Create With Me

Hello, dear artistic one!

Thank you for visiting and exploring “Create with me”! Art is not only for aesthetics to beautify our living spaces, it is also an important opportunity to express ourselves! I truly believe that when we take the opportunity to create, we can also heal, calm our busy lives, focus on taking a moment, and inspire joy!  One of my greatest joys is the opportunity to open the door to creativity for a fellow human. I truly believe that you have art within you, we might need to tease it out a little, but I believe it is fully there! There are so many ways to create art! Let’s work together to find what makes your artist’s heart sing!

As a mixed media artist, I am intoxicated with the idea of layering materials to create a piece of art that reflects my heart. I employ the use of a variety of materials, methods, and, media! I have fallen in love with watercolor. They are translucent and magical. Collage has been a love for a long time. Making papers kicks this opportunity up tenfold. I love canvas with acrylic, collage, inks, and more. It is a powerful way to get rich color and strong results. Ink has been a friend since high school. I love the texture, the accent it offers, and the finishing touches on both watercolor and acrylics. Colored pencil has their own charms! Mix all these together and you have magic! 

My role in your journey is to share the method and hopefully a little inspiration on how to use a variety of tools to spark your creativity! I believe you are your own best teacher, I am merely your cheerleader. It is my great honor to work with you to open the door to your art. I have had the privilege of working with young and young at heart (ages 2- 93) for over thirty years! 

I am happy to work with you in the following media/techniques:             

  • watercolor
  • acrylic
  • Colored pencil
  • ink
  • collage
  • mixed media
    • Watercolor based
    • acrylic based
  • monoprinting
  • Creating collage papers
  • mandala (and other meditative arts)

Currently, I am currently facilitating private and group workshops in person as well as on video chat. I have very limited time slots available, so please put your requests in as soon as possible! 

One-on-one- Private workshops begin at $45 an hour. Typically we work one to two hours for each session. A minimum of four meetings total is required in the initial commitment.  We can work project or process-based. Sharing the joys of art is truly a blessing. I hope to inspire you to embrace your artistic self! 

2023 Group Workshops

The 2022 workshop and private workshops calendar is now closed- We will begin again in January 2023

Any workshop is available for your small group. Prices are listed as well as the minimum required attendees. 

Current Offerings:

Workshops with Susan Carmen-Duffy @ Create Art 4 Good – 349 West Commercial Street, Suite #2795,  East Rochester, NY 14445

Watercolor Wednesdays- Have you tried to make friends with this medium and struggled a bit? Spend  90 minutes each Wednesday in practice, learn some tips that will help you be successful, and make friends with this incredible medium!  You need watercolor paper (140lb is suggested) watercolors, a variety of brushes, two containers of clean water, a paper towel or rags, and an open heart! Other materials will be discussed during the workshop!

A weekly demonstration will begin our time together. We will discuss techniques, tips, and tricks. We will share progress and suggestions. 

Beginning on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023- from 10 am until 11:30 pm (January Dates- 4, 11, 18, & 25)

Fee: $120 – limit of six people

email for availability: Susan@CreateArt4Good.org

Mono-printing Saturday- 

Mono-printing  is a printmaking form from which each print is unique and unrepeatable. Your “plate” is uncut, you add texture by adding or subtracting paint, textures, templates etc. It is a magical form of creation in which you can use your prints to further create, leave as they are, use them in collages and other art opportunities. 

In this workshop we will create a template (or two), use a gelli plate along with a variety of textures and papers to create monoprints. We will discuss further ways to utilize our papers.  Please dress appropriately, the paint we utilize will stain your clothing. 

Workshop Date: January 28, 2023 – 12:30- 3:30 pm limit of four participants $95.00- all materials included. 

 

Valentine, my sweet Valentine

Nothing says LOVE like a homemade valentine! This workshop will inspire you with easy beautiful techniques to create beautiful greeting cards for those you love most. We will create gorgeous mini works of art, perfect to get you out with old friends and new ones while creating art that fits in an envelope. 

Feel free to bring old cards to upcycle, all other materials are included. $45- Wednesday, February 1, 6-8 pm

email for availability: Susan@CreateArt4Good.org

The Thoughtful Snail Mail Series- Greeting cards are NOT just pieces of paper. They are thoughtfulness, they are love, they are connection. In this series, we will explore different ways to create our own cards, and make gorgeous snail mail anyone would be thrilled to receive! Each week we will explore a different technique. Blank cards and envelopes, markers, and colored pencils are helpful for this workshop. 

We will create using a variety of media.  We will discuss clever ways to create and enhance our greetings with love and maybe a little sassiness! 

In-person workshops are $45 a person. All supplies are included. A minimum of five people is required to schedule. The workshop is two hours in length. 

Online workshops- a materials list and video link will be supplied. A minimum of six people.  $25 a person. The workshop is ninety minutes in length. 

Card kits are available. Ask for pricing.

 

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Meditation & Prayer Flags Create an active prayer! Place your cares and concerns on a piece of fabric and then release those cares to the universe! Our cares and concerns know no season, you may hang your prayer flag outdoors winter, spring, summer, or autumn! Prayer flags date back thousands of years, to pre-Buddhist Tibet. Traditionally primary colors were created on cloth. Symbols and writings embodied the elements – earth, water, fire, air & space. The flags were used for healing ceremonies. This workshop invites you to create your own prayer flags. We will create on pre-stitched cloth and use a more contemporary mixed-media approach to this spiritual art. No experience is required it is only necessary to bring your sense of adventure with you. What might you create a prayer flag for? Your intent might be for peace in the world, a burden on your heart, or simply for light in the world. Your options are limitless.

In-person workshops are $45 a person. All supplies are included. A minimum of five people is required to schedule. The workshop is two hours in length. 

 

 Meditation Monthly

The Art of Mandala and Zentangle helps to heal.

Meditation is a profound spiritual practice that can be employed in any walk or stage of life. It has been proven by medical science that the act of meditation has profoundly positive effects on physical and mental well-being. This workshop begins with a brief meditation and then launches into a more active form of personal meditation. Using the principles of Mandala and Zentangle you are invited to create your own personal artistic mediation.

Mandala is a “sacred circle”. Tibetan monks and Native Americans use specially colored sand to create a meditation prayer for a specific intention. Zentangle is a meditative form of drawing. Traditionally created as a tool for visualization and meditation, every single detail of a mandala—the design, the colors, and the placement of symbols is deliberate.

Meditation and meditative drawing is a workshop that allows everyone (no artistic talent required) to explore in a safe and meditative environment explore self, your joys, and your sorrows. The creation of your mandala will be an experience like no other. Be still and listen…Creating a healing mandala is a form of active meditation that quiets your mind and allows you to journey within making the invisible visible.

We will create using a variety of media.

You are welcome to schedule this workshop for your small group.  A minimum of six people is required, All supplies included. $35 a person. Workshop length 90 minutes

 

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Paint and Pour with canvas Be inspired to create your own version of a masterpiece! This adult painting workshop will walk you through the creation process of your own painting. Bring an idea of your own or work with one of the inspired ideas found at the studio.  You will learn a new skill or two, and create one-of-a-kind work of art!  The workshop fee includes all materials, step-by-step instructions, and aprons. Please dress appropriately (acrylic paints stain cloth).

*** (Please note, you will paint your own piece, this is not a one size fits all situation. Your fingerprint is unique, so should your art be!)

In-person workshops are $45 a person. All supplies are included. A minimum of six people is required to schedule. The workshop is approximately 90 minutes in length.

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Paint and Pour: Paint your own BEAUTIFUL custom wine glasses! What’s not to love about drinking out of a beautifully painted wine glass? The only thing better is if YOU created it! This workshop is easy and fun! You will learn step-by-step techniques to create your very own beautiful glasses.

In-person workshops are $38 a person. All supplies are included. A minimum of six people is required to schedule. The workshop is approximately 90 minutes in length.

 

Mixed Media Workshop Mixed media is the best of all the processes for art. (in my humble opinion)  Each medium has its own beautiful strength and lends itself to working in cooperation with others. This workshop will teach you the strengths and applications of a variety of media and then inspire you to apply them in your own unique and creative way.  Each week we will build on the previous week.

Mixed media on watercolor paper- Susan Carmen-Duffy Artist
  • water media (both water watercolor and acrylic)
  • colored pencil
  • collage
  • inking
  • monoprinting

In-person workshop. All materials are included. Minimum of four people- maximum of six.                              Six weeks – 90 minutes each week.  $325 each. 

 

 

 

Watercolor Wonders I- Beginner workshop (little or no experience required) Experience the joy of watercolor painting. This workshop is designed to inspire your success with a new medium. Are you curious about the versatility and gifts of watercolors? You will learn techniques, how to create magic, and have some fun with this delightful medium. You will become familiar with watercolor materials, color mixing, and painting techniques in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Don’t be intimidated any longer – come learn to create with watercolor!

 

In-person workshop. All materials are included. Minimum of four -Maximum of six people. Six weeks – 90 minutes each week.  $295 each. 

Additional Watercolor workshops available- ask for details and pricing

  • Whimsical landscapes
  • Whimsical florals
  • Whimsical florals & botanicals
  • Intuitive Watercolors

 

You cannot teach people anything; you can only help them to find it within themselves. Galileo

I believe that each of us is an artist. I also believe that the very act of creation is a healing act. You needn’t have some horrible illness or challenge before you to benefit from this opportunity. Art is good. period. Art opens doors, calms the spirit, and allows us to take a deep breath. 

It is my honor to facilitate creative opportunities for you. I am a mixed-media artist. I love the opportunity that each medium provides. I use each for its greatest strength and then layer in the next and the next to create a most successful piece. I believe that art is not only a gift but absolutely is a spark, a breath of clean fresh air that invigorates your life. 

Recently I saw a poster that said, “do more of what makes you forget to look at your phone.”  AMEN! Art is an opportunity to do just that. Forget the speed of life, texting, emails, and such. The act of creation adds quality to life.  Below are some opportunities that I have facilitated in the past. Sometimes workshops are to celebrate an occasion, friendships, or team building. Sometimes participants seek to learn techniques and practice. I am open to helping you however I can.  Remember- art is good... Susan Carmen-Duffy

Studio Information:

Where- Create Art 4 Good Studios located at The Piano Works Mall! We are a proud part of The Central Creatives! 

Onsite Workshops 349 W. Commercial Street, Suite #2795, East Rochester, NY 14445

Directions- From the front of the building, park near the Golf Pro Shop (toward the Ferraris end of the mall). You will enter through the red door to the left of the golf pro shop. Proceed down the hall. You will find an elevator, take that (or the stairs through the door to the left of the elevator) to the second floor. You will see the door to the Central Creatives as soon as you get off the elevator in front of you. Suite #2795

From the rear of the building (this is best for those who have difficulty ambulating – also wheelchair access) Park toward the third awning in the back of the building. This is the north side of the building and will be almost to Ferraris Restaurant- Enter through the door where the third awning is. Make your way through the inner door to your right- there is an elevator – take that to the second floor. You will see the door to the Central Creatives as soon as you get off the elevator in front of you. Suite #2795

Susan Carmen-Duffy is the artist & owner of Create Art 4 Good. As an artist, she has explored the strengths of each medium and the magic of applying them together. She feels that each human has creativity within and should take time to explore their artist heart. Her work is widely collected throughout the United States and Europe. Susan shares her work through her own gallery, local galleries, and other opportunities. You can find her art and design on any of over 600 designs for her company, “Greetings 4 Good”.  (you can find the website here: Greetings4Good.orgwe are still working on uploading all the designs!)

 

Doing good things! I’d like to share with you that a portion of every sale, including every workshop, is donated to a local non-profit doing good things! 

We offer many opportunities! Look through to see what you would like to schedule for your team building, wedding or baby shower, birthday, or just a fun occasion!