Rich Holck will oversee and guide you through the hands-on process of loading, firing, unloading, cleaning, and maintaining a wood kiln. Learn how to build the fire and operate the kiln at each stage, read the atmosphere of the kiln to time your stokes, and how to place wood across the width of the firebox to maintain even heat. Gain understanding of how kiln oxygen levels may fluctuate and ways of controlling oxygen levels by adjusting dampers and air openings. Consider factors like the quantity of wood per stoke, stoking frequency, and the size and type of wood to use. When introducing salt into the chamber, discuss its effects on the pottery, kiln, and kiln furniture. During unloading, observe the results of your collective efforts on the finished works, and how the process details come together to shape the end result.

In this workshop, Taylor will demonstrate how she layers surface decoration techniques at the leather soft, leather hard, and bone dry stages to create colorful, tactile porcelain pottery. Slip trailing, refining by carving, and underglaze painting with paper resists will be covered. Strategies for choosing color palettes, fixing or incorporating mistakes, and composing a compelling surface will be discussed. These techniques can also be applied to stoneware.

Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University (2016), completed two years of post-baccalaureate study in ceramics at Wichita State University (2016-2018), and obtained an MFA with ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2021). She has taught workshops at institutions including Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Peters Valley School of Craft, Gasworks NYC, The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, and Wooten Clayworks. 

Celebrate the holiday season with art, cocoa, and cookies! In this festive workshop, we’ll paint cozy still scenes from favorite Holiday movies such as A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and more. As we sip hot cocoa and enjoy a potluck of sweet treats, we’ll learn how to transform complex images into simple, approachable shapes using opaque watercolor. Step by step, we’ll add layers of detail to bring these classic holiday moments to life, creating cheerful, nostalgic works of art perfect for the season.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Taking inspiration from the world-renowned Chester County artist Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), paint rural landscapes, interiors, or people using traditional and drybrush watercolor techniques. 

Click HERE for a materials list for this workshop

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Celebrate Historic Yellow Springs’ role in marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with botanical artist Margaret Saylor in this unique two-part Making History workshop series.

Inspired by a remarkable composite volume from the archives, featuring 37 hand-colored engravings originally illustrated by naturalist James Sowerby, this historic text once guided physicians and apothecaries in the identification and use of medicinal plants during the Revolutionary era. In the winter session, participants will work from high-resolution scans of these plates to begin their own botanical sketchbook or art journal—a personal reference to the medicinal plants documented by William Woodville in Medical Botany. 

Guided by Margaret Saylor, artists will develop observation and illustration techniques, record notes, and build lasting skills for documenting nature through art. The summer session, part two of the series, invites participants to draw live medicinal plant specimens inspired by the historic plates, expanding their journals with direct field observation. This immersive series offers a rich blend of art, science, history, and hands-on practice to deepen your botanical art practice and connection to historic herbal knowledge.

Click HERE for a materials list for this workshop

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Paint a layered, imaginative forest scene using techniques pioneered by Eyvind Earle for his work on Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. Using opaque gouache paint, we will learn to layer colors into an intricate, woven texture resembling Medieval tapestries and Persian miniature paintings.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support the mission of HYS.

"They say 'Go Big or Go Home'... and while the world of Zentangle is usually under 4 inches, we are going big for this workshop. This mega Zentangle-inspired mandala will be done on a 12x12 inch 'tile".  Perfect for framing. Bring your Zentangle kit, or purchase a kit for $13 from the instructor. Previous Zentangle experience is not required, but is helpful. There will be some additional supplies needed for this class. List will be sent after registration.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!