GRIT & GRACE: A Faux Paper Journey
Monday, March 23, 2026 (6:00pm – 9:00pm)
Discover the alchemy of transformation in this hands-on mixed media workshop where everyday materials become vessels of expression, resilience, and beauty. Grit & Grace: A Faux Paper Journey invites participants to create richly textured faux papers using humble household items like toilet paper, napkins, and paper towels—materials often overlooked or discarded, yet full of hidden potential.
Through the intuitive processes of layering, tearing, staining, and embellishing, we’ll manipulate these fragile fibers into one-of-a-kind art pieces that speak to both vulnerability and strength. By incorporating threads, gold leaf, tea, coffee, chalk pastels, watercolors, and other simple additives, you’ll explore how contrast—soft and bold, delicate and rough—can yield unexpected depth and meaning.
This workshop isn’t just about technique—it’s an invitation to reflect. Each layer becomes a metaphor for life’s challenges and graces: what we discard or hide can, with attention and intention, become something strikingly beautiful. No art experience is necessary; just bring your curiosity and willingness to get a little messy. You’ll leave with a series of handmade faux papers that can be used in collage, bookmaking, journaling, or simply cherished as art on their own.
$75 class + $20 material fee payable to instructor at the time of class
ART FUSION: Ink, Fish, & Flow
Unleash your creativity in this immersive 3-hour workshop blending two ancient Japanese art forms: Suminagashi (the art of floating ink) and Gyotaku (the traditional technique of fish printing).
Suminagashi: Discover the magic of marbling as you guide ink across water’s surface to create hypnotic, one-of-a-kind prints. No two are ever the same—let the chaos flow!
Gyotaku: Get hands-on with nature as you ink sea life replicas* and press them to paper, capturing intricate textures and lifelike details in a bold, beautiful statement.
Perfect for adventurous beginners and seasoned artists alike.
*no live shellfish is used
Just bring your curiosity—and clothes you don’t mind getting inky.
Friday, April 3, 2026 (10:00am – 1:00pm)
$75 class + $20 material fee payable to instructor at the time of class
About the Artist
Leigh is an artist and educator whose practice centers on material exploration, process, and transformation. Rather than adhering to a single medium, she’s drawn to systems, traditions, and techniques—such as faux papermaking, Suminagashi, Kintsugi, and sculptural forms—that emphasize experimentation, repair, and the quiet intelligence of materials.
Conceptually, Leigh is interested in impermanence, accumulation, and the poetic potential of repetition. Her work frequently begins with simple actions—layering, breaking, mending—that evolve into objects and surfaces shaped by both intention and chance. Process is treated not merely as a means to an end, but as an integral part of the artistic journey. Her teaching and practice are united by a belief that meaning emerges through making, curiosity, and sustained attention to the physical act of creation.
While still active as a graphic designer, Leigh has enjoyed being an art educator in Bucks and surrounding areas for six years and believes that art should be accessible to all. Leigh Alison Art