I believe that we are all artists and have a unique creative vision to express. Finding this unique expression through a process of exploration and artistic play is the foundation of this workshop. We’ll begin with expression rather than technique. We’ll explore intuition first, our personal expression, not the one we wish we had or the one we think we should have, but the one we were born with. We’ll explore our personal mark, through small and large, hand and body gestures on a variety of surfaces. We’ll use oil pastels, and other tools to begin to know our scribbles, our doodles and the flow of our artistic expression. Then, we’ll develop and aid its direction through the creation of a mixed media image on canvas. Mixed media provides a platform for artists of all levels. It can provide stress relief for beginning artists because you are encouraged to think freely—outside of the box, and to blend your interests into an often-surprising third outcome. For experienced artists, it helps them to think like a beginning artist again. Throw away some prior knowledge to rediscover and experience anew. We will play with paint, decorative papers and acrylic markers to create rich, expressive images.