2025 09 Leighanna Light at Shake Rag Alley and The Little Tree Library

 Books Without Borders: Uniting Assemblage & Books

Sept 11-14, 2025

Schedule: 9am-4pm Thu-Sun

Instructor: Leighanna Light

I was able to take this workshop just a few days after leading my own workshop at Shake Rag Alley. It was a quick turnaround but it was worth it as Leighanna Light, an artist from Taos, New Mexico, was coming to town. 

Here is her course description: "Part book, with thick, solid pages and part assemblage, we’ll build on these books and adorn them with metal transfers, fabric and other small found objects. We will then incorporate these chunky books into a larger assemblage, using a variety of techniques to use on metal, paper and fabric including several transfer methods, rust dyeing, leaf printing, collage & surface design on fabric and metal. We will cover all aspects of assemblage including problem solving, cold connecting, composition, color and contrast. If you’d like you can choose to incorporate a story, theme or a collection of special memories of a person or event. You will have plenty of time to play and experiment, and I will work with you individually to problem solve and create."

Here are Leighanna's class samples. 

Our class was held in the Lind Pavilion. 

With apologies to my fellow classmates, I did not get pictures of everyone or their art. Here is what I have. 

Catherine

Christina

Cris

Dara

Gayle

Karen

Rhonda

Susan

My Art

Thus we have The Little Tree Library. It is 12"H X 8"W X 7"D. It consists of 2 Wood Boxes, Wood Block, Cathedral Shaped Wood, Twig, Jar Cover, Button, 2 Gesso Covered Tins, Cheese Cloth and 5 Handmade Books.

2025 09 A Hollow That Needs To Be Filled Workshop at Shake Rag Alley

 A Hollow That Needs To Be Filled

September 5-7, 2025

Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, WI

Schedule: 9am-4:30pm Fri-Sun and optional evening hours Fri-Sat

Option Open Studio: Monday, September 8, 2025

It is time again for me to lead another workshop at Shake Rag Alley. Here is the workshop description: "Our goal in this workshop is to fill the voids created by the objects we select to work with over three days. No matter what the source of the hollow or niche, we will consider what best fills the empty space that it contains. We will also work with layers, combining multiple hollows into a complex work of art. Participants can bring their own sources of hollows or niches from home but many samples will be provided to fill the weekend with opportunities. A hollow or niche can be anything with an empty space that needs to be filled. Some examples are reversed cradled boards, hollowed objects or bowls/cups. Virtually anything with some depth can make a mysterious story come to life as other objects, images or text are used to fill the voids. Feel free to bring from home any of the suggested niches in the student supply list. We will be mounting the niches on assembled substrates of our choice. Feel free to bring from home any of the suggested substrates in the student supply list. Gary will be teaching the basics of assemblage construction and mixed media techniques so that you will be able to create a work of art with a hollow as the central subject. Gary will be providing all the tools, mediums and lots of objects to help grow your art project. There will be time to share ideas and learn from fellow participants. Three days, free crap, cool art, and lots of fun."

At Shake Rag Alley I am lucky that my workshops are in the Lind Pavilion. We use one end for all the lectures, tools and junk storage. 

The goodies have to be covered before the workshop

to avoid the shark feeding frenzy when the participants become

Junk Drunk

Shake Rag has this great screen for PowerPoints

Each participant gets their own table in the other end of the pavilion

Every one works very hard for the three days of the workshop. There was also an optional Monday open studio.

Here are my great participants:

Anne

Barb

The Legend: Beth Hobby (Thanks, Beth, for being you!)

Beth

Chris

Christy (the Ambassador of Mineral Point)

Cris

Dara

Diane

GailForce

Jean

Karen

Karen "KRob"

Kathy F

Kathy E W

Photo by Denice

Mara

Pam

Pam has her hands on the piece Denice and I purchased for our collection

Steph

Theresa

On the table is my personal Best In Show work of art

Vicki

Photo by Jonna Wensel

Thanks to Shake Rag Alley and its great staff

Christina, Jonna and Mike

Thanks to Denice for all her help--I could not do this without her

and

Thanks to all the participants in A Hollow That Needs To Be Filled