Creative Play Events
Workshops, Classes, Retreats + More!
Creative Play Events
Workshops, Classes, Retreats + More!
Being creative—and allowing ourselves opportunities to play—is something many of us associate with childhood. More and more though, society is recognizing the benefits of creative play for adults, and we are seeking ways to incorporate more of it into our daily lives. To help harness your creative energy, I offer a variety of creative play events—lessons, classes, workshops, parties and retreats.
⚠️ On mobile, swipe left on the event name to see more, then click on the event name for an expanded description.
Brush Pen + Marker Calligraphy | Workshop
Have you seen how crazy popular brush pen + marker calligraphy is right now!? Learn the techniques required to develop the art of brush pen calligraphy—just what you need to send sweet notes to loved ones, embellish wedding stationery, sass up your next event, and decorate your home!
We start with warm-up drills, learn the foundation strokes to create the minuscule (lower case) alphabet, then we practice, practice, practice! Includes your very own brush pen calligraphy starter kit: practice sheets, tracing paper, marker paper, fine brush pen, large brush marker, pencil.
Duration | Three (3) hours
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $100 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of eight (8) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Collage Confidence | Workshop
Paper craft and collage are making a comeback! You’ve seen so many artists incorporating layers of collage into their artwork, but haven’t felt confident to give it a try, or even begin to guess where to begin! Join me for this 5-hour workshop, where we will explore several versatile techniques to create collage “fodder” for mixed media creations, then put it all together to create a finished piece. We will discuss contrast, texture, harmony, and design.
All materials are provided, with a focus on a variety of papers, acrylic paint pens, markers, inks, medium-body paints, paint sticks, and more!
These finished mixed-media pieces are perfect to finish with epoxy resin… Watch my events calendar for “How to Resin Your Artwork” workshops!
- Making marks + patterns on translucent papers
- The magic of gel plate printing
- Giving new life to old books
- As we go, we will be wiping brushes, palette knives, and brayers on kraft paper to create even more fodder!
- Combine your collage components onto a 8 x 8″ gallery birch panel, adding in paint and additional marks as desired to create your final work of art!
Duration | 9am–2pm
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water available. Light lunch is served. BYOB if desired.
Price per Person | $200 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of six (4) participants to ensure adequate spacing.
Perfect for friends, siblings, parents + kids, couples, and solos. All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local only, in my studio.
Not suited to online.
💛 “If you have the chance to take the Collage Confidence workshop, do it! I had such a fun and relaxing afternoon in great company. I enjoyed learning so many techniques for making collage pages and we made sooooo many that will be part of my many future projects. Playing with the gel plate was new to me—and I loved it! Could have done that for hours! I particularly liked how we learned composition, including focal point, light and dark, mark making and other placement ideas for our mixed media collage paintings. I even left with a finished piece! I would highly recommend this class!” —Sandra, Ottawa
💛 “I recently completed the Collage Confidence course led by the intuitive JoeGirl, who truly understands the power of gentle guidance. Directing us gently, step by step, she offers us insight only when asked, creating space where we can explore freely and trust our instincts. Her approach allows us to take ownership of our creative process. The experience is not just about making collage papers and artwork, it’s about building confidence and learning to appreciate our own artistic voice. Oh, and by the way, this was the second time I’ve taken this course, and will happily take it again!” —Isabel Bee, Ottawa
Darling Doodles | Workshop
There is a certain sweetness to simple illustrations—black outlines, solid colours, clean lines, geometric shapes, playful faces. Follow along as I demonstrate how to doodle borders, banners, ribbons, faces, flora + fauna, homes, buildings, lettering—all fun ways to embellish journals, posters, scrapbooks, chalkboards, greeting cards, gift tags + more!
Duration | Three (3) hours
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $100 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of eight (8) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Joyful Flow | Creative Retreat Day
Experience the joyful flow that comes by releasing your inhibitions and embracing your creative energy.
Join me for this full-day creative play retreat where we will combine simple acrylic mixed media techniques and materials to create an inspiring, colourful piece to bring light, inspiration and joy into your home! The day will be sprinkled with meaningful conversation, gentle meditations, and a healthy heaping of kindness.
Participants will create a 20 x 20″ painting* using a gallery canvas, professional paints, markers, and tools. Collage and dimensional elements can be brought from home to add texture and interest. A small 5 x 5″ birch panel is also provided for additional play! *If another size is of interest, please specify in an email to me, and I will be happy to swap it out and adjust materials cost accordingly.
Duration | 9am–4pm
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water. Light lunch is served. BYOB if desired.
Price per Person | $280 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of four (4) participants to ensure adequate spacing.
Perfect for friends, siblings, parents + kids, couples, and solos. All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local only, in my studio.
Not suited to online.
Joyful Journaling | 4-Week Class
Join me weekly to explore the mindful, creative practice of art journaling.
Over four weeks, we will use a variety of paints and other mark making tools, collage textures, and embellishments to document our days, memories, dreams—or simply to freely create + express ourselves in our mixed media journals. Each week a new approach for tackling the blank page will be shared, and participants can choose to give it a try or do their own thing. The beauty of art journaling, is there are no rules and unlimited do-overs!
Duration | 7–8:30pm, weekly for five weeks
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $257 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of six (6) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Magical Mixed Media | 4-Week Class
Experience the magic that comes from releasing your inhibitions and embracing your creative energy.
Over four weeks, participants will combine simple acrylic mixed media techniques and materials to create an inspiring, colourful piece to bring light, inspiration and joy into your home! Our time together will be sprinkled with meaningful conversation, gentle meditations, and a healthy heaping of kindness.
Participants will create a 16 x 16″ painting* using a gallery canvas, professional paints, markers, and tools. Collage and dimensional elements can be created in-studio or brought from home to add texture and interest. *If another size is of interest, please specify in an email to me, and I will be happy to swap it out and adjust materials cost accordingly.
Duration | 7–9pm, weekly for four weeks
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $280 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of six (6) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Not suited to online.
Outside the Lines | Workshop
In this sweet 3-hour workshop, participants create 16 x 16″ whimsical acrylic paintings to hang in their home or gift to someone special.
Starting with a pre-painted black canvas, participants will illustrate a simple scene of their choice using chalk before painting inside—and outside—the lines, leaving the chalked lines untouched. Once everything is dry, the chalk is wiped away and the black lines remain, leaving a playful, colourful creation to be proud of!
NOTE: I also offer this as a special Mom + Me event for Mothers’ Day, and Dad + Me event for Fathers’ Day. Watch the Calendar for details.
Duration | Three (3) hours
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $100 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of six (6) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Watercolour Brush Lettering | Workshop
Omigosh… Have you seen how popular watercolour brush lettering is right now? Wanna learn how to create these magical works of art yourself, using simple and readily available supplies? Join us for this 3-hour workshop, where I will introduce you to the basic stokes and techniques to master this skill. We will start with pencil for a few drills (easy, peasy!), move on to brush markers, and work our way up to watercolour paints + brushes. Absolutely no experience necessary… I promise!
Duration | Three (3) hours
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $100 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of eight (8) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Whimsical Watercolours | Workshop
Watercolour paints are a fun way to incorporate a little whimsy to your art projects. Add colour to doodles + illustrations, add backgrounds to scrapbook pages, create simple florals, and even brush letter the ABCs.
Perfect for beginners, this workshop explores the medium by looking at tools (brushes, papers, paints), how to mix colours, wet and dry techniques, and various brushstrokes. We will explore techniques used for florals, brush lettering, colouring, backgrounds, and more! A wonderful introduction to watercolours. Includes a mixed media art journal to take home. Absolutely no experience necessary!
Duration | Three (3) hours
Includes | All supplies. Tea, coffee, water.
Price per Person | $100 CAD + applicable taxes
Capacity | Limit of eight (8) participants.
All experience levels welcome.
Location | Local, in my studio.
Online available, though prices will vary.
Wanna hang out with me 365/24/7… Well, not quite, but close!?
Join my online CAMP Membership—your happy place for Creative Awakenings, Mindfulness + Play.
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