Upcoming Workshops
September 14, 21, October 5, 12, 19, 26
Traditional Oil Painting Workshop
Tuesday evenings, 6 to 9 pm
Explore traditional oil painting techniques in a six session workshop on oil painting on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 pm, September 14 through October 26, 2010 at the Mennonite Heritage Center. The workshop, led by accomplished Bucks County artist Dot Bunn, will emphasize building a good composition and the control of values and color.
Students will work on their own project using the structure of a traditional method of composing and developing their image and will explore traditional painting techniques. Some painting experience is helpful but beginners are welcome. Students will use traditional methods of transferring the image to canvas and then begin to work with a controlled pallet of oil colors. Step by step guidance will be available over the painting sessions. The class will introduce students to a fascinating system of color management and composition.
Instructor Dot Bunn is a full time studio painter, teacher, and lecturer working in traditional methods of painting using 21st century tools. A life-long resident of Bucks County, her award winning work has been exhibited at juried shows throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. She will provide individualized instruction as the class will be limited to ten people.
The total workshop fee for the six weeks is $240 ($215 members). Pre-registration is required. A list of supplies needed for the class will be furnished upon registration. Please note that the class will not be held the last Tuesday in September.
September 18, 2010 - Penny Rug Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
Participants will learn about this decorative folk art tradition and complete a penny rug project during the workshop. Instructor Kay Leisey, owner of the Homespun shop in Hereford, Pa., has taught numerous textile workshops and will provide a kit for an 11½” circle penny rug with all the necessary supplies, including hand dyed wool and backing fabric.
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Penny rugs originated in the nineteenth century when homemakers use used scraps of wool to make decorative table toppers, mats, pillows and wall hangings. Penny rugs got their name from using coin shapes as templates and joining the colorful wool circles together with a blanket stitch. The penny rug design is backed with fabric to finish the piece. Today’s penny rug designs can incorporate a wide range of folk art motifs and colors and are a creative textile art. |
Class size is limited and preregistration is required. The workshop fee is $55 ($50 members) plus the materials fee of $25 for the penny rug kit. All materials for the class will be supplied.
September 19 and 26, 2010 - Workshop on Singing in Community
Sunday, 7:00 pm at the Mennonite Heritage Center
Songleader and pastor Michael Bishop will lead singing and provide insight into the foundations of community/congregational song. Mennonites have cultivated a tradition of singing together in worship. In these workshops, the practice of building community voice will be explored. Questions such as “Why do we sing in church?” and “Why do Mennonites often sing a cappella?” will be addressed. The bulk of the sessions will be spent in singing together in a room with great acoustics. Come and bring friends! All people can sing and all are welcome; ability to read music not required. Admission by donation; no reservations needed.
September 25, 2010 - Fraktur Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
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The workshop will focus on the legacy of schoolmaster Christopher Dock who “sowed the seeds” of imagination for future generations of skilled fraktur artists. Schoolmasters drew much of the fraktur, often creating rewards for good students. Workshop participants will create a fraktur design based on large lettering that will be filled in with color and motifs. Some prior fraktur drawing experience is helpful but not essential. Accomplished fraktur artist Louise Hutchings will lead the class. A list of materials needed for the class will be provided upon registrations. Registration is required as class size is limited. The class fee is $55 ($50 members) plus a booklet fee of $8 in addition to the class fee. |
October 9, 2010 - Redware Pottery Workshop
Saturday, 9
am to 3 pm
Enjoy learning how to sgraffito your own redware plate. Sgraffito is the Pa. German term used for scratching a design into a clay coating on a redware piece before it is fired. The class will be led by redware potter Denise Wilz. Ms. Wilz will provide molded redware plates coated with the clay slip and the sgraffito tools. After the class, the plates will be glazed and fired at her pottery and returned to the Heritage Center for students to pick up. Class fee is $55 ($50 member) plus a materials fee of $20 for one 7” redware plate and $28.00 for a 10” plate. Class participants can choose to sgraffito up to 3 plates (as time permits) – add fee for each plate to your workshop fee.
October 30, 2010 - Pennsylvania German Feather Tree Workshop
Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Workshop participants will learn how to create their own three tier, 16 inch green goose feather tree trimmed with red berries. Feather Christmas trees were first made in Germany in the late nineteenth century and traveled to Pennsylvania with immigrants. The workshop instructor is Pat Oxenford, accomplished decorative painting artist.. Participants will be able to complete the tree during the class and will also receive information to make additional trees. The workshop fee is $55 ($50 members) plus a materials fee of $50 that covers all the needed supplies to make the feather tree.
December 11, 2010 - Theorem Painting Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3
pm
Theorem artist Sandra Coldren will teach participants the
painting techniques for this 19th century form of stenciling and how to
paint the theorem design. Pre-registration is required as the class is limited to twelve students.
For information about any of these events call 215-256-3020 or
e-mail info@mhep.org 
Past Workshops
February 2-March 9, 2010 - Traditional Oil Painting Workshop
Tuesday evenings, 6 to 9 pm
Traditional oil painting techniques in a six session Tuesday evenings
workshop led by accomplished Bucks County artist Dot Bunn.March 20, 2010 - Theorem Painting Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
Theorem artist Sandra Coldren will teach participants the painting
techniques for this 19th century form of stenciling and how to paint the
theorem design “Dove on a Branch”.
March 20, 2010 - Making Scrapple and Sausage Workshop
Saturday, 1 to 4 pm
Learn what really goes into scrapple! Traditionally made in the
winter during butchering time, scrapple and sausage are Pennsylvania
German favorites. You will learn the process of making scrapple and
sausage in this workshop led by Paul Longacre and Jim King.
March 27, 2010 - Redware Pottery Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
Enjoy learning how to sgraffito your own redware plate. Sgraffito is
the Pa. German term used for scratching a design into a clay coating on a
redware piece before it is fired. The class will be led by redware
potter Denise Wilz.
April 10, 2010 - Introduction to Traditional Rug Hooking Using
Recycled Wool
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
An Introduction to Traditional Rug Hooking Using Recycled Wool
Workshop led by Karl and Mary Jo Gimber, is scheduled for Saturday,
April 10, 2010. Participants will leave with the skills needed to pursue
this newly popular textile art.
May 1, 2010 - Learn the Colorful Art of Fraktur Workshop
Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm
Fraktur is the Pennsylvania German tradition of creating hand drawn
motifs to embellish birth or marriage certificates and other
commemorative texts. The class for beginning and intermediate students
will be lead by fraktur artist Louise Hutchings.
May 4, 11, 18, 25, 2010 - Introduction to Playing the Harmonica
Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Enjoy a four session harmonica workshop with folk musician Sharon
Hunsberger on Tuesday, May 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. This
will be an informal time to learn and enjoy playing in a small group
setting. No previous experience is needed.
May 25 through June 29, 2010 - Traditional Oil Painting Workshop
Tuesday evenings, 6 to 9
pm
Explore traditional oil painting techniques in a six session workshop on
oil painting May 25 through June 29, 2010 at the Mennonite Heritage
Center, 565 Yoder Rd. The workshop, led by accomplished Bucks County
artist Dot Bunn, will emphasize building a good composition and the
control of values and color.
July 17, 2010 - Spinning with a Drop Spindle Workshop
Saturday, 9
am
to 3 pm
Learn the centuries old craft of spinning wool yarn with
a drop spindle in this workshop. The workshop will be led by textile
artist Ruth Konrad who was given her first sheep in the early 1980’s and
taught herself to spin, and from there to knit and weave. Ruth takes
special joy in teaching others to spin and to enter the creative world
of fiber arts.
July 31, 2010 - Wood Grain Painting Workshop
Saturday, 10 am
to 2 pm
Learn the colorful folk tradition of grain painting wood in this workshop led by artisan Jim King. You will learn to grain paint a softwood 5 x 7 picture frame and a small
document box (supplied for the workshop) using acrylic glazes. Texture
is created using the traditional tools of a comb, corncob, putty,
fingers, sponge, feather or brush.
August 21, 2010 - Paper Marbling Workshop
Saturday, 9 am
to 2 pm
Paper Marbling, still imitated today in modern bookbinding, is a
centuries-old craft using paints, carageenan, and alum, producing
exciting and dramatic designs on paper. Participants will be taken
through the steps of the fascinating process, and then turned loose to
produce their own masterpieces.
For information about any of these events call 215-256-3020 or e-mail info@mhep.org
