Getting warmed up for World Watercolor Month

World Watercolor Month starts July 1st!

 I'm shooting for 31 days of tiny watercolors...will I make it?

Follow me on Instagram: @campcactus

Contemporary Vegetable Printing and other stuff!

Join us this weekend for one of our most popular workshops! We'll explore making prints on paper and fabric, using the most humble of techniques and materials...see how to make beautiful designs with vegetables and textile paints.

Vegetable Prints

Learn how to make and print patterns using materials found in any grocery store. We'll carve beautiful stamps and use them to print striking modern designs on fabric and paper. Paint, tools, cotton tea towels and various papers provided. Feel free to bring your own pre-washed cotton or linen fabrics to print on.
Extra tea towels will be available for purchase during class.

Sorry, this class is closed

Saturday afternoon, April 7th    1-3 pm     cost: $35

Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is very limited  •  Preregistration required

 

And don't forget, next Friday, April 13th there's no school for Portland Public school students! Send your kids to Camp Cactus for some artistic stimulation and silly fun.

 *   *   School's Out! Teacher Planning Day Classes   *   * 

Exploring Pastels
Learn to draw a nebula with chalk and oil pastels. All materials provided.
Sorry,  this class is now closed

Friday morning, April 13th     10 am - noon    cost: $25

Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required  

Painting the Masters: Georgia O'Keeffe
We'll do some painting on canvas in the style of this famous artist, and you can choose to paint a still life, or work from a photograph, or simply copy one of her beautiful paintings.
All materials included.
Sorry,  this class is now closed
Friday afternoon, April 13th    2-4 pm           cost: $35
Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required  

Last class of 2017!

Handmade Paper + Print Workshop
Come on over to the studio for this hands-on paper and printmaking workshop.
First, we'll make paper using post-consumer waste, and then we'll carve linoleum blocks to print with.
You'll come away with several beautiful art prints of your own design.
No experience necessary.  Adults and kids ages 10 and up welcome! All materials provided.

Friday afternoon,  December 29th    1:00 - 4:00 pm                    cost: $55

Ages 10 - adult  •  Class size is limited •  Preregistration required
4 spaces still available!

Sign up through our secure payment portal or call to reserve a space. Hope to see you on Friday!

number of students:

one student $55.00 USD two students $110.00 USD

Summer Classes 2017

Summer Solstice Prayer Flags  

The Summer Solstice is happening on Tuesday, June 20th this year, and what better way to celebrate than by making a set of special prayer flags to send good wishes, hope and love out to our troubled world?

Let's embrace the Tibetan custom of hanging colorful flags containing special mantras, prayers and images to promote peace and other messages, which are said to be carried on the wind and spread throughout the planet.

We'll have one all-ages class in the afternoon, or join us for an adults-only evening class, where we'll cap off the evening with a toast to summer and sip a refreshing aperitivo I fell in love with on my recent trip to Italy! (a non alcoholic version will also be provided)

Tuesday afternoon, June 20th       2 - 4 pm       cost: $30

Sorry, this class is now closed 
or
Tuesday Evening, June 20th       7 - 9:30 pm      cost: $35
Sorry, this class is now closed  

Vegetable Prints  
Learn how to make and print patterns using materials found in any grocery store. We'll make beautiful stamps and use them to print stunning modern designs on fabric and paper. Paint, tools, cotton tea towels and various papers provided. Feel free to bring your own pre-washed cotton or linen fabrics to print on. Extra tea towels will be available for purchase during class.

Monday afternoon, June 26th       2 - 4 pm       cost: $35
Sorry, this class is now closed 
Ages 8 - adult • Class size limited to 8 • Preregistration required  

 

Painting the Masters: Vincent Van Gogh 
Continuing our Painting the Masters series, we'll learn about one of the most famous and infamous Post-Impressionists, Vincent Van Gogh. In this class, we'll explore some of Vincent's paintings and paint a starry night landscape in his style.   All materials provided.

Monday afternoon, July 10th      2 - 4 pm       cost: $30
Sorry, this class is now closed 
Ages 7 - adult • Class size limited to 8 • Preregistration required  

Hollywood Fairy House Tour 

Get ready for the Sixth Annual Hollywood Fairy House Tour!

Join us on Sunday afternoon, July 23rd for a fun guided tour of quaint and magical Fairy homes located in the neighborhood surrounding the studio.  Once again, the Fairies have been busy building in front yards, trees and under bushes all over the Hollywood and Grant Park neighborhoods, and we'll supply you with a map and stories about the Fairy families who live in these homes. We'll start out at Camp Cactus Studio, and walk around the neighborhood, ending up back at Camp Cactus for a snack. I hope you can join us for this very special and magical event.  If we're lucky, we may even see a Fairy or two!   

 The tour is open to all ages, but you must be able to walk a fair distance (about a mile in all).  
New this year:  We're donating all proceeds from this tour to help pay down the Portland Public Schools lunch debt. 

Sunday afternoon, July 23rd   1-3 pm            cost: $10          

All ages. 

Please note: Children under 6 are free, 

but must be accompanied by a paying adult. 

Meet at Camp Cactus Studio, 4458 NE Brazee. The tour will begin 15 minutes after the hour. See you there! 

Fanciful Fairy Furniture  

Fanciful Fairy Furniture....say that three times, fast! Come over to the studio and make tiny little rustic chairs, tables, beds and other things to furnish your Fairy house (it also makes a sweet display on a shelf). We'll show you how to put together twigs, moss and leaves to create truly fanciful little pieces that will tickle your imagination and make you smile every time you look at them! All materials provided.

Monday morning,  July 24th    10 - noon                       cost: $25
Sorry, this class is now closed 

 

Fantastical Fairy Architecture  

Along with our imagination, we'll use natural, recycled and found materials to design and build tiny dwellings for those magical beings who live all around us.  Feel free to bring materials from your own garden, such as pine cones, acorns, pebbles and seed pods. We'll provide ample building materials for everyone. This 3-hour class is open to everyone ages 7-100 

Monday afternoon, July 24th     1 - 4 pm                       cost: $35 

Ages 7- adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Sorry, this class is now closed 

Trash Monsters!  

We'll take all sorts of junk and figure out how to put it together to make some really cool 3-D mixed media monsters. This class is great for building visualization, planning, and creative problem solving skills. Also, it will be tons of fun! All materials provided.

Monday morning,  August 7th    10 - noon                       cost: $25

Ages 7 - up  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Sorry, this class is now closed  

Cardboard Castles, Condos & Cities  

Get in touch with your inner architect! In this class, we'll recycle all sorts of boxes, packages, tubes and paper into lots of wacky, whimsical buildings of all shapes and sizes. All materials provided.

Monday afternoon,  August 7th    2 - 4 pm                       cost: $25

Ages 6 - up  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Sorry, this class is now closed 

Handmade Recycled Paper  

Explore the art of making recycled paper. We'll make our own pulp, and then create cool papers embellished with pressed flowers, leaves and other natural materials. Prepare to get wet...it's a messy process! All materials provided.

Monday morning,  August 14th    10 - noon                       cost: $25

Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

number of students

one student $25.00 USD two students $50.00 USD three students $75.00 USD

Intro to Printmaking  

Learn how to carve a linoleum block or stamps. We'll go through the basics of drawing images and transferring them to blocks, then carving and printing our artwork. This is a great companion class to our handmade paper class, above. All materials provided.

Monday afternoon,  August 14th    1 - 4 pm                       cost: $35

Ages 8 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Sorry, this class is now closed

   ~ ADULT SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS ~   

A new series of classes to really get those creative juices flowing! These low key, two-hour workshops are a great way to experiment with different techniques and media in a stress-free way. Sign up for one class, or all four.

Classes are offered on Thursday evenings in August. Choose whichever dates fit your schedule.  Classes are $25 each, or 4 for $90.*
Click here to register

Happy Holidays!

Abbie's holiday fashion statement 

Many thanks to all who attended our 2016 Holiday Sale.

I also want to thank everyone who supported me and many other artists and small business people this year.

May you all have a wonderful holiday full of joy, love and laughter!

Hugs from Jane,  Abbie and the rest of us at Camp Cactus.

more Holiday Sale...

Courtney Wilson and her husband make beautiful, contemporary pottery and screen printed soft goods under the name Ruby Farms. Come check out their work Friday at the Camp Cactus Holiday Sale! 

a sneak peek at the Holiday Sale!

Rene van der Spuy creates distinct eye-catching designs inspired by nature, travel and everyday experiences. Her original, limited edition prints (some black and white; others embellished with watercolor paint, paper or thread) are carved and printed by hand on a press. 

More recently she's  connected with her inner seamstress; making pillows inspired by her collages and prints. Screen printed with water based ink onto heavyweight 100% cotton fabric, she adds felt, buttons and hand-embroidery for a special touch.

Born and raised in South Africa, Rene has lived all over the world, from Australia to Brooklyn, and currently resides in Portland. 

Click here for the Holiday Sale dates and times!

gaga over glass

The Holiday Sale in the studio is coming up in just a few days,

 so the sneak previews will continue!

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

Preview night and artist's reception:

Friday Evening, December 4th  •  6-9 pm

Saturday & Sunday

December 5th & 6th  •  10am - 6pm

4458 NE Brazee, between NE 44th & 45th Avenues

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

Joining us for the sale once again, we have two wonderful glass artists:

First up, Jenelle Kathan from Moonbeam Glassworks

 Her latest ornaments will be available at the sale on Friday evening…come early for the best selection!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Kathy Kollenburn makes beautiful bowls, plates and decorative pieces

and she's been quite busy putting together new pieces for the show.

Hope to see you this weekend!

beautiful, functional pottery

The Holiday Sale in the studio is coming right up, and joining me will be some very talented potters and sculptors who have been (literally!) up to their elbows in clay and glazes to bring you beautiful and functional works of art for your home.

 Julie Stewart's gorgeous glazes evoke the sea,

and her serving and dining pieces are dishwasher safe and lead free.

Her stacked Raku "rock" lamps bring a rustic elegance to Portland's Craftsman homes.

 Courtney Wilson's modern, clean lined style...

and lastly, Elisabeth Cook Sullivan is a master animal sculptor, 

whose current passion is building carousels and horses.

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

Preview night and artist's reception:

Friday Evening, December 4th  •  6-9 pm

Saturday & Sunday

December 5th & 6th  •  10am - 6pm

4458 NE Brazee, between NE 44th & 45th Avenues

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

Halloween is coming!

There's still time to sign up for some fun and crazy classes!

Mummy Workshop
Just in time for Halloween, these poseable mummies can really liven up your spooky decorating!
All materials provided.

Friday, October 23rd     10 am - noon         cost: $25
Ages 6-up • Class size is limited • Preregistration required

(This class is now closed)

Pumpkin Dioramas
Another fun Halloween project, these cool little dioramas are spook-tacular!
All materials provided.
Friday, October 23rd      1 - 3 pm         cost: $35
Ages 7-up • Class size is limited • Preregistration required
(This class is now closed)

(photo borrowed from here)

Dia de los Muertos Art
In Mexico on November 1st and 2nd, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a traditional holiday dedicated to the memory of departed loved ones. It is a day to celebrate and remember them with joy and thanks, rather than sorrow.
Altars are made in honor of friends and family members (even beloved pets!) and are displayed with bright colors, mementos, favorite snacks and decorations in a place of honor in the home.

We'll learn a little about this custom and build our own altars for people or pets who were dear to us.
Bring a photo or mementos to use in your project.

Saturday, October 24th          7-9 pm          cost: $30
Adult  •  class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

(This class is now closed) 

(photo courtesy of Grace Art Camp)

4 Spaces still available
Creature Feature!
In this fibre arts workshop, we'll make all kinds of crazy, fun creatures from various materials.
No prior sewing experience necessary. Teaches basic sewing, embroidery and pattern-making skills.
All materials provided.

Friday, October 30th     1 - 3 pm           cost: $25
Ages 6- up   • Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

(This class is now closed)

fun with wax!

On Friday we had some fun playing with the Wax Encaustic process in the studio.
We designed projects with paint, paper and wax to make some awesome mixed media works.

Join us this next week for  a special 4-session Printmaking and Fiber Arts Camp where we'll be making our own paper and learning the art of printmaking and bookbinding Tuesday through Friday afternoon!
There are still a few spaces available, but registration ends at midnight on Monday, July 20th.
Register for this and other classes here: Summer classes at Camp Cactus.

get ready for summer!

It's almost June, and our fantastic and creative artists are working their hearts out getting ready for the Summer Sale at Camp Cactus.

I hope you'll join us the first weekend in June to shop for some unique, handmade art and beautiful crafts, stroll in the garden, and soak up some warm summer air!