Creative Catalyst mixed media artist and author Lesley Riley is realizing a lifelong dream, and the best part, she's opening it up to the rest of us.

Riley has created five day workshop, October 25-29,  that will bring together three amazing mixed media instructors including Riley herslef, Claudine Hellmuth, and Nina Bagley and 15 students for a workshop unlike any other.

Riley's vision was that the retreat would be small and intimate and give artists both the space and time for community and conversation.

"Students can expect to come away with a great feeling of accomplishment, direction and renewal in themselves and their art... and the art they create as evidence of their weekend exploring the theme of Me, Myself & I," says Riley.

Riley has been working on the idea for a long time, but it was on her 59th birthday that she realized it was time to take the retreat from dream to reality. For the first retreat, Riley chose two friends and artists, Hellmuth and Bagley, because they were both there at the beginning of her career.

The theme for the first Red Thread Retreat is "Me, Myself & I" and students will have three classes that are designed to create either one final piece of art work or three separate ones. In Hellmuth's class, students will learn how to make beeswax collages. Hellmuth will teach how to transfer, stamp in wax, layer collage elements, use transparencies and glaze. Nina Bagly's class will include elements of wire wrapping, eyelet setting and use of "found word" poetry. Finally in Lesley Riley's class students will work on creating the life they want to have. Riley will work students through several exercises to help them hone in on exactly what they want their future to be. Students will use image and journaling along with symbol, collage, paint and mark making.

For more information, visit the Red Thread Retreat website here. Registration is now open.

Lesley Riley has one DVD with Creative Catalyst, Exploring Fabric Collage.

Claudine Hellmuth has three DVDs with Creative Catalyst Productions including Collage Textures & Techniques, MORE Collage Textures & Techniques, and Beeswax Collage.