Blog: Workshops

Mixed Media Circus Whimsical Collage – Photos

Ready for an epic photo capture of the 3 Day Collage Workshop my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and I taught in Coventry, UK for Art Workshops last week?

We had a fabulous time with 32 students – and started Friday by creating lots of patterned paper.

Making marks

stamping

layering stencils

smiling :)

whistling

layered stamping and scratching

layering and splattering

just going going going

It was so much fun to watch everyone being in the zone :)

well…I hope they had as much fun watching us LOL

more layered stencils

look at my new Hex in action – Diane rocked this pattern!

Ally aka Piere aka Sam ;) (insider joke) agreed to spice up the photos a bit …there was a lot of that as you will see this weekend LOL

And then it was time for the next day and starting the first six collages and talking about Elements and Principles of Design.

We had some collaborative fun!

 

and some wand waving was included too (again ….insider joke sorry LOL)

I think it was a lot of fun to work on a big surface too for a change

and then we just looked at all the sheets that were created and were part of what we taught that day

On the third day Julie and I started with a demo of how we usually work in a series

while making fun of each other ;)

and then it was up to our amazing students to put everything they learned in the last 2 1/2 days into six collages.

we did our best to help …oh brother ;)

Look at happy Abs – such a contagious smile :)

Beautiful messes were made

 

 

lots of wonderful transfers

and of course lots of photos were taken in between

 

 

And then for the final everyone displayed their 12 collages on a piece of paper and we had a good look at all of them.

The leap between the first six and the second six on the final day were amazing. And soooo much color and happiness.

We had such a great time and it fills me with a lot of happiness to look at those photos. Thank you all so much for coming to this workshop and jumping into this crazy artful adventure with us :) Thank you to Sue from Art Workshops and her amazing team Dawn, Debbie and Leroy for all the wonderful help and making us feel super welcome. This was the second time I taught for Sue and sure hope it wasn’t the last :)

I am taking a in-person teaching hiatus most of 2019 as I have some big plans and …well some of you might have seen it, we are on a house hunt which is taking up a lot of time (plus the way it looks it will def. a house that requires a lot of work). Cross your fingers for us – it is a bit stressful to find a place esp. in this area – I won’t lie ;)  Join me meanwhile for my online workshops here and watch this place in the next months for even more online workshops :)

 

Comments (4)

  • Dawn

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    Fabulous memories of a fabulous weekend. It was lovey to meet you for the first time and see you inspire so many students. Hope to see you again soon xx

    Reply

  • Hazel Agnew

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    Without doubt the best course for content that I have ever experienced! Learned so much. And we had a ball at the same time. Grateful thanks! Xx

    Reply

  • Ally

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    Glad I could spice up those photos! ?
    It was a truly awesome weekend!!! Thankfully we had fabulous teachers too!!! Xxx

    Reply

  • Debbie Martin

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    So many wonderful memories of a very special weekend. Fantastic to see you again and looking forward to next time. Tapping my thumbs frantically for you. Hugs Debbie xx

    Reply

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Photos of the OstseeScrap Workshops in Germany

I had such a great time teaching for the third time at the Baltic Sea for the Ostsee Scrap Retreat in Germany. It was wonderful to see so many known and new faces again and yes it was also fun to teach in German for a change again :)

18 gorgeous ladies joined for the 3-Day Retreat filled with different workshops ranging from pure Scrapbooking to Art Journaling to Mixed Media Canvases. I taught two workshops starting with a Mono Printing workshops.

From some basics about using different tools

and supplies to create texture and patterns

we worked our way up.

Made our own stamps and stencils

and got our hands dirty with wonderful colors

Some created backgrounds for Scrapbooking Layouts

And some created some Mono Print Paintings

It was a fun morning

and I am super happy to report that many are joining the dark site of mono printing ;)

I hooked them up  LOL. they cannot be stopped anymore!

I lurked in some of the other classes – here is Mel teaching an amazing mini album workshop …and as you can see the students are very behaved ;)

And here is a photo of Denise and me …also well behaved …and no, I did not drink hahaha- jet lag at its finest ;)

I also had a little bit time on Saturday to down the beach – which is about 3 mins next to the workshop room

Even though it was raining in between it was wonderful to walk around , and breathe in some fresh air.

I miss those iconic Windbreaker Seats – Strandkorb – typical for the Nordic Sea and Baltic Sea in Germany . When I see one of those I always feel wind in my hair and smell sunscreen …no kidding

And …another typical sight -a smoked fish hut along the beach. Also pretty cool.

I was also super stoked to see my sweet friend Andrea again – she was also teaching and I haven’t seen her personally in about 4 years. She and I go way back together in doing what we do :)

Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture with Sandra who also taught a wonderful workshop – but hopefully next time :)

On Sunday I taught an art journaling class

Loved seeing some self made journals

but also some students decided to use the techniques in their daily journals

or on background papers for scrapbooking Layouts

and even in mini albums

I love that- it just shows the versatility of the techniques that you can use in an art journal.

I loved gorgeous patterns

colors

and how the stencils and stamps were being used –

And loved seeing some super free pages

 

 

I had a great time- thanks Susan for the shot of me at the end of the last workshop

Danke ! to all the students – it was so wonderful – AMAZZZZIIIINNNNGGG – wedel wedel – to see you and thank you to Dani, who once again organized a great retreat- thank you for having me!

If you would like to take an in-person class with me, I am teaching two more in-person classes this year:

there is one spot left in a workshop at my home on October 13th “Transfer, Trace, Transform” and I am also teaching a Mixed Media Collage WS with my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in Coventry, UK for Art Workshops on November 2-4- and I think there are one or two spots left.

If you cannot join me in-Person – check out my new Online Class – BYO Art Journal – it is super fun !!!

Comments (2)

  • Denise

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    It was such a pleasure and *fangirlmode on* honor *fangirlmode off* to meet you.

    The workshops were aaaaaammmmmmaaaaaaazzzzzziiiiiiinnnnnnnggggg.

    Love from the Baltic Sea <3

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      AWEEEE- Denise es war so schön, Dich zu treffen!!! BUSSSIIIIII – nat

      Reply

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Workshops at A Work of Heart in San Jose

Last week I taught two workshops at A Work of Heart in San Jose. I taught in Andrea’s old studio last year and was excited to come back and to check out Andrea’s new place – a gorgeous huge new studio with ample of room for creative fun. It’s a dream!

Also – this mural in progress on the side of the studio – love! And …note the cats in the picture ;)

The first workshop day was my “Mono Print Painting” Class and we explored the basics for mono printing and then took it a notch further.

Using a gel plate, lots of fun colors and tools.

We made collage paper

using stamps, stencils and brayers

and moved way up to some more thought out prints.

so much fun…

And of course- the most important thing “Don’t overthink”

We worked with different paint media on top , made our own stamps and tools

and there so many fun and colorful patterns – Loved it!

Oh and then there was Bob “Bobby”…he was being fostered with two siblings at A Work of Heart and he was asking to be taken home with me….and since hubby said “well if you figure out the transportation problem” …

Here is the group from Sunday!

On Monday I taught my “Art Rules – Art Journaling ” Class – always love the exploration in color theory part of it and see what the students create

 

We looked at artwork from different Modern Artists and let us inspire for different techniques and methods.

Loved seeing my new Circle Jumble Rubber Stamps in action too.

as well as the other rubber stamps, foam stamps and stencils.

I had such a good time with my students and Andrea – well and …the little kitten will always remind me of the workshop as well ;) Yes- of course we figured out the transportation problem ;)

BTW there are still two adorable sisters waiting to be adopted – so if you are in the area (Andrea would even bring them a couple miles!) and want your heart be melting by kitten cuteness overload….contact Andrea ! They are total studio artsy cats, super cuddly and used to people and other cats

Thank you for a great time and lots of laughter, creative play, and inspiration. I love teaching and spending time with students is always a treat. Thanks Andrea for having me once again and for being such a wonderful host (and also thank you for this bundle of joy – LOL). I hope I will be back again :)

If you want to take an In-Person-Class with me- check out the schedule for the rest of this year. I will be teaching in Germany in September at an Ostsee Scrap Retreat, as well as a workshop co-taught with my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in the UK,  and I will be adding a workshop in my own space soon.

Comments (4)

  • Julie b

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    What a great recap of your 2-day workshops! I can relive them over and over again here. LOL! Thank you for a fabulous time filled with learning……about various artists, so many techniques, playing with your fabulous stamps/stencils and of course, laughter. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to do in-person workshops here and glad that your trip with “Bob” was a success. He seems to have adapted to life in New Jersey well…..loved to see him scampering up and down the stairs. YIKES!

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      It was so wonderful to see you again Julie- always so much fun to be with you! Hahaha- yeah Bobby Pretzel is a handful -LOL but brings much joy :)

      Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    That mountain page and the one with all that blue and the house on the left…swoon!
    Congrats on your new fur baby and what does cat #1 think of kitty #2?

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Yeah- those pages were superb!
      Hahah- cat #1 is curious, playful and peeved all at the same time …it takes a bit of time…

      Reply

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Workshops in Oregon, Cali, & Online

Hello my West Coast friends! I am coming to Runaway Art & Craft Studio in Salem, OR in October to teach 2 workshops: one that is all about getting the most from your Gelli Plate and a second one that is a NEW art journaling class.

Saturday October 13th, 2018: Uber Gelli Plate Printing

Join me for a day long class, diving into the basics and beyond of gelli plate printing. We’ll play with pattern making and we’ll discuss color theory and design. I will introduce you to the Mono Print Painting technique inspired by H.N. Werkman and we’ll learn different ways to create elaborate and layered mono printed paintings. Using self made tools, stamps and stencils, we’ll take your gelli plate printing to a whole new level. This is the ultimate in uber fun and easy printing techniques.

To register: call Runaway Art & Craft Studio at 503-881-6270 or email christy@runawayart.com

Here are some fun photos from when I taught this class last – so many beautiful prints, happy faces and great memories!!!

And the next day a brand NEW Art Journaling class that you will love…

Sunday October 14th, 2018: Transfer, Trace, Transform

Get ready to transform your art journal!

Join me for a fun day of exploring different ways to trace and transfer images into your art journal pages. The imperfect look of transferred photos can serve either as a building block of your layering process or as a stand alone focal point of a page. Tracing techniques provide just as many creative choices, and we’ll learn loose tracing techniques based on different image sources to give you a variety of options for your art journaling. Not only are there many ways to actually transfer or trace images, there are also many ways to transform those images in your art journal into something personal and unique.

To register: call Runaway Art & Craft Studio at 503-881-6270 or email christy@runawayart.com

This is a brand new workshop that I am super excited to share with you. Here are some of my own art journal pages that use techniques that we will be learning in the class:

I hope to see you there and maybe you make it a full out Artsy Weekend and join me for both :)

Also don’t forget if you are in Northern California I am teaching in July workshops at A Work of Heart in San Jose, CA:

July 29: Uber Gelli Plate Printing – Take your gelli plate printing to the next level with this one day workshop on mono printing and layered printmaking.

July 30: Art Rules- Art in  Translation Art Journaling – A one day art journaling adventure where we take inspiration from the techniques of master artists and then translate it to our own unique style.

Sign up for these workshops in San Jose by July 8th for Early Bird pricing!

And finally, maybe you cannot see me on the West Coast and maybe you LOVE taking an online workshop and still learn something new:

Art Journal Summer School is just for you – Join me and 12 other awesome teachers for a 10 week online workshop to keep you art journaling this summer. This workshop is designed to fit in your busy summer schedule – no big commitments here! There will be 21 fun, short downloadable videos and 1 e-book, and all of the teachers will be using similar materials that can fit in a small travel bag, so you can take us with you, wherever you go this summer!

Hurry Up: AJSS begins July 1!

See you here, there, and everywhere this summer :)

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Photos of my Workshop in Oklahoma

Last weekend I taught my 3-Day Splash of Color Workshop at My Heart’s Fancy in Oklahoma. We started out with blank papers, filled them with lot’s of pattern, and imagery and then bound them into art journals.

We did a lot of gelli printing/mono printing the first day- look at those colorful pages

Love all the texture – yummie!

We used tons of my stencils and stamps- always tickles me to see a wall of my designs :)

And we had a ton of fun – I love spending a whole weekend with a group of sweet talented students!

Look at Marcia colorful gelli plate :)

Time flies when you play with paint and colors – the three days went by in a breeze

Creating the covers was a big hit too  – happy faces

and thinking faces ;)

Now how can you not enjoy a weekend with all those smiling peeps :)

And it was so much fun to see how everyone loved their newly bound book on the second day and working in it.

 

yummie patterns with my ArtFoamies – I always love seeing the color combinations my students choose. So inspiring.

We also did some transfers and they looked fabulous!!!

And we created some funky clothing and city scapes with my RubberMoon stamps.

And here are all the beautiful bound art journals – 78 pages thick- such a happy colorful sight!

Thank you to all the wonderful students – I loved spending time with you, creating, laughing, chatting, eating …and eating delicious homemade cake (thank you Lynda!) and sharing supplies and ideas. Thank you also to Maura and Lisa for having me once again – I always love coming back.

If you would like to take an in-person class with me, I am teaching in May two classes in Kentucky at Ephemera Paducah which will be super fun. I will also teach in Toronto (Canada), San Jose (CA), Boltenhagen (Germany) and Coventry (UK) this year. For more information check my In-Person Workshop page I would love to see you.

Comments (6)

  • Sue Clarke

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    Looks like a fun class and an awesome store to shop in!

    Reply

  • Maura

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    I must say that this was such a wonderful workshop. Fun, inspiring…. in one word – delightful! Thank you Nathalie. You taught us such wonderful things and we enjoyed having you with us again!

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Thank you Maura- it is always such a pleasure to come back and teach for you!!! See you soon again!

      Reply

  • Donna B.

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    Looks like it was a wonderful class!!! I envy those lucky students!!

    Reply

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A Weekend of Fun – May Workshops in Kentucky

I’ll be teaching two workshops May 18th, 19th-20th at Ephemera Paducah – the day-long Mono Print Painting class and the 2-day Artful Adventures in Art Journaling class.

This is going to be a super fun weekend of creativity – truly an Artful Adventure :) Also this weekend in the cute town of Paducah is their big Arts and Music Festival so you will be creating and learning during the day and then you can enjoy the festivities at night around town. It is a great time to plan a weekend getaway with lots to enjoy in Paducah.

Here is the registration link and info about signing up for both workshops to save $$$!

Mono Print Painting: Friday, May 18th: 9am – 5pm (Lunch, drinks, and snacks included!)

Join me with you gelli plate for a day long class in Mono Print Painting. We will dive into the basics of mixed media mono printing first and I will introduce you to the Mono Print Painting technique inspired by H.N. Werkman. I will show you different ways on how to create elaborate and layered mono printed paintings using self made tools as well as stamps and stencils. I will share with you my thinking process on developing the technique and how we you can put your own personal spin on it, so that you can take your art to a whole different level.

Artful Adventures in Art Journaling: Saturday-Sunday, May 19th-20th: 9am – 4:30pm (Lunch, drinks, and snacks included both days!)

Let’s go on an Artful Adventure together and explore all the different ways to find inspiration for our Art Journaling!

Pack your bags with the basics for this 2-day adventure. We’ll explore color theory and ways to master composition with the Principles of Art. As our journey begins we’ll meet some of the great artists of the world and see how their style and methods can inspire our own creations. Then as we travel together we’ll spend some time exploring transfer techniques, collage and layering processes, and ways to create both visual and actual texture. All along the way, we’ll be gathering inspiration from the sights we see and the people we meet. We’ll pull everything together when we reach our destination – the pages of our Art Journal!

So join us for this weekend of creating art, learning, and enjoying a special event all in Paducah, Kentucky!

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Workshop with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in the UK! November 2018

The Mixed Media Circus is coming to town in Coventry, UK! Come one, come all! Join Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and myself for 3 days of mixed media madness in our newest workshop: Whimsical Collage. Take an art making vacation with us November 2nd-4th, 2018 with the amazing folks at Art Workshops in Coventry.

Mixed Media Circus: Whimsical Collage – A thrilling three-day art adventure awaits you! Join Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Nathalie Kalbach for an intensive art-making weekend packed with tips, techniques, ideas, laughter, and excellent instruction. Over the three days we will create our own unique papers, build complex backgrounds, layer collage and paint and collage again, use stamps, use stencils, draw, splatter, scrape, and learn varied art concepts from color mixing to design principles. You will leave the workshop with TWELVE completed mixed media collages and an arsenal of art techniques and ideas that can be used in your art journal, on canvas, and while papercrafting. You do not want to miss out on this opportunity to expand your repertoire of techniques! Please join us for Mixed Media Circus: Whimsical Collage.

To sign up and claim your spot, contact:

Sue Tucker, Art Workshops

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NorthEastArtWorkshops/

Email – info@artisttradingpost.com

Phone 07769 342 995

See YOU in Coventry!

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2018 Workshop Schedule

I hope to see you at one of my In Person Workshops happening all over the world! Whether you are looking for classes on art journaling, gelli printing, mixed media techniques, inspiration for your artwork, or you are just looking for an awesome and fun creative day, there is something for everyone. Be sure to check out my classes and sign up early – It will be a busy year for me and in fact I have already organized all of the workshops that I will be teaching in 2018. Here is the big list:


April in Oklahoma – Details Coming Soon!

April 7th and 8th at My Heart’s Fancy – I’m returning to teach more workshops and will have more details very soon :)


 

May in Kentucky – Mono Print Painting and Artful Adventures in Art Journaling

May 18th – Mono Print Painting at Ephemera Paducah – Let’s take our gelli plate printing to a whole new level and discover the mono printing technique of H.N.Werkman. We’ll create complex, layered mono prints as elements of our mixed media work and as stand alone artwork. Sign up here!

May 19th – 20th – Artful Adventures in Art Journaling 20th at Ephemera Paducah – This 2 day workshop will take you on a journey built to inspire your art journaling. We’ll learn some fundamentals about color, composition, and the principles of art, we’ll explore the work of famous artists, and then we’ll see how to apply that knowledge and inspiration through the use of transfer techniques, layering, and collage. Sign up here!


June in the UK – Stroll Around the Block with Nathalie Kalbach and Birgit Koopsen

June 22nd – 24th in Coventry – We’re returning to Coventry to teach a brand new workshop! We’ll take you on a creative scavenger hunt, make inspiration maps, play with Birgit and Nat’s favorite tools, and we’ll translate everything into unique, personal art journal pages. Learn to see your environment in a new way and to use it to inspire awesome artwork!

Sign up details coming soon!

 


July in San Jose – Uber Gelli Plate Printing and Art Rules

July 29th and 30th at A Work of Heart.

Uber Gelli Plate Printing – Join me for a day long class, diving into the basics and beyond of gelli plate printing. We’ll play with pattern making and we’ll discuss color theory and design. I will introduce you to the Mono Print Painting technique inspired by H.N. Werkman and we’ll learn different ways to create elaborate and layered mono printed paintings. Using self made tools, stamps and stencils, we’ll take your gelli plate printing to a whole new level. This is the ultimate in uber fun and easy printing techniques.

Art Rules – Art in Translation Art Journaling – We’ll look to the style and technique of master artists for inspiration for our own art journaling. We’ll learn about opacity and layering, colors, troubleshooting, mixing materials, making your own tools, creating backgrounds and patterns. We will work with acrylic paints, inks, markers, wax bars and other paint media to create dimension and texture.

More information coming soon!


September in Germany – OstseeScrap 2018

September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd at Tolles Ding – 8 Kurse + 4 Workshopleiter + leckeres Essen + 50 Meter zum Strand = OstseeScrap 2018!


October in Oregon – Details Coming Soon!

October 13th and 14th at Runaway Art & Craft in Salem, Oregon – so excited to come back – detail son the workshops coming soon!


 

November in the UK – Mixed Media Circus: Whimsical Collage with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Nathalie Kalbach

November 2nd – 4th in Coventry – A thrilling three-day art adventure awaits you! Join Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Nathalie Kalbach for an intensive art-making weekend packed with tips, techniques, ideas, laughter, and excellent instruction. Over the three days we will create our own unique papers, build complex backgrounds, layer collage and paint and collage again, use stamps, use stencils, draw, splatter, scrape, and learn varied art concepts from color mixing to design principles. You will leave the workshop with TWELVE completed mixed media collages and an arsenal of art techniques and ideas that can be used in your art journal, on canvas, and while papercrafting. You do not want to miss out on this opportunity to expand your repertoire of techniques! Please join us for Mixed Media Circus: Whimsical Collage.

Details coming in Mid January!!!

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Hope to see you in the New Year at a few of my workshops!SaveSave

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Workshops at Runaway Art & Craft in Oregon

Last weekend I made my way to Oregon to teach at Runaway Art & Craft – look at this cool view I had from the plane of Mount Hood!

It was so lovely to meet Christy the owner- she has an amazing store – you have to check it out when you are in the area. Can you tell I loved her:

And such a cool classroom as well – spacious and well organized and hey…a brick wall …you gotta love a brick wall as well!

Saturday I taught my Stroll Through the Hood Workshop and a Master Art Express Art Journaling Workshop

Loved all the cool color combinations people started out with on their Ampersand boards in the Stroll Through the Hood Class.

 

Love this gorgeous swirly sky and the patterns on here

 

So much fun to see the different interpretations .

Loved how this was stamped with the back of my ArtFoamies Midtown Stamps and then using the door stamp from My Home is My Castle stamp set as a window- as well as my new art deco house.

It was so cool to see all the new stamps in store as well – it was the first time I was using them in a workshop – woot woot.  A lot of them sold out but she might still have a couple!

 

 

We even did a group photo- yeahhh!

Loved the art journal classes as well- loads of pattern play and color exploration.

Look at all the stencils and stamps- It is still a weird thing to see- seriously!

Here is my wonderful sunday crowd – they were so much fun too!!!

This weekend made me super happy- I just love hanging out with people that love to create and smile a lot :)

Art Journal Spread before some color hit it

 

Thank you so much to all the students for coming to the classes and spending such a fun and wonderful time with me and thank you Christy for having me! I hope I will be back some time :)

If you want to take a workshop with me in-person – some of my 2018 workshops are posted here – some i still need to add – I would love to see you ! I am super excited that I will actually be also teaching in Europe 4 times next year, I will be teaching in The Netherlands in April,  in the U.K in June together with my sweet friend Birgit Koopsen, in Germany in September, and in the U.K again in November with my wonderful friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. More infos soon :)

Comments (6)

  • Jackie P Neal

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    Nat,
    Such awesome photos you shared here! Obviously you taught well and these ladies were so inspired- the artworks they made are beautiful!
    My favorite photo is the one that shows all of your stamps and stencils!! What a feeling that must be to see that and to know you have realized a dream! Congratulations to you on all of your endeavors!
    Off to Rubbermoon to see your new stamps- I am so syked! (sic)
    hugs & love,Jackie

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Awe- thank you Jackie- it is indeed always a weird feeling to see the stuff in a store- kind of a like a pinch me now moment :)
      hugs and love right back :)

      Reply

  • Clavell

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    You set the tone for FUN, Nathalie! I loved your exercises in color theory and your encouragement to find our own style by exploring the work of our favorite Masters! You are a wonderful and gifted teacher! ♥

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      It was so wonderful to have you Clavell! Loved what you did with the boards and your flower -exercise was so beautiful. Have a wonderful holiday season and hopefully next year again :)

      Reply

  • Pam Hansen

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    The weekend was so awesome. It was so much fun, definetly lots of smiling and learning going on in my corner! Thank you for sharing your artsy goodness, smiles, talent and time with us.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      Pam – it was so wonderful to meet you- I loved having you in class and going full in with all the creative inspiration. Have a wonderful holiday season and lots of time for artsy goodness :)

      Reply

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