Experience Level: All Levels

Make your vacation photos into works of art at Watercolor Travel Journal on Friday through Sunday, July 10 to 12 from 12 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Deb Marett will teach the basics of watercolor painting, drawing skills and putting a layout together to create pages in journals that capture memories and turn them into a cherished keepsake that can be expanded.

On the first day, students will experiment on practice paper, focusing on how to break down images into simple shapes, the principles of watercolor, painting light to dark, mixing colors, handling brushes and other basics.

The second day, students will put together a page layout with thumbnail sketches and create pages in their journals, as well as a painted page.

On the third day, students will continue painting their journals, go outside and paint on location, and learn some basics of plein air painting.

$170/person*. Register by July 3. All sales are final.

*Students should bring:
— 5”x8” or larger book with quality cold press with 140# watercolor paper (spiral bound or bound to lay flat is the best). Suggested book: Hahnemuhle
— Watercolor paint set – suggested brand: Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor OR this similar pallet
— Sketchbook 4”X6” or larger
— Watercolor brush set (not waterbrush pens), including a flat brush at least 1” wide and large mop brush – suggested set: ARTIFY
— Mechanical pencil­
— Waterproof ink pen
— Eraser small in diamet

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Deb Marett is a professional artist whose work focuses on equestrian scenes, figurative scenes, and portraiture. She always travels with watercolors and a travel journal.

“It is an amazing way to remember moments of the trip, and spend time soaking up the places I visit,” Marett said.

She loves sharing her knowledge and teaching, and finding ways to make painting and drawing fun and accessible to anyone who wants to explore their creative side.

Experience Level: Beginner (ages 12+)

Learn about soft pastels and ways to use them through basic mark-making techniques at Introduction to Pastel Painting on Sunday, July 12th from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Mansion Library.

Serious artists ages 10 and older can sign up for this course, where award-winning artist Mandy Roeing will help students learn about pastels and paint to create a simple still life to take home. More than just a one-time painting project, this class is intended to give you basic pastel painting skills and knowledge that you can build on to continue creating.

$85/person (Ages 12+. Ages 12-15 need to be accompanied by a registered adult). Register by July 9th. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Award-winning artist Mandy Roeing resides in Downs with her husband and their two daughters. Inspired by the beauty and tranquility of nature, Roeing creates color-filled landscapes and beachscapes that go beyond representation to capture the emotion of a place.

All of Roeing’s paintings are done in soft pastels, a beautiful and versatile medium that she is passionate about sharing with others through both her work and classes. She is an instructor at the McLean County Arts Center and the Peninsula School of Art and holds regular classes in painting and drawing at her own studio and gallery space in downtown Bloomington.

Mandy earned her BFA in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina in 2004. She is the Vice President of the Illinois Prairie Pastel Society and an active member of the Peoria Art Guild. Her work has been published in The Pastel Journal magazine and the IAPS Globe and is in numberous private collections throughout the country and abroad.

Week 5: July 13-17

Ages: 5-7 (Acorns)

Creating takes a crafty turn in this hobby arts-themed week of camp! No fine arts at Summer Day Camp: Crafty Creations on July 13-17 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. – only the classic crafts of childhood: tie dye, recycled art, beading, paper crafts, and more.

$200/person for the week*. The following add-ons are available at registration: Early Arrivers from 7-8 a.m. ($15), After Care from 3-5:30 p.m. ($35), and lunch for the week ($25).  Campers can also bring their own lunch.

*Registration fees include two snacks, camp T-shirt and all necessary materials. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and a change of clothes/shoes.

Find Camp FAQs here: https://allerton.illinois.edu/allerton-day-camp-faq/

Experience Level: All Levels

Learn the basics of weaving and take home a basket at Basket Weaving: Long Way Home on Friday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

$100/person. Registration will close July 10 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Bonnie Rideout wove her first basket in 1994 and quickly caught the “basket bug.” She created a business — Bonnie’s Baskets in Decatur — in 2006 to teach others to weave. She is also a traveling instructor and has taught weaving in 18 states.

Find out more about Bonnie on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Etsy pages.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

Experience Level: Beginner 

Get a first-hand look at how honey bees manage hive activity at Beehive Observation on Sundays, April 12 & 26, May 10 & 24, June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, Aug. 2, 16 & 30 and Sept. 13 & 27 in The Studio and outside at the beehives.  

Instructor Maggie Wachter will provide an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will also be discussed. Each two-hour session may be attended as a standalone or combined with any or all other classes. 

$200/person* for the entire series or $30/class at the links below. Registration will close April 9 for the entire series or three days before each subsequent class. All sales are final. 

*Students should wear loose-fitting long sleeves and pants, close-toed shoes and bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.  

— April 12 
— April 26 
— May 10 
— May 24 
— June 7 
— June 21 
— July 5 
— July 19 
— Aug. 2 
— Aug. 16 
— Sept. 13 
— Sept. 27 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken. 

About the instructor 

When Maggie Wachter began her social work degree at the University of Illinois in 2008, she had no idea that she would become a beekeeper. As for honey, she kept a single jar in the back of her kitchen cabinet for recipes. Today she is a master beekeeper who never eats sugar. 

Maggie received her first hive as a gift in 2008. By 2010, she was enrolled in the Master Beekeeper course at the University of Florida. From there, things happened quickly to turn her life around. In 2012, she started teaching beekeeping for Parkland Community Education and today she is a beekeeping teacher, honey judge, mead maker and master beekeeper. 

She has also participated in honeybee research at the University of Illinois and the USDA.

Week 6: July 20-24

Ages: 5-7 (Acorns)

Music and sound are the focus of Summer Day Camp: Jammin’ Together on July 20-24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The natural environment at the Allerton provides so many opportunities to experience sound in ways that inspire the best music. Let’s join the chorus of crickets and jam together!

$200/person for the week*. The following add-ons are available at registration: Early Arrivers from 7-8 a.m. ($15), After Care from 3-5:30 p.m. ($35), and lunch for the week ($25).  Campers can also bring their own lunch. 

*Registration fees include two snacks, camp T-shirt and all necessary materials. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and a change of clothes/shoes.

Find Camp FAQs here: https://allerton.illinois.edu/allerton-day-camp-faq/ 

Week 6: July 20-24

Ages: 8-11 (Adventurers)

Music and sound are the focus of Summer Day Camp: Jammin’ Together on July 20-24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The natural environment at the Allerton provides so many opportunities to experience sound in ways that inspire the best music. Let’s join the chorus of crickets and jam together!

$200/person for the week*. The following add-ons are available at registration: Early Arrivers from 7-8 a.m. ($15), After Care from 3-5:30 p.m. ($35), and lunch for the week ($25).  Campers can also bring their own lunch.

*Registration fees include two snacks, camp T-shirt and all necessary materials. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and a change of clothes/shoes.

Adventurers go to the Monticello Family Aquatic Center twice a week.  Rider intake forms and payment directly to Piattran are required for pool transportation.  Pool entrance is included in camp registration fees.

Find Camp FAQs here: https://allerton.illinois.edu/allerton-day-camp-faq/ 

Experience Level: Beginner 

Enjoy all things lavender and make relaxing lavender products at Lovely Lavender on Wednesday, July 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Evergreen Lodge. 

Instructor Julie Lauper will lead students in a calming lavender workshop. Start with snacking on some lavender bread and lavender ice cream while drinking lavender lemonade, coffee or chai. Then, create lavender bath bombs, sugar scrubs, tea, sachets, and linen sprays. 

$75/person. Registration will close July 10 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken. 

About the instructor 

Julie Lauper has taught higher education for over 30 years, even in foreign countries. More recently, Lauper has been a K-8 in-school social worker. As the owner of Serenity Fields Farm, Lauper has run farm camps every summer for 11 years as well as selling herbal products. She also teaches at Richland Community College and Millikin University and loves working with kids and adults.