Class Description: Using natural materials, you will learn how to bind broomcorn to a sapling handle using a traditional American-style weave. The binding string is held under pressure with your feet, leaving both hands free to create a wide variety of broom styles. Each student will hand craft a cobweb broom and one or more hand brooms. This class is open to beginning broom weavers and returning students. Please Note: this class ends at 3 PM on Sunday.

Lunch: Lunch is included in the class fee. If you have any dietary restrictions, please note them when you register.

Instructor Bio: Born in the west central mountains of Virginia, where he still resides, Gary Robinson learned the art of broom making in 1991 and has been making brooms full time since then. Gary’s brooms appeared in the historical drama Sommersby starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster and have been purchased by George Washington’s Mount Vernon for use in their portrayal of colonial life. Over the years, demonstrating and teaching his craft has been one of the most fulfilling parts of his journey.

Gary has been a juried Demonstrating Artisan at the Waterford Fair since 1991. He is a Waterford Landmark Artisan, exemplifying excellence in craft and education, and for his commitment to the Waterford Foundation's preservation mission. We recorded a conversation with Gary after his 2021 class, which is on our YouTube channel.

Class Description: In this class, you will create a small- to medium-sized window with a geometric or floral design. Learn how to cut glass sheets using a glass cutter, and shape the pieces to fit the design. You will learn how to prepare the glass for soldering and finish work, then piece them together using either the copper foil or lead cane method. The history of stained glass in churches, private homes and museums will also be discussed. This class is open to all levels of experience. The instructor will divide the class into small groups based on level of experience. Please Note: this class ends at 3 PM on Sunday.

Lunch: Lunch is included in the class fee. If you have any dietary restrictions, please note them when you register.

Instructor Bio: Mike Aylward has been creating stained glass windows since 1990. Originally from the Boston area, Mike opened North Shore Stained Glass in 1993 as a full service studio providing commissions, restorations, supplies, and art classes.

After moving to the Washington DC area, Mike opened Aldie Glassworks, providing custom stained and leaded glass windows and restorations. He has taught many classes over the years, from beginner, intermediate and advanced techniques, to restoring reclaimed windows, working with lead cane, and creating stained glass patterns from photographs. He has also earned the distinction of 'Waterford Landmark Artisan' for his excellence in craftsmanship and for his commitment to the Waterford Foundation and its mission to keep historic craft traditions alive.

Class Description: Unlike many art forms, which take years to master, marbling will inspire you with instant gratification and success! Learn traditional marbling techniques with carrageenan (powdered seaweed) and acrylic paints. Using rakes, combs, broomstraws, and other tools, you will learn patterns such as Feather, Bird Wing, Thistle, Frogs, Foot, Chevron, Peacock, Spanish Wave, Stone Marble, and more. Create 20 – 30 marbled papers and fat-quarter fabrics, which can be incorporated into collage, framed artwork, quilting, cards, journal covers, and more. Browse reference books in class & leave with an extensive take-home handout packet. Bring your love of art, your creativity, and curiosity--everything else will be included in the class fee!  Please Note: this class ends at 3 PM on Sunday.

Lunch: Lunch is included in the class fee. If you have any dietary restrictions, please note them when you register.

Instructor Bio: Peggy J. Wertheim, M.A.T. Surface Design Artist and Master Teaching Artist in marbling, silk painting, batik, shibori, and complex dyeing. Her 40+ year career began with textile color exploration and completion of a Master of Arts in Teaching from Miami University. Ms. Wertheim has exhibited at hundreds of juried and invitational shows and galleries simultaneously while offering workshops. This allows her to share her expertise and creativity with her love of teaching. In 2013, she was the only Teaching Artist in the USA selected to attend the prestigious Rauschenberg Foundation Power of Art Conference. She currently devotes herself to teaching workshops, private classes, and creating her Art to Wear and framed artworks.

Dive into the creative process and experiment with a variety of art media including painting, oil pastels, clay, and mixed media. Connect to nature during the art process, creating outside as weather permits. The projects are open-ended and allow for creative freedom and personal exploration. Students will have the opportunity to play nature games and enjoy fun group activities together. It will be a JOYFUL week, full of creativity and nature play.

Please note: an additional $25 materials fee will be due to the Waterford Foundation by the first day of Camp. We will be in touch with additional details and the materials fee invoice about a month before the camp begins. 

Instructor Bio: Alika Middleton is an artist and art educator who empowers her students to trust their own creative process. She has taught visual art for the last nine years in international and private schools ranging from early childhood to high school. She is the founder of Wild Wonder Creators, a program that brings creative arts and nature together in a playful and explorative way. As an educator, she values the importance of social-emotional learning by making sure all of her students feel safe, seen, and fully supported.

Class Description: In rural areas, the art of barn quilt painting has become a popular way to celebrate America’s agricultural and cultural past while adding cheery pops of color to outdoor structures. Create your own 24” x 24” barn quilt painting--the perfect size for mounting on your shed, home, or business! Using a quilt block design that you bring from home for inspiration, you will learn how to scale and transfer the pattern onto a prepared wooden board, then you will be guided through the process of taping, painting, and sealing it. Most complete projects will have one or more coats of protective sealant by the end of the class; students will be given enough sealant to complete the process at home. If time allows, a smaller 12”x12” painting can be started for an additional $10 fee, which can be paid directly to the instructor in class.

Lunch: Lunch is included in the class fee. If you have any dietary restrictions, please note them when you register.

Instructor Bio: Vyvyan Rundgren became interested in painted floor cloths (both on canvas and linoleum), which gave a new dimension to her life-long love of art. For eight years she was an instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School in NC and also taught workshops throughout central Virginia. The painted floor cloth concept expanded to include floor quilts (fabric) and floor pages (paper). Her book, Floor Cloths, Quilts & Pages was released in 2015.

Vyvyan serves as an officer on the Board of Directors for the Art Guild of Greene County. Through the Art Guild and with the support of the Greene County Economic Development & Tourism she founded the Blue Ridge Barn Quilt Project and it has grown to be the largest barn quilt trail in Virginia, now having over 150 artworks on display. She not only paints many of the barn quilts, she also conducts workshops to teach others how to create their own.

Class Description: Pine needle basketry is a craft tradition developed by American Indians in the Southeastern and Western U.S. states, where longleaf pine trees grow. In this class, you will learn how to coil and stitch longleaf pine needles to create a useful basket. Students will select from a variety of centers as a point of departure, then learn how to wrap and stitch the needles together; historical techniques will be discussed. No previous basket weaving experience is necessary!

Lunch: Lunch is included in the class fee. If you have any dietary restrictions, please note them when you register.

Instructor Bio: For Cory Ryan, art was always a hobby and her therapy from a stressful IT job. She started with folk art and had a goal to learn something new as the years went by. She learned to make baskets with longleaf pine needles from a friend’s mother, who had learned from her mother. She is pleased to carry on this heritage craft tradition. She teaches a variety of classes, ranging from quilling to pine needle basketry, and is serving her fourth term as President of the Art Guild of Greene in Greene County, VA. Now retired from the corporate world, Cory creates art to display and sell at a local craft shop in Ruckersville, VA.