Working with Walter Bergmoser and Peter Sramek, the workshop participants explored image-making with collaged natural materials exposed in the bright sunlight onto cyanotype paper and regular silver photo paper.
An introduction to the concept of art and interventions in nature supported by watching the documentary film of Andy Goldsworthy’s site-specific works, led to participants creating works in the forest and the creek bed. Enlarged acetate negatives were used to print images as cyanotypes and also for experiments in exposing directly onto large tree leaves of various kinds.
This summer series of workshops introduced making books by hand, covering basic techniques of folding and sewing books without glue and moving on to historical sewing formats appropriate for a wide range of art and bookmaking projects. They were held in Kingston at the Tett Centre and at the Sydenham Library and Heron Point on Eel Lake.
August 9-11 Handbound Artists’ Books: Introduction to Non-adhesive Binding Structures $300. plus accommodation if required ($175)
This workshop intensive introduced a range of basic sewn structures and each person made a range of samples over the weekend.
Sydenham Library, Ontario and Heron Point on Eel Lake – August 2024
Learn how to easily create small, decorative blank books and later assemble your own contents into book form. This workshop will cover basic folding and sewing of small sample bindings, covering a range appropriate for newcomers to book making: single section pamphlets and stab sewings, albums and multi-section formats with paper covers. Only basic hand tools are required and all materials will be provided. Bring your lunch.
Linkstitch and Album Binding Structures This workshop will cover two (or more if we have time) formats adapted from historical bindings which allow for the creation of multi-section books. Decorative spine sewings, as well as a format appropriate for use as albums with inserted contents will be constructed. Once again, we will make a number of blank books with paper covers. This workshop will follow well from the skills covered in the Introduction day. Only basic hand tools are required and all materials will be provided. Bring your lunch.
In conjunction with the Nature Conservancy of Canada we are inviting you to join us on the August long weekend for our second BioBlitz at Shibagau Creek.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is calling for its annual countrywide BioBlitz on the August long weekend and we invite you to participate with us.
"It is the NCC's intention to unite thousands of people across Canada in a collective community effort to celebrate and document the diverse species across our beautiful country. Bioblitzes are a community-led gathering of information about species in a certain area held over a certain length of time. These community science events have led to the documentation of rare or endangered species in many countries, including Canada. Our collective observations can grow our knowledge of native species’ distributions and help conservationists target areas to eradicate invasive species. These efforts may help conservation efforts to restore the balance and health of our local ecosystems. By documenting the natural world and sharing these observations to a global database, anyone can give back to nature."
NCC BioBlitz Call
As we learn more about who and what inhabits the land, we celebrate all that we encounter.
Pick your species be it flora, fauna or both and wander the 100 acre property noting what you see, take pictures to later upload for the Nature Conservancy using the iNaturalist app and enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty of all that’s around.
Bring friends looking for a fun and easy way to support nature this August long weekend.
The Shibagau Forest Farmstead is situated within the traditional territories of the Mississaugas, Anishinabewaki (ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ) and Wendake-Nionwentsïo peoples who are the original owners and custodians of these lands on which we are honoured to gather. As part of the Upper Canada Land Surrenders, under the Crawford Purchase of 1784, no treaty was ever signed.
August 23-25, 2024 Poetic Whispers: Installations in Nature $350. plus accommodation if required ($175)
The remote farm setting at Shibagau Creek Forest offers a unique backdrop for exploring nature through art and photography. The structure of this workshop will encourage participants to engage deeply with nature and their own artistic processes, reflecting on the transient beauty of natural art and how it can be captured and conveyed through photography.
Work with Walter Bergmoser and Peter Sramek, photographic artists and educators to expand your creative approaches and share insights together.
An introduction to the concept of art and interventions in nature will lead to discussion of how interventions can be made in nature responsibly and meaningfully, emphasizing the impermanence of some artists’ works and how to document these changes through photography.
Field Exploration around the farm will identify sites and gather natural materials that can be used in an art installation. Discussions will develop how these materials can be used to interact with the landscape, while simple experiments will be made with photographic materials utilizing alternative printing such as luminogram and cyanotype processes.
Participants will sketch their ideas and plan their installations, receiving feedback from peers and instructors. They will then select sites and construct their installations and/or natural art objects to then be documented in place with photography. Works made with natural materials will mostly be ephemeral and go back-to-nature, but then live on in the photographs which participants make.
Complex photographic experience, technique and equipment are not required for this workshop. Those interested in developing their relationship with the natural environment are invited to arrive with a cellphone (and appropriate outdoor wear).
Walter Bergmoser is an art photographer, designer and professor at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Berlin. As a partner in the International Art Collaborations Network, he has also been an exchange professor at OCAD University in Toronto. This will be his second year at SCFF collaborating in a photography workshop with Peter Sramek.
Peter Sramek is a photographic artist and professor emeritus at OCAD University in Toronto now living in South Frontenac. His recent exhbition at the Tett Centre in Kingston was titled The Abstraction is Not the Reality.
Participants will arrive on Friday afternoon or evening and may stay an extra night on Sunday to make a long weekend should they desire.
Cost: $525 includes tuition, accommodation and meals; $350 for those who do not require accommodation and breakfasts.
A deposit of $60 will hold your place with full payment due 2 weeks prior to the workshop. A non-refundable fee of $60 will apply if you cancel less than 2 weeks prior.
Ride sharing can be coordinated where possible. Pick-up and drop-off in Napanee is also possible should one wish to take the bus or the train.
Do you want to enhance your photography practice, reconnect with nature and enjoy a community of like-minded participants? This summer series is designed for you to feel in flow with your creativity, provide you with tools to develop your awareness and self-reflection, and offer collaborative image-making, discussion and learning, in an easy and collegial environment.
Tamworth Reflection, Jenny Zhang, workshop participant, June 2023.
Workshops are designed for 4-8 people per event, which will allow you to explore your creative vision, whatever your experience with the technology. Learning together will be about reflecting on your inner creative motivations while observing, feeling and experiencing within a natural environment. Exercises and discussions will be about personal creative directions, whatever yours might be. Technique may be discussed as desired. Bring your camera, questions and a collection of images to discuss in the company of like-minded photographers of all levels. Share a farmhouse dormitory arrangement or bring a tent. Spend one or two nights – or stay longer. If you live nearby, arrive for the days’ activities.
Night Interior, Gordon Kong, workshop participant, June 2023.
The barn studio space is available, and the entire farm property allows for forest walks, plant and wildlife observation and quiet contemplation. Nearby there are swimming options and the village with its excellent used bookstore and cafés.
(Farmhouse accommodation is limited, so book early (although tenting is also possible).
Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead is a 100-acre retreat in a quiet valley with open meadows, forests and marshland. The property has been in the Sramek family for nearly 60 years and much of the land was replanted with trees at that time. The rustic 1900’s off-grid farmhouse overlooks the green valley and has an outdoor summer kitchen, firepit and dormitory loft, solar power, composting toilets and rain barrel shower. Open areas for tenting provide plenty of space for those who wish to camp. Trails lead through the forest down to the creek and to the upper fields with their viewpoints, perfect for silence & contemplation, walking and observing. The centre is actively in the process of development with new trees being planted this spring, the house and barn workshop space improved and forest trails expanded.
The Shibagau Forest Farmstead is situated within the traditional territories of the Mississaugas, Anishinabewaki (ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ) and Wendake-Nionwentsïo peoples who are the original owners and custodians of these lands on which we are honoured to gather. As part of the Upper Canada Land Surrenders, under the Crawford Purchase of 1784, no treaty was ever signed.
Getting Here: Outside Tamworth, Ontario, north of Napanee (Highway 41 exit on 401, or Camden East exit east of Kingston; from Highway 7, head south at Kaladar on Highway 41. Roughly 4 hours from Toronto or Montreal and 3 from Ottawa.
Weekend Schedule: Arrive Friday afternoon/evening or on Saturday morning. Finish on Sunday afternoon (an extra night stay can be arranged without extra cost).
Environment: This is a natural forested location, so bring bug spray and expect to spend time outdoors in various weather conditions.. The kitchen deck, firepit, BBQ and eating area are outdoors (there is a mosquito tent with tables for when bugs are bad). There is a swimming lake 20 minutes drive away, a rain barrel shower onsite and composting toilets.
Meals: Food & non-alcoholic beverages will be provided with shared preparation and clean-up. This is a ‘take your waste, leave no trace’ location.
Charging: Solar power system enables some charging of devices when required. At this point there is only spotty onsite cell service by the house and no WiFi (it is a great place to disconnect). Cell service is at the top of the hill at the entrance to the property, a five-ten minute walk from the house.
Dorm Sleeping: On the second floor, there is an open-concept loft with 6 comfortably spaced out beds. Currently there is one bedroom downstairs with queen bed – more to come as we renovate the extension.
Camping: There is plenty of room for tenting in the fields around the farmhouse and barn.
The First Ever SCFF Bio Blitz weekend organized in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Big Backyard Bio Blitz 2023 was an exciting event. We learned a great deal from the expertise of members of both the Kingston and the Quinte Field Naturalists who, among others, joined us over the two days. iNaturalist now boasts over 700 observations and 300 species on the SCFF property.
Inspired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada we are inviting you to join us on the August long weekend for our very first BioBlitz at Shibagau Creek.
Come for a few hours on Saturday and/or Sunday! The Nature Conservancy of Canada is calling for a countrywide BioBlitz on the August long weekend and we invite you to participate with us.
"It is the NCC's intention to unite thousands of people across Canada in a collective community effort to celebrate and document the diverse species across our beautiful country. Bioblitzes are a community-led gathering of information about species in a certain area held over a certain length of time. These community science events have led to the documentation of rare or endangered species in many countries, including Canada. Our collective observations can grow our knowledge of native species’ distributions and help conservationists target areas to eradicate invasive species. These efforts may help conservation efforts to restore the balance and health of our local ecosystems. By documenting the natural world and sharing these observations to a global database, anyone can give back to nature."
NCC BioBlitz Call
It is our intention at Shibagau Creek to learn more about who and what inhabits the land and celebrate all that we encounter.
Pick your species be it flora, fauna or both and wander the 100 acre property noting what you see, take pictures to later upload for the Nature Conservancy using iNaturalist and enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty of all that’s around.
Bring friends looking for a fun and easy way to support nature this August long weekend.
Please come for a few hours on Saturday and/or Sunday.
The Shibagau Forest Farmstead is situated within the unceded traditional territories of the Algonquin Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendake peoples who are the original owners and custodians of these lands on which we are honored to gather.
June 16-18, 2023 Presence and Light with Peter Sramek Within the natural spaces of the farm and forest, we will consider the roots of photographic visual practice in relation to observation, light and exposure. Photographs can be traces of the world in front of the camera but also of our inner experiences. Being present in nature may reveal that which is normally hidden in the daily rush. Working in black and white, exercises will be completed in digital format, but film work is also encouraged. Technical discussion will address metering and exposure to support image pre-visualization. Work can be made in both digital and film mediums.
This workshop saw us work on observation of light and shadow and visualizing how these translate into black and white images. Working in both digital and film formats, the barn, the forest, the creek and the town became subject matter for compositions and images in shades of grey.
