28 May–2 June 2023 · 6 days / 5 nights
Past retreat
Anna Corba's creative workshops are filled with her love of collage, vintage ephemera and textiles, hand stitching and the intermingling of delicate objects of beauty.
Into the Garden: Slow Stitch, Paper & Textiles
The retreat
Anna Corba’s creative workshops are filled with her love of collage, vintage ephemera and textiles, hand stitching and the intermingling of delicate objects of beauty.
During this retreat, inspiration is drawn from the overflowing late spring garden at Courthouse Farm. Beeswax, pressed flowers, grasses and buds, as well as botanical and other nature inspired imagery, all come into play.
What you’ll do
Our first class begins with creating a pocket sized journal perfect for garden notes or gathering small specimens on a morning walk. Using vintage imagery and decorative papers from her personal collections, Anna will guide us through the process of collage, discussing layering, colour and composition as well as the delicate balance of intuition and decision making that arises during the creative process. We’ll learn Anna’s signature beeswax technique as a finishing glaze, as well as a Coptic stitch binding using colorful waxed threads.
Elements of collage will again be explored as we make our own unique flower press the following day. The outside cover will be treated as a personal art piece, while the interior will hold a secret surprise to be enjoyed by you and the flowers gathered neatly inside.
Furthering the theme of nature’s bounty, we’ll also create a bouquet of notecards, as well as a small tapestry using hand dyed linen remnants, vintage piecework, pressed flowers and a selection of embroidery stitches. These tender contemplative compositions are perfect for framing or giving as gifts. A small stitch sampler made as a prelude to these projects can be tucked into your sewing kit for future use.
Anna’s classes are suitable for all levels of experience. Surrounded by the beauty that is Court House Farm and Gardens, her hope for this lovely retreat is to add skills to your maker’s quiver while also nurturing your imagination and sense of personal creative expression.
As a residential guest, expect delicious fresh food created by our wonderful chef Kirstie, as well as tea, coffee and more throughout the day, and the bar is open for you from 6pm.
Anna Corba
Your tutor
Anna Corba's journey in collage began when her vintage collections refused to lay tame on her studio shelves. With a degree in Art History from the University of Michigan and further studies in Fine Art at The Academy of Art in San Francisco, Anna's paintings began to incorporate ephemera and notions that she had gathered throughout the years.
Wanting to make use of these gently worn items more often, Anna developed her own product line, a collection of artful objects including journals, tags, small art pieces and notecards. Made by hand in her California studio, her eponymous line has been showcased in specialty boutiques across the globe, as well as larger emporiums including Anthropologie and Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic.
Anna is the author of 5 books on the art of paper crafting, including 'Vintage Paper Crafts' and 'Doodling in French'. She has been featured in various US publications including 'Country Living', 'Victoria' and 'Evoke', and her studio is featured in the original hardcover edition of "Where Women Create".
The past decade has found Anna heeding the siren call to share her creative passions and aesthetic within inspirational settings. She has greatly enjoyed designing a series of ever growing workshops that are presented in her own studio as well as venues in the US, France and England.
During the past 2 quiet years of staying closer to home, her garden became a great solace, resulting in a new series of projects that are being unveiled this year...including at Court House Farm and Gardens.
In their own words
Booking
This retreat has already taken place. Get in touch and we’ll let you know as soon as the next one is announced.
Reserve your place
28 May–2 June 2023 · 6 days / 5 nights
Past retreat
Register interest in the next oneA question before you book? Get in touch.
Life at Court House Farm
Characterful bedrooms in the medieval and Tudor manor houses, each furnished with vintage finds and rich fabrics.
Resident chef Kirstie cooks seasonal, generous meals to bring everyone together at the end of each studio day.
Walled gardens, the orchard and quiet corners for sketching, reading or doing nothing at all between sessions.
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