2026/2027 MIXED MEDIA ART RETREATS
TAOS, NEW MEXICO, DECEMBER 3-9, 2026.
NON TRADITIONAL, MIXED MEDIA BOOKMAKING AND JOURNALING RETREAT, with Leighanna Light
A FIVE DAY ART RETREAT in Taos at the Historic Mabel Dodge Luhan House.
***There are currently 3 spaces left.
During our week together, we will delve into bookmaking and binding, sewing, surface design, journaling, and altered books.
We will begin by creating the elements of our books, including rust dyed paper & fabric, layered surface design, image transfers, and leaf printing on metal. I will share my favorite tips & techniques for creating unique and yummy pages, and offer prompts to inspire you.
We will collage, paint, transfer, mark, patinate, mask, Gesso, attach, plaster, print, sew and have a blast while learning new techniques.
I will display a collection of my personal altered art journals for ideas & inspiration, as well as samples of the books we will be creating.
You will leave with five unique books of varying sizes, all made of non-traditional materials. You'll also leave with a belly full of good food, a heart full of sweet, fond memories of our creative time together and quiet moments of reflection spent working on your books.
I have loved books & journals for as long as I can remember, and I am thrilled to offer this 5-day retreat at the historic Mabel Dodge Luhan House! My hope is that you will fall in love with our sweet little town and return often!
Click here for more information & registration
OACACA, MEXICO, JANUARY 14-23, 2027
TEXT & TEXTURE, A 10 DAY ART AND TRAVEL RETREAT WITH ORLY AVINERI & LEIGHANNA LIGHT IN OAXACA, MEXICO
Curated with care, these ten days offer a perfect balance of studio time and exploration of this culturally rich area, allowing us to integrate our experiences and discoveries into our work. Visual languages create the texture of our experience, and our gathering offers an expansive dive into creative bliss with Orly& Leighanna. During our workshop days, we will explore writing, somatic, and asemic, as well as a variety of mixed media techniques on paper, canvas, and metal. You will learn all about image transfers and how to incorporate layers of paint, simple drawing, ephemera, marks, ink, and text, which we will transform into several non-traditional art books or journals. We will use lines, symbols, brushstrokes, small found objects, and images to tell our story and create our own innate language, with a little bit of basic assemblage thrown in just for fun! No special skills or experience are required; just plan to come and have a fabulous time creating and connecting. This will be our second time teaching in Oaxaca, and we can’t wait to return, especially in January! We hope that you will join us for this memorable time.
Click here for more information & registration
TAOS, NEW MEXICO, JUNE 13-19, 2027
FACES and FORMS, A DEEP DIVE with Orly Avineri & Leighanna Light.
A FIVE DAY ART RETREAT in Taos New Mexico at the Historic Mabel Dodge Luhan House
Registration will open on January first, 2027. This retreat tends to fill up quickly, if you would like to be on our waiting list, or prepay with a post dated check, please reach out to me at leighannalight@gmail.com
We are thrilled to be gathering again in June for our fifth retreat at the enchanting Mabel Dodge Luhan House!
We are two experienced instructors, offering two different takes on alternative portraiture, using an assortment of materials. Leighanna's groove is figurative assemblage, working with metal, clay and fabric, while Orly's focus is on collage, painting and drawing.
Our hope is that our unique styles of artwork and teaching, will guide you to gain more insight into your own process of creative expression.
We welcome all, no prior experience is necessary, we love a clean slate!
Mabel's is a historic, rustic property located in the heart of Taos., that has a rich and vibrant history. Past guests include Ansel Adams, Georgia O'Keefe, DH Lawerence, Willa Cather, and many more.
Each day you will be treated with a delicious breakfast & lunch created just for us by chef Sophia, as well as our opening and closing dinners.
I do hope that you can join us for this magical, creative time at Mabel’s!
A link to registration will be upon 1/1/27.
