Menucha Workshops

In 2012 the Watercolor Society of Oregon and Menucha Retreat & Conference Center in Corbett, created a partnership to host excellent painting workshops in a beautiful, historic setting overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. Each year the WSO selects instructors for workshops in the spring and fall. Participants in these 3- or 4-day workshops can get away from their usual obligations to focus on their art and learning from an excellent teacher. Menucha charms guests with amazing gorge views, comfortable accommodations in a fun, relaxing environment and deliciously healthful homemade meals!

WSO’s long-time partnership with Menucha allows our members the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of artists, both seasoned and emerging. The flip side of that coin holds another bonus: WSO members who are far enough along in their art careers to teach have a golden opportunity to instruct within a setting that has garnered excellent reviews over many years from students and instructors alike. From both perspectives, the consensus of our members is that Menucha workshops are rewarding experiences that are conducive to artistic growth.

This Menucha partnership also supports WSO in a couple of ways. Each spring and fall, $25 of every participant’s tuition is contributed to our organization. In addition, Menucha’s promotion of these workshops provides another avenue for Oregon artists to learn about WSO. We also appreciate that Menucha maintains a focus on affordability so that as many artists as possible may experience these workshop retreats.

Upcoming Workshops

Fall 2024: Painting the Columbia Gorge with Watercolor
Yong Hong Zhong
October 28-31, 2024

Recharge amidst the stunning views and grounds of Menucha while learning landscape painting from sought-after watercolor instructor Yong Hong Zhong!

There’s no better place to study landscape than Menucha, with its stunning views of the Columbia River. Yong is a well loved instructor and the workshop is filling fast, so sign up now to save your space in this 4-day, 3-night workshop.

Read more about Yong here: menucha.org/programs/fwcw

Register here: menucharetreatconferencecenter.regfox.com/2024-fall-watercolor-with-yong-hong-zhong

See more about Yong Hong Zhong at his website: www.yonghongzhong.com

Spring 2025: (Re)Discovering Sketchbook Creativity
Elizabeth Zimmerman
May 5-8, 2025

Explore creative journaling techniques as a practice to strengthen your art skills with WSO’s dynamic Elizabeth Zimmerman!

This opportunity will take you outside your daily surroundings to be inspired by the rustic lodge and forest surroundings of Menucha. We’ll cover techniques such as creating textures, mark making, playing with composition and experimenting with different art materials. (Re)discover how your sketchbook practice strengthens your art.

Working in our sketchbooks offers freedom from perfection, creating the space to sketch, doodle, paint, and draw whatever makes a happy heart. Demonstrations by Elizabeth include creating textures with watercolor and gouache paint, harnessing negative shapes, redefining composition, drawing from life and photos, value studies, and more. You will leave this workshop with techniques that carry beyond sketchbooks into your serious art making.

Recap of the Spring 2024 workshop: What’s in a Face

Chris Stubbs taught a portraiture workshop focusing on both human and animal faces, attended by a large group of her student fans. Chris Stubbs responded, “I was really touched by the artist’s comments—3 choked up and had tears as they described how I had helped them to capture their vision and heart in their paintings! That was a surprise and touched my heart.”

Recap of the Fall 2023 workshop: Special Effects

René Eisenbart taught a WSO workshop at Menucha in the fall of 2023. In Special Effects, René showed how to use acrylic mediums as a substrate to encourage loose, vibrant watercolor paintings. Here’s what participants are saying:

“It gave me the courage to reframe how I thought about watercolor and what makes a successful painting. I wasn’t sure how many of the techniques we used would work. As it turned out, even my ‘mistakes’ could enhance the painting. Super fun, well taught and encouraging class. Very inspirational!”
                — Marsha Matschek

“I am so excited and happy to learn many ways to ‘save’ a painting from the trash bin and now have tools and ideas to recreate old paintings more expressively and spontaneously. Thinking “what if I make a mistake?” has been my nemesis.  With Rene’s knowledge and suggestions, I am now fearless! I have opened up my creativity and exploration to unlimited possibilities, which is fun and joyful.”

                — Lynne Vyfinkle

“Rene’s workshop was an eye-opener! With a background in traditional watercolor, I was interested in finding new ways to add texture to watermedia paintings. I loved learning how to create depth and form with thick gesso, painting on transparent ground, experimenting with stringy applications of tar gel, and finishing details using acrylic inks. 

I highly recommend this workshop for artists interested in exploring new watermedia possibilities.”

                — Mary Rollins