SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
See what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Write Your Own “Snapshot” Memoir with Heather Douglas
Do you have a memory floating around in your mind? Harness that moment by writing your own “Snapshot Memoir.” We will use a plethora of writing prompts and exercises to mine for a powerful snapshot and then write a 1-2 page memoir using Donald Murray’s “The Stranger in the Photo is Me” as a mentor text. If possible, bring a photo of yourself from more than 5 years ago.
Heather Douglas is a high school writing teacher, freelance writer and illustrator. She has self-published two hand-illustrated coloring books, a book of poetry and various zines. She was the recipient of Astoria Visual Arts W-i-R Writer Residency and has been published in various publications.
COST: $30
BRING: a printed photo of yourself from more than 5 years ago (please bring your photo PRINTED ON PAPER so it can be shared with the class, sorry the Sou’wester cannot print your photo for you). Bring something to write with, and paper to write on. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
This workshop is for all ages. 10 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
Winter 2020 Workshop Series
Real Red, True Blue & Fast Yellows: Using Ancient Natural Dyes to Create Lasting Beauty with instructor Iris Sullivan Daire
11am-3pm class each day: Fri, Sat, Sun Jan 17, 18, 19
(optional open studio work time 4-6pm Friday and Saturday)
Indigo, Madder, and Weld – the names are an incantation for the trinity of natural color in the ancient world of Europe and the Near East. Meanwhile in the Americas, they created amazing textiles and painting manuscripts with Indigo, Cochineal and Marigolds starting over 6,000 years ago.
In this three day immersion workshop we will delve into the potential of these 5 nature based dyes to create pure and long lasting colors. Each day will focus on one of the three primaries. Sourcing directly from the raw materials, we will create vibrant hues on cloth and paper.
This class will provide a strong foundation for working with natural dyes, including the science that makes it all work, how to best prepare fibers, and growing dye plants.
The students will work together creating a full rainbow of dyed cloth samples, and experience the alchemy of making pigment lakes that can be turned into inks and paint. Each student will take home a detailed instruction booklet, a rainbow cloth, and the dye portfolio they create for future reference.
(An optional small final project can be completed during the open studio hours outside of class.)
Friday: Royal Reds- Madder Root & Cochineal Bugs
Dye Session, and making a Madder Lake
Saturday: The Sky and Sea – Indigo Blues
Dye session, and Mayan Blue pigment
Sunday: Yellow like the Sun- Pure Weld & Sacred Marigolds
Dye session and Weld Lake
Iris Sullivan Daire is fascinated with plants and color. She lives with her family in Astoria Oregon where she grows dye plants, and is slowly mapping the color potential of the wild plants that grow in and around the Columbia River. She learned how to weave on a floor loom at age seven, and has been working with natural dyes and pigments for over 25 years in her work as an artist. Happily there continues to be new things to learn all the time. Her website is DreamBirdStudio.com
COST: $135 plus a $100 material fee (Please pay material fee directly to the instructor.)
BRING: Apron or studio work clothes, notebook, scissors. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot coffee and tea provided. Optional items: a dip pen or personal paint brushes, up to 8 ounces of wool yarn made into 1 ounce skeins, or 1 yard of prewashed natural fiber fabric.
Children 10 and up with a high interest in the topic are welcome when signed up with an accompaning adult. 12 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
Winter 2020 Workshop Series
Knots and Sailing Basics with instructor Randi Whipple
This is a nautical workshop that will teach the most useful knots on a sailboat: rope splicing, whippings, and the basics knowledge of how a sailboat works. This class is a great introduction into the sailing world. You will leave with a knot booklet and personal ditty bag with Amsteel sailing rope to continue practicing your knots after the class is over.
Randi is an international sailor and artist living aboard her 80yr old wooden boat she is rebuilding. Her website is www.thewindwitch.com
COST: $30 plus $20 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor.)
BRING: All supplies provided. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Coffee provided.
14 students max.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Winter 2020 Workshop Series at The Sou’wester. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Workshop Series Winter 2020
Beginning Traditional Rughooking with Heidi Grevstad
This class will introduce students to traditional rug hooking. As a result of the class students will have the materials needed to complete their first traditional rug hooking project. The class includes a pattern hand drawn on monks cloth, wool strips needed to complete the pattern, a basic rug hooking booklet and instruction.
Heidi Grevstad is a McGown Rug Hooking Certification trainee. Her rugs have been featured in Rug Hooking Magazine’s Celebrations Editions in 2018 and 2019. She has been teaching adults in classroom settings for over 10 years and is enthusiastic about the art of traditional rug hooking. Heidi loves to get people started in this artisan craft. Heidi’s website is www.portlandcottagewool.com.
COST: $30 plus $40 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor.)
BRING: All supplies provided. If students already have a hook and/or rug hooking frame, they should bring them to class. Heidi has hooks, hoops and/or frames that students may use in class. If students wish to purchase these items, Heidi will have a variety for students to choose. Please bring a sack lunch. Coffee provided.
10 students max.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Winter 2020 Workshop Series at The Sou’wester. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Winter 2020 Workshop Series
Sorry, Knot Sorry: A Creative Healing Macramé Workshop with Nicole Boyer
The class is from 11am-3pm (optional open studio work time from 3-5pm)
Remember those amazing Jute plant hangers from the 70’s? Ohhhhh- You’ve made your share, but don’t remember too much from that era? Orrrrrrr- OMG you weren’t even born yet! (And you’re pretty sure Urban Outfitters invented those things…) Bring your stories and join Coppoletti Macramé for an afternoon of laughs and mindful knot-tying. Folks of all artistic levels and all ages (kids 10 and up) are welcome to attend. We’ll begin by identifying our personal and group goals and sharing concepts of Mindfulness.
Then we’ll get familiar with the basics: Selecting rope, driftwood, planters, add-ons, and the ideal project for your skills and ambitions. Next you’ll be guided through project set-up, some essential knots, and how to welcome bumps in our learning (or relearning) process rather than apologize for them. Students will create a driftwood plant hanger; folks who may already be familiar with macrame can make a double (side by side) plant hanger if they wanna get fancy.
We’ll have ample time for snacks, coffee, and visiting along the way. At the end of the workshop, students will each walk away with new perspectives on Mindfulness and a functional, one of a kind Macramé piece to enjoy or give as a fashionably late Valentine!
Nicole Boyer is a Queer Fiber Artist from the Pacific Northwest. She fell in love with Macramé as a teenager after uncovering her mom’s 1974 Sunset Magazine edition of Macramé: Creative Knot-Tying, and proudly sold her gorgeous hemp jewelry at Church bazaars throughout high school. Living with mental illness most of her life has illuminated mindfulness, nature, and creativity as essential wellness elements. Nicole loves exploring the forests and coasts of WA and OR and believes we ALL have the potential to heal & love ourselves more fully.
COST: $30 plus $20 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor)
BRING: Snacks or sack lunch, water bottle, a journal, pen/pencil, comfortable footwear and clothing (many folks choose to stand for much of the work session), any chair cushions or supports needed to make seated work-time more comfortable. Coffee provided. (Students are invited to bring: Any special driftwood, planter, small findings or accents they wish to use in their work. They may also bring their favorite scissors, measuring tape, crochet hooks if desired.)
This workshop is geared for adults but children 10 and up with a high interest in the topic are welcome when signed up with an accompaning adult.
12 students max.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Winter 2020 Workshop Series at The Sou’wester. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Winter 2020 Workshop Series
How the Light Gets In with instructor Suzie Kassouf
canceled – It can feel unbearable to carry the pain of our world in this unprecedented era of social upheaval and ecological destruction. Luckily, the task of tending to our broken world can infuse us with life-affirming purpose, connection and joy. Through vinyasa, meditation, group activities and time spent in nature, we will learn to honor our pain as a precious signifier of our compassion and care for our world. Most importantly, we will develop in ourselves a robust and muscular hope, rooted in the very unpredictability of these times. Leonard Cohen implores us, “ring the bells that still can ring/ forget your perfect offering/ there is a crack in everything/ that’s how the light gets in.” I look forward to sharing this with you.
Suzanna Kassouf is an educator, yoga instructor and climate justice activist. After 10 years of personal practice, she completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training at The People’s Yoga with Suniti Dernovsek in 2018. She is an organizer with the climate justice group Sunrise PDX and is student teaching Environmental Justice and Ethnic Studies at Lincoln High School in Portland. Suzie believes strongly that our world is desperate for healing on multiple levels, and that true liberation can be found in community and service to others. She is passionate about marrying activism and spirituality and strives to courageously live the path of nonviolence in her life and work.
COST: sliding scale $40, $30, or $20
BRING:Pen, paper, yoga mat and a reusable bag. Please wear clothes comfortable for practicing yoga, walking on the beach and in the woods, and sitting for meditation. *optional: meditation cushion, blanket, yoga props. Sharing food is a powerful tool for deepening connection and building community. Please bring a dish to share as you are willing and able as well as an individual plate/bowl and utensils. Coffee provided.
No age limit but this class deals with deep emotions. 16 students max.
RSVP: souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Winter 2020 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Workshop Series Winter 2020
Green Woodworking Basics: A 2-day Woodcarving Immersion with instructor Leslie Andrew Wolf Walters
11am-4pm class each day: Mon, Tues March 30, 31
canceled – Green Woodworking (noun): the process of carving and shaping wood before it has cured. Greenwood is easy to carve and offers a wide range of possibilities that cured wood does not.
Green woodworking is an immensely satisfying and inexpensive hobby. This two days workshop will teach you how to get started in this popular craft. The class blends demo time and work time in order to maximize learning. We take regular breaks for snacks and show-and-tell. You’ll leave the class with a head full of knowledge and a unique wooden spoon. All materials and tools are included with the material fee, with the option to purchase tools to take home at the end of class.
Day 1: Carving basics. Students will learn the basics of the green woodworking process: from log to finished product, while learning how to safely use a saw, hook knife and straight knife. We will discuss technique, tools and history, and why spoon carving? We will start by making chopsticks (a deceptively challenging project) and as time allows small stirring spoons.
Day 2: Hatchet skills and finishing projects. We will finish projects from yesterday, axe demo and eating spoons, we will discuss finishing techniques and decoration. We will also cover important topics such as where to source tools and wood.
Leslie Andrew Wolf Walters lives in Portland, Oregon and is a hand tool woodworker specializing in greenwood spoon carving. “I am inspired by Scandinavian folk art and the tools and skills used by people who once and still live in northern forests around the world. I have been obsessively carving for 7+ years, traveling around the country studying, learning and teaching spoon carving and traditional hand tool skills. I am also a founding member of the Portland Spoon Club a monthly get together giving spoon carvers and green woodworkers access to community and resources.”
COST: $100 plus $20 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor)
BRING: notebook and writing utensil, water bottle and snacks, work gloves (optional), whatever tools that you have that you want to talk about (optional). Please bring a sack lunch. Coffee provided.
This class is for students age 14 and up. 16 students max.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Winter 2020 Workshop Series at The Sou’wester. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Spring 2020 Workshop Series
Traditional Rug Hooking Workshop: Basics plus Embellishments with Heidi Grevstad
Join Heidi to get started on a stylized sunflower pattern. In traditional rug hooking (it’s different that the latch hooking you might remember from the 70’s), strips of wool fabric are “hooked” into cloth such as loosely woven linen or cotton. It’s a wildly creative craft. You don’t have to follow a complex written pattern, mistakes are easily fixed, there are no knots, and you can up-cycle woolen clothing into art.
While this workshop is suitable for beginners, those with experience will enjoy our exploration of color planning, how to hook letters effectively, use of creative stitches and embellishments, and how to turn a yardstick into a frame! If you already have a hook, small scissors and a hoop or frame, bring them to class. If you don’t have them, no worries! Heidi will have supplies for you to use in class. You’ll leave the class with the skills you need to complete this project at home.
Heidi has been creating hand-hooked rugs since 2004. Her work has been published in Rug Hooking Magazine’s Celebrations editions, and WoolWorks Magazine. She enjoys teaching new rug hookers. Her website is: www.portlandcottagewool.com
COST: $35 plus a $40 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor.)
BRING: All supplies provided. If students have a rug hook and/or frame, they should bring them to class. Small scissors are also helpful. If students do have hooks or frames, Heidi will have them available to use in the class. Students may also purchase a hook and/or frame if they would like to. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Coffee provided.
12 students max.
The class is very suitable for beginning students, but those who have taken a prior class will have an opportunity to learn some embellishment stitching techniques.
RSVP: souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Spring 2020 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Spring 2020 Workshop Series
Accessing Ancestral Medicine: A Silent Writing Retreat with instructor Melissa Bennett
In today’s hectic world of information overload it can be challenging to find time for silence, contemplation, and reflection. In this silent writing retreat we will access the quiet of Seaview’s natural landscape to listen for and remember the stories of our ancestors. We will be guided by a series of writing prompts and will meet a few times throughout the day to share our writing and build community.
Melissa Bennett (Umatilla/Nez Perce/Sac & Fox/Anishinaabe), M.Div. is a writer, storyteller, story listener, educator, and spiritual care provider. She was a 2015 recipient of the Evergreen State College Longhouse Native Creative Development Grant, has previously published with The 3rd Thing Press, Yellow Medicine Review, and Indigenous Goddess Gang, and is a member of the Macondo Writers Workshop – an association of socially engaged writers working to advance creativity, foster generosity, and serve community.
COST: $45
BRING: Fast moving writing pens, a notebook you can get messy in, the willingness to share what you create, and an item or photo that connects you to an ancestor or ancestors. Dress weather appropriate. Please bring a sack lunch for yourself and optional snacks to share. Water and coffee provided.
This workshop is for students age 18 and over. 8 students max.
RSVP: souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Spring 2020 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.