We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!

Here’s how it works:

We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:

• Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
• Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
• Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
• Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet

Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy

We will be checking and sharing some of our favorites. AND… there may be surprise guest judges and PRIZES!!!

Quote of the week…

‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’ 

— Vincent Van Gogh

Inspirational Artist of the Week… Birger Kaipiainen

Birger Johannes Kaipiainen (1 July 1915 – 18 July 1988) was a Finnish ceramist and designer. He is one of the most successful and well-known ceramic artists in Finland.

Kaipiainen graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts (later known as the Aalto School of Arts of Helsinki.) After that he went to work for Finnish ceramics company Arabia in 1937, and later in 1954 for their Swedish sister company Rörstrand. Kaipiainen worked as a designer for Arabia over fifty years. As a child he was Kaipiainen suffered from Polio and was consequently unable to use a pottery wheel. It was said that his illness heightened his artistic sensitivity.

Kaipiainen was nicknamed “the king of decorators”, for his nostalgic, romantic and highly decorative ceramic designs, at a time when minimalism was the prevailing trend in Finnish ceramics. He is known for repeatedly using the same signature nature inspired motifs, such as violets and curlews. His most famous designs were made at the Arabia ceramics factory. For example, the Paratiisi (Paradise) series, designed in 1969, which is still in production. Paratiisi was one of the first silkscreen printed series made by Arabia. Another noted design by Kaipiainen, the Sunnuntai (Sunday) series designed in 1971 was brought back into production by the Arabia company in 2019.

Handlettering Inspiration of the week… Squeak

Squeak Carnwath (born 1947) is an American contemporary painter and arts educator. She is a professor emerita of art at the University of California, Berkeley. She has a studio in Oakland, California, where she has lived and worked since 1970.

Carnwath has a distinctive and recognizable style which combines diaristic and personal elements with universal or existential themes. Her paintings “combine text and images on abstract fields of color to express sociopolitical and spiritual concerns.”

We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!

Here’s how it works:

We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:

• Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
• Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
• Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
• Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet

Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy

We will be checking and sharing some of our favorites. AND… there may be surprise guest judges and PRIZES!!!

Quote of the week…

“Creativity itself doesn’t care at all about results – the only thing it craves is the process. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen.”

—Elizabeth Gilbert

Inspirational Artist of the week… Sarah Raphael Balme

Sarah Raphael Balme is a British artist who graduated from Chelsea College of Arts and gained degree in illustration. Her layered paintings tell a story never short of colour, form and texture. Balme’s work is inspired by nature and animals. From whimsical paintings of animals to deep portraits, her stunning paintings have been transformed onto ceramics, fabric, cushions and wallpaper. She grew up surrounded by artists, her mother was a painter and her dad wrote academic books. Her childhood was spent in a bohemian North London house that influenced her career as an artist.

Hand lettering Inspiration of the week… Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton CBE (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as costume designer and set designer for stage and screen. His accolades includes three Academy Awards and four Tony Awards.

Join Kenzie and I for a whimsical art retreat next October 17-24 2025 set against the stunning backdrop of southern Portugal.

Explore the beauty of florals and lettering through a mix of fun and playful techniques and creative challenges. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, you’ll walk away with a deeper connection to your craft, new skills in mixed media, and a portfolio filled with stunning florals and expressive lettering.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll dive into engaging mixed media techniques, using watercolor, acrylics, cut foam stamps, pens, and markers. Lori and Kenzie will hold daily classes, demonstrations, and hands-on practice sessions, where you may experiment with bold color palettes, playful textures, and fluid forms.

The first half of the week will be dedicated to exploring florals in depth. Learn various approaches to creating vibrant blooms and delicate abstract designs. As the week progresses, the focus shifts to lettering. Study techniques for crafting expressive, flowing letterforms that pair beautifully with your floral work. On the final morning, bring florals and lettering together in a harmonious composition and blend the skills developed into unique pieces. The retreat culminates in a mini-exhibition, where you’ll have the opportunity to share your work with fellow artists and celebrate your creative journey.

By the end of the week, you’ll leave with new techniques, a personal collection of floral and lettering creations, and memories of an unforgettable artistic adventure.

What’s included:

• Art classes, individual tuition, and demonstrations with artists Lori Siebert and Kenzie Elston
• 7 nights of accommodation at a Portuguese Quinta
• Exclusive use of the entire property with living quarters, art studio, 2.5 acres of botanical gardens, terraces, swimming pool, and common areas
• 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners (all meals) carefully prepared by your private chef. All dietary requirements catered for, except life-threatening allergies
• Local wine during dinner service
• Snacks, coffee, tea, and infused water available throughout the day
• Sailing trip in a traditional boat to nearby grottoes
• Trip to the Lagos historic town with a walking tour and time for shopping, sketching, and a beach visit
• Private transportation for all planned activities
• Round-trip transfers from/to Faro Airport (FAO) at pre-arranged times
• Fully-staffed venue, experienced UpTrek host available throughout the week
• All local tourist taxes and fees
• Access to a private Facebook group with Lori Siebert, Kenzie Elston, and the other retreat participants four months before the retreat

Not included:

• Airfare
• Travel insurance
• Art materials—a list of art materials recommended by artists Lori Siebert and Kenzie Elston will be provided five months before the retreat
• Tips for staff (tipping is customary in Portugal)
• Other expenses guests might incur on their own

We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!

Here’s how it works:

We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:

• Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
• Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
• Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
• Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet

Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy

We will be checking and sharing some of our favorites. AND… there may be surprise guest judges and PRIZES!!!

Quote of the week:

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

-Mahatma Ghandi

Inspirational Artist of the week…Olaf Hajek

Olaf Hajek was born in Rendsburg, Germany. After he finished his degree in graphic design at the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf, he moved to Amsterdam and began to work as a freelance artist.

Olaf primarily lives and works in Berlin, but travels frequently and is represented by an agency on nearly every continent.

A technically perfect illustrator, he creates enchanting visual patterns, scenes and creative characters in which nature and artifice are intertwined. Olaf collects mental images everywhere he goes: on his travels, in magazines, or on the internet.

African traditions, Indian temple art, South American folklore, and pop culture are all expressed in new ways in his almost surreal tableaux.

He plays with motifs of flora and fauna, archaic symbols and current themes, working them all into his pieces in great detail and vibrant colour.

His personal work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions in Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Atlanta and Cape Town.

Hand lettering inspiration of the week…Sabrina Ward Harrison

Sabrina Ward Harrison published her first book, Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself, at the age of 23. Written between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, Spilling Open was an intimate and moving picture of the contradictions young women face as they are asked to grow into societal norms of femininity. Her tender honesty and singular aesthetic energy turned Harrison into the voice of a generation.

We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!

Here’s how it works:

We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:

• Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
• Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
• Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
• Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet

Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy

We will be checking and sharing some of our favorites. AND… there may be surprise guest judges and PRIZES!!!

Quote of the week:

“Serious art is born from serious play.”

― Julia Cameron

Inspirational Artist of the week… Enid Collins

Enid Collins, was the designer of the handbag company known as Collins of Texas. By the 1960s, her colorful jeweled totes and box bags were in every major department store in the country. Her unique design style became a folk art icon of the time, and her handbags and accessories are still collectable today.

While my father and many others are a part of this story, it is Enid who commands center stage. She commands, not only because of her talent, but also because of the strength of her personality. She was probably the most real person I ever knew. She was forgiving and compassionate but not gushy. She expected—she demanded—the best from others. She was never fooled by foolishness. People were afraid of her and loved her at the same time. She was a full-time businesswoman in a world of sometimes condescending men, and at the same time she was a full-time loving mother. 

She and her husband did not set out to make ladies’ handbags. Her husband wanted to ranch but knew little about it. They worked in a war plant during WWII and saved their money to make a down payment on a ranch in the hill country of Texas. Making handbags grew out of their need to make a living. Collin bags were very important in the fashion world of the 1960s, and to many vintage collectors today.

Handlettering inspiration of the week… Jeffrey Fisher

Jeffrey Fisher hails from Melbourne Australia where he studied Fine Art – Film and Animation at Preston Institute of Technology in the 70s. He lived in London for a while before settling down in France in 1993. The bulk of Jeff’s work has been book cover design as well as working in design and exhibiting regularly in Paris and London.