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 27th 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 24th. 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.

Learn how to create unique Allerton-inspired prints at Printmaking in Nature on Wednesday, July 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Mansion Carriage House.

Although printmaking is often done with linoleum blocks and ink, it can also be done with gelatin. Instructor Sally Walsh will walk students through the different forms of printmaking, the importance of working with non-toxic materials, positive and negative images, and the basic principles of design and color.

$65/person*. Registration will close on July 29 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

*Bring a lunch or purchase one at the Greenhouse Café.

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.

Experience Level: Beginner

No barn? No problem! Join the barn quilt movement by creating your own painted quilt block to use at your own home at Barn Quilt Painting on Saturday, August 2 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Studio.

The workshop will start with a pre-primed board with a design already drafted (choose one of the 2 options). Students will tape and paint at their own pace, choosing from a wide variety of colors.

Instructor Jane Cade will also share history of barn quilts, techniques, tips, and discuss how to properly seal your finished piece after the paint has dried for 48 hours. Leave with a 20×20″ wooden ‘quilt block’ to keep for yourself or share your talents and give someone a handmade gift.

$90/person. Register by July 25. All sales are final.

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

About the Instructor

Jane Cade is a retired teacher from Clinton Junior High School. She has been painting barn quilts for eight years and sells her work online and at craft festivals. She teaches classes at Parkland Community College and will be teaching classes at her workshop beginning next year.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn to work with 11/0 glass seed beads at Beaded Jewelry on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 12 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Billie Theide will lead students through making a pair of beaded earrings, sharing a variety of techniques and finishes. These same techniques can be applied to jewelry that functions as brooches, bracelets and necklaces. Students will explore design process and color theory strategies, and will receive a folder of printed handouts.

$80/person. Register by Aug 1. 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 owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she is Professor Emerita. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Racine Art Museum, among others.

She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

About The Farms

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

Find the complete Summer Session schedule here.

Experience Level: All levels (ages 16+)

Grab a smock, roll up your sleeves and dive into the art of portraits at Experimental Portraiture Painting on Sunday, August 10th from 12 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Vivian Krishnan will help students learn experimental approaches to portraiture using charcoal, ink, paints and more. Studies will be done from a live portrait model. This course is open to all levels — including new students — and is also an excellent follow-up for those who participated in previous Live Figure Drawing classes at The Farms.

$110/person (ages 16+)*. Register by August 4. All sales are final.

*Students should wear clothes that can get a little messy and bring any art supplies they would like to use during this class. Students should bring a standard 9×12 mixed media pad of paper, pens, pencils and any media they would like to create with.

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

Vivian Krishnan is a multimedia artist with works that cross the vast stage of storytelling, from designing costumes for theatrical characters to writing and illustrating diverse children’s books. She received her bachelors in Durango, Colorado, focusing on Printmaking and Sculpture as well as earning her MFA at UIUC in Theatrical Design.

Vivian is a life-long learner of many mediums and is excited to see how art continues to play a role at Allerton.

Experience Level: Beginner

Make your own acrylic pour creation and enjoy time with other artists at Acrylic Pour Painting on Sunday, Aug. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium.

Instructor Alexis Henson of Alexis Walter Creations will introduce students to the artistic and spontaneous experience of abstract fluid art as they learn how to pour their own creations. Methods taught may include ring pour, string pull, and pouring on surfaces such as canvas and wood.

Students are welcome to purchase a drink in the Greenhouse Café to sip while they create!

$80/person (Ages 18+). Registration will close July 30 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

NOTE: Created artwork must remain undisturbed for 48 to 72 hours and will be ready for pickup within a week.

If you will need disability-related accommodations 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.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn a unique art form at Introduction to Stained Glass on Wednesday, Aug. 13th from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio.

Kari Keller will teach students how to cut, shape, and assemble a stained glass butterfly suncatcher in Introduction to Stained Glass. All students will take home a 5x7" suncatcher at the end of the workshop.

$125/person. Register here by July 30. 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

Kari Keller has been a Champaign/Urbana resident since 2008, originally hailing from the tiny community of St. Anne. Illinois. She has had a passion for art since she could hold a crayon and loves to experiment with many different styles, rarely sticking to one theme for long.

Keller has dabbled in cartoons, acrylic pouring, zentangles, patterns, logo design, pottery painting and other art forms. Her influences include Alphonse Mucha, HR Geiger and the art of Northwest coastal Native Americans. She also has a thriving side business as a face painter.

Kari is happiest when immersed in a new project and can’t imagine life without art!

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.

See the complete Spring Session schedule here. 

Experience Level: Any

Great for beginner and experienced basket weavers, students will learn to weave the Bloom Basket on Friday, August 15th from 12pm-4pm in the Greenhouse Auditorium. 

"Bloom" will begin by weaving a woven filled base using a D handle. Other techniques will include twining, start/stop weaving and the use of overlays. The accent colors are chocolate brown, gold, and reseda green. A pretty sunglower charm will adorn the front. 

$85/person*. Register here by Aug. 8. 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 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

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.

See the complete Summer Session schedule here.