Barb Smucker | Beyond the Brush: Pushing the Possibilities of Collage

Instructor: Barb Smucker

Workshop: Beyond the Brush: Pushing the Possibilities of Collage

Dates: February 11-14, 2027

Days: 4

Hours: 9:30am–4:30pm

Level: All

Size: 12

Tuition: $1,150*

*Includes daily lunch and beverages served in studio.

Sometimes the next layer isn’t paint. It’s paper.

Collage sits somewhere between craft and fine art, and that’s exactly where things get interesting. In this workshop, Barbara Smucker shows you how to use collage as a serious fine-art tool for building depth, complexity, texture, and visual possibility, whether you’re a collage artist ready to push your practice further or an abstract painter looking to bring paper into the conversation.

We’ll begin by creating colorful, unexpected collage papers using a variety of prompts and techniques, paying close attention to color harmony, patterning, mark making, opacity, and color value. Using the Gelli Plate, acrylic paint scraping, brushwork, and a host of techniques, you’ll create a wide variety of papers with visual variety and harmony. These papers become more than materials. They become another vocabulary of marks, shapes, colors, and textures to draw from.

Next, you’ll incorporate your collage papers into mixed-media layering techniques, working intuitively, expressively, and abstractly. Through a series of prompts and exercises, you’ll layer collage papers with mark making and acrylic paint to complete a series of small 8 x 8-inch improvisational pieces on paper. Moving elements around, adding, removing, and responding to what’s in front of you, you’ll discover how collage can become a powerful tool for quick problem solving and opening up visual possibilities.

Finally, you’ll scale up and put those ideas into practice, completing a larger 24 x 24-inch layered mixed-media collage piece on canvas.

The goal isn’t simply to make collage. It’s to use paper to break predictable habits, create depth without endlessly adding paint, and build complexity without muddying the surface.

Designed For

• Collage artists ready to push their practice further

• Abstract painters looking to expand their visual vocabulary

• Mixed-media artists wanting to bridge the gap between paint and paper

• Artists ready to move beyond the expected and create more complex, layered work

• Anyone who wants to learn how to pull a piece from muddy to clarity—using color, contrast, and composition with both paint and collage. 

Reviews

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"She’s a fantastic instructor!" —Kimberlee F.

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"Barb Smucker has a way of getting you out of your head and into the work. I stopped second-guessing, trusted the process, and just started making. That alone was worth the workshop." —Amanda P.

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"Such a wonderful teacher!" —Rafaelle

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"Thanks for sharing your gifts of art talent, generosity, kindness and teaching art! You helped change my life for the better!" —Andrea C.

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"I would love the chance to take another workshop with you one day. I’m glad others get to experience your teaching!" —Kelley B.

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"Fun, enjoyable and refreshing!" —Pat B.

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"Inspiring...as always!" —Parinaz B.

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"Awesome teacher!" —Nancy K.

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"You inspired me!" —Brenda P.

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"I’m so inspired! Thank you for sharing your process and speaking on it so plainly for newbies like me!" —KeCate

What to Expect

• A supportive, empowering learning community with an emphasis on generous sharing and encouragement.  

• A studio with many mixed media supplies and tools to experiment with (teacher provided).

• Daily paint and collage prompts to encourage art exploration and playfulness.

• Collage and painting technique demos with Q&A.

• Daily time for private work and individual feedback.

• Discussion on artistic practices and inspirational artists and ideas. 

• Introduction to new ways of putting things together that will lead to “what if” thinking and the courage for you to try new things.

• Leave with several completed collage pieces.

• A discussion about framing and finishing techniques.

• Leave with new friendships, good memories, and renewed art mojo for your home practice

  
  

FAQ

What if I’m not an experienced collage artist?

That’s completely okay. You don’t need to be an expert in collage, painting, or mixed media to join me. I’ll introduce techniques and ideas you can take in whatever direction feels right for you. My goal is to get you experimenting, not worrying about whether you’re doing it “right.”

What if I’m feeling stuck in my art practice?

Then you’re in the right place. We’ll use painting and collage prompts, demonstrations, and lots of experimentation to shake things up. I’ll encourage you to ask “what if?” and try things you might not normally consider.

Will I get individual attention?

Yes. Along with demonstrations and group discussions, you’ll have plenty of time to work independently while I move around the studio and offer individual feedback and ideas.

What is the atmosphere like?

Supportive, generous, and very much about sharing rather than competing. I love creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable trying something new, asking questions, and learning from one another.

Do I need to bring every supply imaginable?

No. The studio will have a wide variety of mixed media supplies and tools for you to experiment with. I’ll also provide many of the materials we’ll use. You’ll have plenty to play with.

Will I actually make finished artwork?

Yes. You’ll have dedicated studio time every day, and you’ll leave with several completed collage pieces. More importantly, you’ll leave with ideas and techniques you can continue exploring when you get home.

Is this just about learning techniques?

Not at all. Techniques are part of it, but I’m much more interested in what happens when you start combining ideas in unexpected ways. We’ll talk about artistic practices, inspirational artists, and the kinds of questions that can open up your creative thinking.

What if I’m afraid to experiment?

I understand. Trying something unfamiliar can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’re attached to the outcome. We’ll make room for play, mistakes, happy accidents, and changing your mind. Sometimes the most interesting work starts when you stop trying to make it perfect.

Will this help me when I get back to my own studio?

That’s one of my biggest goals. I want you to go home with renewed art mojo, new approaches to try, and the confidence to keep asking “what if?” in your own practice.

And what about the experience beyond the artwork?

That matters to me, too. I want you to leave with new friendships, good memories, and the feeling that you gave yourself permission to really play with your art for a few days.

Bio

Barb Smucker enjoys teaching art and making art in equal measure and brings more than 25 years of art making experience to the workshop environment.  She has been fortunate to teach countless classes in creativity, creative expression, collage, painting and mixed media techniques in many art centers, hospitals and schools throughout the United States. Her work hangs in private and corporate collections, and she continues to make work almost daily in her home studio overlooking the woods. 

Instructor Instagram

@barbsmuckerstudio

23K Followers

https://www.instagram.com/barbsmuckerstudio

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