Sashiko Embroidery with Mary Baggerman

January 10, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75

Materials Fee: $10

Sashiko is a type of hand stitching that originated in Japan. Used for mending and embellishment, it has a rich history of tradition and design. Today, many people are discovering it as part of the visible mending movement. Come and learn the basics of stitching, pattern transfer, tools, and techniques. We will be making several small pieces suitable to be made into coasters, pin cushions, or used as a patch on clothing.

Plan to bring: While all materials are provided, sketchbooks and bits of fabric or thread from home are welcome.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Mary Baggerman is a fiber artist living in Southwest Michigan. She incorporates embroidery, quilting and other surface design techniques to create contemporary fiber pieces. Her inspiration is the natural world, particularly the beauty of the Great Lakes region. Combining a lifelong interest in both painting and quilting, her art work combines aspects of both, emphasizing the uniques qualities of fiber: texture, color and pattern. Mary received a BA in art from Western Michigan University. She has participated in exhibits at Western Michigan University, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers, MI as well as other regional venues. She is currently on the faculty of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts where she teaches in the fiber department.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

January 15, 22, 29, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session

Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Winter Botanical Illustration with Olivia Mendoza

January 24, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75

Materials Fee: N/A

Led by a natural science illustrator, this workshop invites students to explore the quiet beauty of winter flora through the art of botanical drawing. Using colored pencils, participants will learn to capture the subtle hues, textures, and forms, including and inspired by evergreens, seed pods, and winter blooms. A demonstration will cover how to freehand compositions, build texture, and layer blended colors to bring each subject to life, followed by guided practice time with individual feedback. This will be a cozy, contemplative space for nature lovers and illustration enthusiasts alike to celebrate the resilience and elegance of plant life in winter.

Plan to bring: Smooth Strathmore Bristol paper (9x12), Prismacolor Premier pencils, graphite or mechanical pencil for sketching, and erasers (kneaded, block, and narrow, etc.)

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Olivia Mendoza (she/they) is a natural science illustrator and drawing teacher. She has been working as an illustrator for over a decade and teaching for five years at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Her work has led to collaborations with natural science publications of newly discovered plant species, an illustrated avian exhibit for Kalamazoo Nature Center, and native species drawing workshops with the Kalamazoo Public Library - as well as creating botanical work for Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones, and more. Her enthusiasm for creating new work is equal to the joy of being able to share the process and methods with others.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

February 5, 12, 19, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session

Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

New Beginnings in Writing with Jack Ridl

February 26, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75

Materials Fee: N/A

Jack believes that making art and writing brings about realizations and valuable experiences that can happen no other way. With decades of experience in “de-threatening” the art-making process this workshop offers that for participants. He hopes that you will leave at home any notions of departing Ox-Bow with something completed; instead, he will encourage you to start many things – written pieces, creative notions, seeds of ideas. He strives to create an instant community where conversation throughout the day is stimulating, a joy, and worthwhile.

Plan to bring: Writing utensils and paper or notebook and memorable tokens from your life that may inspire writing and collaboration.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas, Michigan (Population 1100), is the author of All At Once (CavanKerry Press) and Saint Peter and the Goldfinch (Wayne State University Press). His Practicing to Walk Like a Heron (WSUPress, 2013) was co-recipient of the National Gold Medal for Best Collection of Poetry by ForeWord Reviews. His collection Broken Symmetry (WSUPress) was co-recipient of The Society of Midland Authors best book of poetry award for 2006. His Losing Season (CavanKerry Press) was named the best sports book of the year for 2009 by The Institute for International Sport. Then Poet Laureate Billy Collins selected his Against Elegies for The Center for Book Arts Chapbook Award. Individual poems have been published in The Georgia Review, Poetry, Colorado Review, Rattle, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Field, Poetry East, and elsewhere.The students at Hope College named him both their Outstanding Professor and their Favorite Professor, and in 1996 The Carnegie (CASE) Foundation named him Michigan Professor of the Year. More than 85 of Jack’s students have earned their MFA degree and over 100 are published, several of whom have received First Book Awards, national honors. Every Thursday Jack hosts and posts on YouTube his monologue “The Sentimentalist.” Poetry and Song: A Concert with Carrie Newcomer and Jack Ridl is available on YouTube. For further information about Jack, his website is www.ridl.com.

Figure Drawing at Ox-Bow House

March 12, 19, 26, 1:00–3:30 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75 for 3 sessions, $30 for 1 session

Materials Fee: N/A
In this workshop, students will explore the human form through gesture, proportion, and expression while strengthening their observational drawing skills. Demonstrations will cover techniques for capturing movement, anatomy, and the essence of a pose using a variety of drawing approaches. Each session will include short and long poses with live models, offering a supportive space to experiment and build confidence.

Plan to bring: Your preferred drawing materials (paper, pencils, charcoal, etc.); a selection of supplies will also be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Punch Needle with Patti Reen

March 28, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET

Tuition: $75

Materials Fee: $30.00

Punch needle embroidery is an ancient textile art, dating back to early Egyptian and Medieval traditions, now enjoying a modern revival through the resurgence of slow stitching and handwork. In this workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of this satisfying technique—threading the punch needle, creating smooth lines and curves, and building texture with colorful embroidery floss. Working from a small pattern mounted in a lap frame, participants will explore design, rhythm, and the tactile pleasure of textile making. A finishing technique will be demonstrated, and a detailed handout with resources will be provided for those eager to continue at home.

Plan to bring: Punch needle and other materials will be provided for use during the workshop; optional frames and tools will be available for purchase at Ox-Bow House.

Location: Please note that this workshop takes place at Ox-Bow House, located at 137 Center Street, Douglas, Michigan 49406.

Patti Reen is a retired registered nurse and moved to Holland with her husband in 2019. She is a proud mom to three girls and a grandma of 5. She has been making art for all of her life. It all started at age 8 when her grandmother taught her to knit and embroider, and then she moved on to sewing garments and quilts. Stained glass came next, then primitive rug hooking and punch needle embroidery. She learned to make mosaics at the Chicago Mosaic School at age 60! She’s been working with Punch Needle Embroidery since 2007, and has recently been displaying and selling her pieces at the Holland Arts Council and Ox-Bow House in Douglas. She really enjoys meeting folks interested in learning both Punch Needle Embroidery and Sashiko Embroidery, and looks forward to meeting new students.