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!

Menucha Retreat & Conference Center

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

Spring 2024: What’s In A Face?
Chris Stubbs
May 6-9, 2024

Revel in painting portraits — both human and creature — with renowned instructor and perennial WSO award-winning artist Chris Stubbs! 

You’ll learn how to paint facial features, especially eyes that come alive. Chris will also demonstrate how to convincingly paint the ever-challenging features of hair and fur. Combine the human form with animals or work on either alone. From tricks on painting skin tones and animal textures to tips in using gouache within a painting to using QOR Watercolor Ground, adopt the plethora of techniques presented in this workshop to improve your portrait and animal paintings for family, commissions, or show entries.

To register or to learn all about Chris and her workshop: https://menucha.org/programs/swcw

See Chris Stubbs’ astonishing paintings: https://www.chrisstubbsart.com

Eyes to See by Chris Stubbs
Chris Stubbs

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!

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

More details coming soon!

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.

See more about Elizabeth at her website: https://www.westernrosestudios.com

More details coming soon!

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