Aya Fiber Studio

🎨 Develop a Personal Artistic Vocabulary on Paper with Claudia Lee
A five-day creative retreat for artists seeking to discover their visual voice

In this immersive retreat, Claudia Lee will guide participants through a personal journey of discovery — developing a unique artistic vocabulary rooted in texture, color, and mark-making. The goal is to create a foundation on which to build a cohesive body of work, expressed through paper, fiber, and imagination.

Over the course of the week, you’ll explore techniques that combine structure and spontaneity — transforming paper into a personal language of form and feeling. Each student will develop their own set of visual symbols, color palettes, and compositional strategies through guided experimentation and reflection.

Retreat Flow

Day 1 – Foundations & Intentions
Begin by exploring your creative influences, textures, and marks. Build your initial vocabulary of color, text, and imagery.

Days 2–4 – Exploration & Expression
Dive into a broad range of surface design and paper transformation techniques, including:
• Wax resist and paste papers
• Gel plate mono-printing
• Spray colors, washes, and inks
• Inkjet photo transfers
• Printing with transparencies
• Konnyaku / Momogami paper strengthening
• Collage and layering
• Piercing, hand and machine stitching
• Brush-making for mark-making

Each day alternates between demonstration, hands-on exploration, and guided discussion. You’ll learn to make intuitive choices, connect processes, and refine a visual identity that feels authentically your own.

Day 5 – Refinement & Reflection
Focus on integration — assembling your textures, imagery, and marks into cohesive compositions. The week concludes with a supportive group share and discussion of how to continue building a personal body of work beyond the retreat.

Studio Environment
Create in Aya’s spacious, light-filled fiber art studio in Stuart, Florida — with ample space for exploration and reflection. Each artist enjoys a generous personal workspace (never more than two per 4′×8′ table), electric power and USB access, and full use of specialized paper and dye facilities.

Enjoy fresh morning coffee, tea, and pastries, personalized lunch pickups from local cafés, and the relaxed rhythm of creative community. During retreat weeks, the group often enjoys an optional evening dinner at a nearby waterfront restaurant — a perfect time for connection and inspiration.

Details
Instructor: Claudia Lee
Dates: January 26–30, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuition: $1,020
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Materials Fee: Additional (details provided upon registration)
Class Size: Limited to 10 participants

By week’s end, you’ll have developed a personal design language — a set of textures, colors, and gestures that express your artistic essence and connect deeply to your creative path.