Summer
Workshops, Classes, & Retreats
For Teen and/or Adult Students
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MAY
MAY 31 – JUNE 1
Encaustic
Painting
New Two-Day Workshop
One-Day option also available for Saturday only
Saturday 10 to 5
Sunday 12 to 4
At Firstlight in Cool Springs

What Is Encaustic?
Encaustic paint is an ancient medium composed of beeswax, damar resin and pigments. Worked from a molten state, this versatile paint makes richly colored paintings and is a superb vehicle for mixed media exploration.
The Encaustic workshop introduces you to a variety of mixed media processes. You get the basics of working with this expressive technique: using temperature controlled electric griddles as palettes, heating and fusing layers of wax with heat guns, making homemade encaustic medium, preparing painting surfaces, brush application of paint, creating a variety of encaustic surfaces, mark-making with a variety of tools, image transfer, and incorporating collage elements into your design. It is a weekend of fun and play, expressing yourself in new ways.
Location at Firstlight Art Academy, Brentwood (Cool Springs)
Presented by and in partnership with: Fly Forward Studios
Some personal materials you’ll need to bring:
A variety of collage elements and photo-copied or laser-printed images (NO INKJET prints or copies) – small, high-contrast images are the easiest to begin with. Some suggestions for collage materials include: papers (scraps are excellent) such as tissue, magazine images, newspaper, old prints/drawings, photographs, lightweight fabrics and thin scrapbooking papers. When selecting collage elements, look for materials that are somewhat permeable. Color, composition, texture, translucency and individual exploration will be emphasized as you transform your collage and image transfer elements into your own piece of art!
Supplies included
All the rest of the supplies needed for encaustic will be provided for you, and are included in the cost of the workshop. Just be sure to bring any special items from home that you have been saving and would like to use in some form of artistic application, such as the above suggested list.
11 hours Of creativity
Adults & Teens
Saturday, May 31
10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, June 1
12 to 4 pm
Encaustic Workshop
$225 for Full Workshop ($150 for Saturday only) – includes all supplies and materials except for personal items (see above).
Please note that the link above will take you to the Fly Forward Studio Website for registration.

CREATIVE GROUPS
MAY – AUGUST
May 27- August 19
WORKING ARTIST INITIATIVE
Tuesday 6:30-8:00
1710 General George Patton Dr Suite 109 Brentwood, TN (Next door to Firstlight)
June 3 – August 12
OnO Society Creative
Tuesday 6:30-8:00
1710 General George Patton Dr Suite 109 Brentwood, TN (Next door to Firstlight)

SUMMER PAPER SERIES WORKSHOPS
ATTEND ONE, TWO, OR BUNDLE ALL THREE
Papermaking Workshop
Location at Firstlight Art Academy, Brentwood (Cool Springs)
Presented by and in partnership with: Fly Forward Studios
5 hour workshop
ADULTS & Teens
Saturday, May 24
12 pm to 5 pm
Papermaking Workshop
$125 – includes all supplies and materials.
Please note that the link above will take you to the Fly Forward Studio Website for registration.


Hand Stitched Coptic Bookmaking
Spend a lovely day at our studio learning how to make your very own hardbound Journal. The Coptic method uses hand-stitching, with an open binding that looks great, and shows off your handiwork.
During this workshop, you’ll use beautiful materials to create your custom journal. The paper used for the book block (internal pages) is mixed media, which allows you to be creative within the pages, using different designs.
You don’t need to know anything! Jennie will walk you through creating the covers, end papers, book block and adding your own custom signature, from start to finish. You’ll take home a beautiful, blank journal ready to use – or to give to someone special.
Location at Firstlight Art Academy, Brentwood (Cool Springs)
Presented by and in partnership with: Fly Forward Studios
Please bring a sack lunch or eat before you arrive.
All Bookmaking Supplies Included.
A variety of hot teas will be available during the workshop.
5-Hour Workshop
ADULTS & Teens
Saturday, June 21
12 pm to 5 pm
Bookmaking Workshop
$125 – includes all supplies and materials.
Please note that the link above will take you to the Fly Forward Studio Website for registration.





Art Journaling
Location at Firstlight Art Academy, Brentwood (Cool Springs)
Presented by and in partnership with: Fly Forward Studios
Please bring a sack lunch or eat before you arrive.
All Supplies Included.
A variety of hot teas will be available during the workshop.
5-Hour Workshop
ADULTS & Teens
Saturday, June 28
12 pm to 5 pm
Journaling Workshop
$125 – includes all supplies and materials.
Please note that the link above will take you to the Fly Forward Studio Website for registration.

JULY 18-20
creative
Restorative
retreat
In Clarksville, TN
THE HIDING PLACE

Silent directed creative retreat
JULY 18-20
THE HIDING PLACE CLARKSVILLE TN
Location: THE HIDING PLACE CLARKSVILLE, TN
Cost: $495
Presented by and in partnership with: Fly Forward Studios
All Supplies Included.
July 18-20 | Friday Evening to Sunday Midday
Please register by May 15 to secure a spot.
Creative Retreat
$495– includes all supplies, food, lodging (private room and bathroom) and materials.
Please note that the link above will take you to the Fly Forward Studio Website for registration.


Jennie Schut, instructor
Jennie Schut is an award-winning artist, author of Waking Up Grey: An Exploration of Creative Awakening and certified Enneagram Applications Professional. She is the founder of Fly Forward, an organization that aids creative and spiritual exploration, awakening and flourishing through educational materials, small groups, retreats, workshops, individual art instruction, creative direction and leadership training. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Middle Tennessee State University and a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. She is currently working on certification in the Somatic Enneagram. She works primarily with oils and encaustic, a wax-based medium.
Jennie has been an instructor at Firstlight for several years.