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The Farms: An Allerton Folk School
(SOLD OUT) Watercolor Travel Journal
with Deb Marett
Experience Level: All Levels
Make your vacation photos into works of art at Watercolor Travel Journal on Friday through Sunday, Aug. 22-24 from 1 to 5 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.
$95/person. Register by Aug. 11. 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.
Intermediate Mushroom Foraging--Aug. 23
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Intermediate
Those who completed beginner mushroom foraging classes at The Farms or have experience in identification can continue their journey at Intermediate Mushroom Foraging on Saturdays, Aug. 9, 16 & 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. outdoors (rain or shine). Meet at the Greenhouse Cafè Patio (in case of rain meet inside the Visitor Center).
Instructor Lee Schuler will lead two-hour hikes to find, collect and come together to identify mushrooms from the property. Classes will also cover environmental and growth habit, morphology, and edibility for each species that is found. The class will also log every species found to begin a wild fungi survey for Allerton.
$120 for the entire series or $50/class*. Register here by Aug. 6 or three days prior to subsequent classes. All sales are final.
*Students should bring a knife or scissors for collecting samples and wear clothing appropriate for walking up to two miles in various weather conditions.
PLEASE NOTE: Foraging at Allerton is not allowed except as part of this Farms class.
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.
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
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
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.
Mountain Dulcimer: Jam Session (Aug. 23)
with Lou Ann Koebel
Experience Level: Beginner
Gather with your fellow dulcimer musicians and create some music at Mountain Dulcimer Jam Sessions on Saturday, August 23 from 10:30 to 12:00 p.m. in the Studio. This gathering is perfect for those who have taken Beginner Mountain Dulcimer at The Farms and want a space to practice with fellow players.
$5/person. Register a day prior to each jam session. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lou Ann Koebel currently leads a weekly dulcimer jam for the East Central Dulcimer Illinois Dulcimer Club at Lincoln Square. She also plays in a local band that visits and performs at local assisted living facilities.
Last fall, she taught a beginning dulcimer class for The Farms, where she had a wonderful time teaching the group and realized her love of teaching and passing on the tradition of playing a mountain dulcimer. Lou Ann also plays at area music festivals.
Improve Your Improv (Aug 28)
with Kyle Tasch
Experience Level: All Levels
Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Aug 21 through Oct 2 in the Music Barn.
Kyle Tasch returns to The Farms to teach this popular course, which will be jam-packed with improvisational fun that will use both short-form games and long-form scenes in its sessions.
This will not be a place to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes, as students will be performing as much as possible! It will be a get-up-and-perform kind of class. The class will emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no script.
Students who have already completed this class are welcome to join again. Beginners and those experienced in improv are all encouraged to join!
$100/person for the series or $25/class. Register for the entire series by Aug 14 or one week before each subsequent class. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Kyle Tasch is an improvisor, improv teacher, filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician from the Chicago suburbs. He started performing improv in 2004 and has been improvising in front of audiences regularly since 2015.
He has also taught classes both in-person and remotely at Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois. He performs live across the state in various comedy and music acts and has produced hundreds of videos and songs.
Bee Hive Observation 8/31
with Maggie Wachter
Join us on a bi-monthly basis as we observe how honey bees manage hive activity during the summer at Bee Hive Observation on August 31. Classes will include an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will be discussed.
Participants should wear long sleeves and pants, loose-fitting garments and no open shoes. You should also bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.
$20/class. Register two days before each individual class. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
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.
About The Farms
The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, wellness, outdoor education, storytelling, and 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 here.
Santorini Stone Painting
with Sara Gentry
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn to paint on a beautiful surface at Santorini Stone Painting on Wednesday, September 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion Dining Room.
Mined in Greece, Santorini stone is a strikingly white and sparkling natural stone. It is often cut and polished for construction and landscape purposes.
In this course, instructor Sara Gentry will show how this smooth and sparkled surface makes it a uniquely wonderful canvas for painting!
$40/person. Register by Aug. 27. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order 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.
Improve Your Improv (Sep 4)
with Kyle Tasch
Experience Level: All Levels
Learn the skills of improvisation, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv on Thursdays, Aug 21 through Oct 2 in the Music Barn.
Kyle Tasch returns to The Farms to teach this popular course, which will be jam-packed with improvisational fun that will use both short-form games and long-form scenes in its sessions.
This will not be a place to sit down, hear lectures, and take notes, as students will be performing as much as possible! It will be a get-up-and-perform kind of class. The class will emphasize the mechanics needed to act out an entertaining and meaningful scene on the spot with no script.
Students who have already completed this class are welcome to join again. Beginners and those experienced in improv are all encouraged to join!
$100/person for the series or $25/class. Register for the entire series by Aug 14 or one week before each subsequent class. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Kyle Tasch is an improvisor, improv teacher, filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician from the Chicago suburbs. He started performing improv in 2004 and has been improvising in front of audiences regularly since 2015.
He has also taught classes both in-person and remotely at Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois. He performs live across the state in various comedy and music acts and has produced hundreds of videos and songs.
Botanically Inspired Pendant & Necklace
with Billie Theide
Experience Level: Beginner
Use inspiration from Allerton to create unique pieces of jewelry at Botanically Inspired Pendant & Necklace on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in The Studio.
In this beginning jewelry class taught by fiber artist Billie Theide, students will work with precious metal to create a unique, one-of-a-kind silver pendant inspired by the plants at Allerton. Students will learn to make a mold, work with raw silver, torch fire, patina and finish. Participants will also learn how to set up a home jewelry-making studio.
Course fees include 15 grams of silver, silver jump rings, a sterling silver chain and clasp, safety goggles, and a folder of handouts for future reference.
$220/person. Registration will close Aug. 30 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 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
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.