret Foster is a writer and an emerging photographer. She has explored portrait photography, landscape, and black and white, and has discovered that she can merge all of these in her favorite…travel photography. 

Formerly from the East Coast, Margaret has been embracing the life and culture here in California over the past five years. Previously, she has displayed her photographs at Rehoboth Beach City Hall in Delaware and sold her work in the galleries at Rehoboth Art League. Margaret also photographs family and business events and sells nature photography online through Shutterstock.

Margaret is is excited to join you in a weekend of discovery and reflection as we discuss her favorite…journeys.

Please Note: A minimum of 6 participants between the two workshops is required by 1 week before the workshop date or we will need to cancel and fully refund the registration fee. Please make sure whatever travel and accommodation arrangements you make can be cancelled  in the event that we do not have enough enrollment or need to cancel for other reasons.   

Refer to the workshop description in  Part 1 above. We invite you to take both parts 1 and 2 to go through the entire process together. Enroll only in Part 2 if you have purposefully prepped and sorted your photos on your own and would like to experience the bookmaking process together.

Part 2 covers: 

• Journeys overview 
• Import photos into Bookwright
• Place, play and edit

This course invites you to slow down, tune in, and reconnect—with yourself and your creativity—through the grounding, meditative act of drawing. Each session combines mindful attention with art-making, offering guidance in traditional techniques and intuitive, expressive mark-making.

You’ll work with a variety of tools and techniques—from pencil and charcoal to ink and brush—using drawing as a practice of meditation, reflection, learning, and creative exploration. Along the way, you’ll build confidence, skills, and discover how drawing can support clarity, calm, and well-being in a supportive community. 

The last session of the series will culminate with a special event.

No prior experience necessary—all levels welcome. I look forward to seeing those of you who have been to my past workshops and to welcoming new participants to join us. Bring curiosity, openness, and a willingness to pause and make your mark.

Cost: $175 for members, $200 for non-members for 6 week series

Lynda Monick-Isenberg is a visual artist and educator on equal terms. Minneapolis College of Art and Design professor emeritus Lynda taught Foundational Drawing and created their Teaching Artist Programming during her tenure. Her work is included in a number of collections including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Minnesota Historical Society and Weisman Art Museum. She continues to teach, mentor and maintain an active studio practice while participating in the development and implementation of community-based teaching residencies and curriculum development for organizations and communities throughout the United States.

www.lyndamonickisenberg.com

Weaving invites us into a world where color, pattern, and texture speak to our senses. It engages the eyes with colorful hues and expressive designs, the hands through tactile making, the mind through learning and problem-solving, and the heart as simple threads are transformed into beauty, connecting us to the rich and long history of textiles.

In this weekend workshop, tapestry weaver Lynda Monick-Isenberg will introduce participants to the creative process of simple frame loom weaving. You'll learn to prepare the loom, explore weaving techniques, and weave your own textile piece in a collaborative, supportive environment. Whether you're drawn to pattern or pictorial expression, this hands-on experience offers a delightful entry point into a lifelong practice.

Note: Mar. 6, Friday night – 5:00-7:00 pm (Meet and Greet - Enjoy a potluck as Lynda introduces weaving as a craft and art form, and discusses basic weaving vocabulary. Review and prepare materials for the weekend ahead.

No experience necessary. All levels welcome.

Fee: $250 for Members, $275 for non-members

Participants will purchase their own supplies, and a complete materials list is provided here:

How do you go about getting an idea or a vivid dream you had onto paper? The intent of the workshop is to help you to get started. We’ll work on a process from thumbnails to composition. We will gather references to help you thereby providing a path to follow to achieve your goal. 

Instructor Bio: Mauro has been drawing and painting since he was very young. Mauro graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the New England School of Art in Boston. He received his BFA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Mauro has created many large scale monumental sculptural pieces as well as small scale projects. He was an animator for 40+ years and an author of a book in traditional special effects animation, “Essential Effects; Water, Fire, Wind and More.” Since 2018, Mauro has been a permanent resident of Cambria. He has been exhibiting his paintings and illustrations at CCA. Together with his wife, he has an art gallery in town where his art and her photography are on display.

Fee: $125 members, $150 non members

Materials needed: Sketchpad, pencils or pens, eraser, ruler, and a phone or iPad for gathering reference images.

Please Note: A minimum of 5 participants is required by 2 weeks before the workshop date or we will need to cancel and fully refund the registration fee. Please make sure whatever travel and accommodation arrangements you make can be cancelled  in the event that we do not have enough enrollment or need to cancel for other reasons. We will remove this statement once we reach our minimum.

At the Threshold Between Impressionism and Realism 

Learn how to paint lively, expressive paintings with a focus on colour accuracy, mark making and the interconnection of all elements. Value, colour mixing, edges, principles of design and composition, as well as concepts of light and shadow are all part of this workshop and considered part of a solid foundation in painting. In this workshop you'll learn Alla Prima/ wet on wet style techniques which will help bring your painting skills to the next level! Frank's classes reach beyond technique, observing the elusive balance of forces that create beauty in painting.He has 15 years of teaching experience around the USA and Europe.

Portfolio: www.frankeber.com

Small class settings only. Please sign up early!

$350 for members, $375 for non members

Program: This is going to be a very special experience providing two different forms of fiber art forms into a weekend workshop:

Saturday: Layered assemblage piece

Sunday: Coil baskets 

Layered Fabric Assemblage

Learn to create a truly unique and stunning art piece, with multiple layers and textures of fabric. Students will learn many techniques for creating a base, covered with beautiful overlays of fabric, surrounded by shapes that extend outward, giving the piece added shape, dimension and excitement. The final piece will hang on the wall. No sewing involved, no art experience necessary, and perfect for all levels, from beginning through advanced artists. 

Vivacious Vessels: Fiber Wrapped Coil Baskets

We'll wrap beautiful fabric strips around a cotton core, and then use fancy yarns and strings to secure and coil it all into an elaborate basket, creating any shape that you choose. We'll decorate the piece with embellishments, handles, or anything that excites your aesthetic sensibilities. No art or basket-making experience is necessary and all levels are most welcome.

Instructor: Vicki is an experimental and innovative fiber artist and instructor, always finding new and unique ways to work with textiles and fibers. Through her creative process, she explores many ways to weave, layer, attach, coil, tie, knot, twist, build and develop her pieces so they are vibrant and engaging. She then shares all of her techniques with her students, supporting and inspiring them to fully engage in their own creative process of discovery and expression. Vicki teaches at art schools and retreats around the country as well as teaching groups privately. She has exhibited and sold her work at galleries, businesses, health centers, restaurants, community centers, museums, and open studio events.

Fee: $250.00 for members, $275 for non-members

Materials: Instructor will provide all materials and tools. $65 Material fee to be collected by the instructor the morning of the class. Students are welcome to bring additional fabrics, yarns and decorative items to add to your creations. If you have them, please bring fabric scissors and sewing needles and thread. 

Please Note: A minimum of 9 participants is required by 2 weeks before the workshop date or we will need to cancel and fully refund the registration fee. Please make sure whatever travel and accommodation arrangements you make can be cancelled  in the event that we do not have enough enrollment or need to cancel for other reasons.   We are still several months away and have 6 participants enrolled so we are getting close to that number. We will remove this statement once we reach our minimum.

At the Threshold Between Impressionism and Realism 

Learn how to paint lively, expressive paintings with a focus on colour accuracy, mark making and the interconnection of all elements. Value, colour mixing, edges, principles of design and composition, as well as concepts of light and shadow are all part of this workshop and considered part of a solid foundation in painting. In this workshop you'll learn Alla Prima/ wet on wet style techniques which will help bring your painting skills to the next level! Frank's classes reach beyond technique, observing the elusive balance of forces that create beauty in painting.He has 15 years of teaching experience around the USA and Europe.

Portfolio: www.frankeber.com

Small class settings only. Please sign up early!

$350 for members, $375 for non members

Two Day Workshop 

Photos are a terrific tool for a painter. They provide reference and angles that would be difficult to get, including action. 

The key is to know how to work from a photo and the FOCUS of this workshop.

This two day workshop is divided into THREE parts. 

PART ONE. I’ll talk about what type of camera equipment I use, including cell phones, still and video cameras and some things to look out for including taking photographs at night. One tip - most cell phones tend to shoot images that are slightly distorted, very wide angled, creating distortion in your painting if you’re trying to copy it exactly.

PART TWO. In the second part of the workshop I'll be talking about how to prepare the photo, either as a print or working from a computer image. In the workshop we’ll be working from printed still images that I’ll provide. (If you have an image you’d like to paint from that’s fine). I encourage you to try and work from a photo with strong lights and dark values and sufficient color information. Most photographs tend to wash out the color and the dark areas tend to go overly dark. For example, shadow areas in an image have a lot more color in them (from reflected light) than the photographs reveal.

PART THREE. I’ll focus on the actual process of painting from the photograph including tips on transferring the image to your canvas. I’ll also cover probably the biggest problem working from a photo - Focus. Unlike a photograph, which is generally all in focus, the human eye sees roughly 20% in focus and the rest is peripheral vision and slightly blurred so the key is to paint like your eyes see and not what the photograph is telling you.

It’s also best to work from your own photographs. Not only do you own the rights to the image but since you’ve taken the picture, you’ve already pre-composed the image.

I’ll begin the workshop with a short slideshow and a simple demonstration painting from a photo. To see more of George Scribner's work visit: scribnerart.com

$250 for CCA members, $275 for non-members

Does your heart sing when you see a light-drenched still life painting? 

Do you hit roadblocks when you paint, or are you overwhelmed by all the considerations in creating a well-designed and executed painting?  Do you get stuck, not knowing what to do next? 

Are you a painter who has some familiarity with basic painting concepts and skills, such as understanding values, mixing color, and paint application? 

Come join Debbie Mueller for a 3 day still life workshop where she will break down the creation of a painting into simple steps that allow the painter to focus their decision making and efforts on one thing at a time leading to two successful pieces of art during the weekend.

The techniques taught during the workshop will be practiced using still life, but are completely appropriate and useful for any subject- landscape, portrait, interiors, etc. This is primarily an oil painting workshop. Acrylics or Gouache may be used as well, though certain techniques may not work as well with these mediums.

Bio: 

Debbie Mueller picked up a paintbrush for the first time in her 50s and has become an award-winning artist with recognition for both her still life and landscape paintings. Her story, her passion and success could encourage those of us who might think we are too old, or too something, to try a new pursuit, and find our next chapter in life. She is a juried artist at the Rockport Art Association and is represented by a number of wonderful galleries in New England and Texas. She has exhibited in numerous national juried exhibitions and was the first-place winner of theArt2Life National Exhibition in 2023. She lives in Durham, NH and practices medicine in Wolfeboro, NH. 

Learn more about the artist and see her work at debbiemuellerart.com.