Franciscan Life Process Center Announces 2025 Art Workshops

We received the following press release from the Franciscan Life Process Center.

Lowell, Michigan, Feb. 20, 2025 – The Franciscan Life Process Center has announced its annual lineup of art workshops led by renowned local, national and international artists covering a wide range of media and subjects.

Forty multiday workshops will give aspiring artists the chance to renew their creative spirit, improve their skills and discover new techniques and tools. Open to all, the workshops will be offered March through October and cover everything from general painting skills, still life, portraits and landscapes, to oil, watercolor, pastel and more.

“We pride ourselves on offering high-quality workshops for nearly every interest with world-class instructors from Michigan and beyond,” Art Director Kathleen Bechtel said. “Each workshop offers meaningful connections in the art community, incredible inspiration and hands-on learning. Participants learn from experienced artists who are eager to share not only their techniques but what gives soul to their work.”

The cost ranges from $275-$1,100 per workshop. All will be held at the Center’s Lowell campus, 11650 Downes St. NE, with the exception of the first workshop, which will be the Grand Rapids Campus, 654 Davis St. NW, due to building renovations. The Center offers residential options with overnight accommodations, including individual rooms and a guest house, in Lowell for an additional cost. Attendees can also commute to campus each day.

“Being able to really focus on your art over multiple days in a new environment can do wonders for the creative journey,” Bechtel added. “The majority of our classes are held on our rural farm campus, which is surrounded by calming nature that serves as a retreat for budding artists who are looking for a change of pace along with expert guidance to elevate their work.”

This year’s marquee event is an opportunity to study with three contemporary painters, Scott Conary, Patrick Lee and Jon Redmond, who all embrace an unpredictable approach to oil painting. The Collective Series four-day workshop is in September and will introduce participants to three different viewpoints which embrace deconstruction and push the boundaries of traditional representational painting. The class is being offered at a discounted rate for those who sign up by June 1.

Additional more unique offerings for 2025 include workshops on children’s book illustration, painting nocturnes, monoprinting and iconography. The full list of events follows.

• March 3, 10, 17, 24: Acrylic Sessions Workshop, Margo Burian
• March 27-28: Painting Winter Scenes: the Advantages of Watercolor, Eric Michaels
• April 3-4: Oil Painting: Nuts, Bolts and Bold Moves, Margo Burian
• April 3-4: Reclaim Your Painting, Mary Jane Pories
• April 7, 14, 21, 28: Energize Your Paintings with Textures and Design, Barbara Schilling
• April 8-10: Exploring Color (or Not), Ralph M. Annunziata
• April 8-10: Painting the Portrait in Pastel, Karen Wilharm
• April 24-25: Watercolor Collage Workshop, Carole Wilson
• April 24-25: Monoprinting with a Gelli Plate, Catherine Tonning-Popowich
• May 5, 12, 19, 26: Scumbling and Glazing in Oil, M. Joy Lemon
• May 7-10: Expressive Portrait Painting Workshop: Master Various Styles, Zin Lim 
• May 8-10: Beyond Description: All Media. Secrets of Image Structure, David Michael Slonim
• May 21-23: Acrylic Abstract Florals, Beth Charles
• May 22-23: Finding the Abstract in Still Life Painting, Judith Tummino
• May 29-30: Giving Yourself an Edge, Eric Michaels
• May 29-30: Painting Water with Confidence, Richard Jordan
• June 3-5: Loose Realism: Painting the Still Life in Oils, Sarah Sedwick
• June 6-7: Focus on the Figure in Composition, Judith Tummino
• June 10-12: Children’s Book Illustration Mini Class, Lori McElrath Eslick
• June 10-12: Become a Better Painter, Robert Hagberg
• June 17-19: Portraits: Finding a Likeness through Form and Gesture, Anna Rose Bain
• June 24-25: The Joy of Sketching, William Mancuso
• June 24-26: Mastering the Poetic Figure or Portrait, William A. Schneider
• July 9-11: Painting Lyrical Water, Barbara Jaenicke
• July 14-18: Beyond Words: An Icon Writing Workshop, Diane Hamel
• July 15-18: Landscape Workshop, Ryan Brown
• July 29-Aug. 1: Intuitive Painting and Collage, Joan Fullerton
• Aug. 12-15: The Colors of the Night: Painting Nocturnes, Michael Ome UnTiedt
• Aug. 27-29: En Plein Air: Painting the Garden, Christina Weaver
• Aug. 28-29: Exploring the Magic of Limited Palettes, Sharon Griffes Tarr
• Sept.10-13, Collective Series, Scott Conary, Patrick Lee and Jon Redmond
• Oct. 2-3: Creating Textures in Watercolor, Eric Michaels
• Oct. 2- 3: Capturing the Character of Trees en Plein Air, Richard Jordan-
• Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27: 4 Weeks to Building Stronger Paintings, Barbara Schilling
• Oct. 7-9: The Power of the Underpainting, Doreen St. John
• Oct. 7-9: Acrylic and Collage on Canvas or Paper, Stan Kurth
• Oct. 14-16: Painting Water and Water Reflections, Christopher Groves
• Oct. 14-16: Taking the Fear out of Watercolor, Ken Hobson
• Oct. 30-31: Complete Color Mixing with Primaries, M. Joy Lemon
• Oct. 30-31: Abstract Fantasy Gardens in Acrylic, Beth Charles

The Franciscan Life Process Center Art Program began in 1991 by offering artist-in-residence opportunities to local and national artists. Today, the Center hosts local, national and international artists who provide two- to four-day workshops for aspiring artists who wish to improve their skills and discover new ones. To learn more and register, visit LifeProcessCenter.org.