EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
Spring Style Series: Infinite Blooms — A Kusama-Inspired Art Workshop
Step into the bold, beautiful world of Yayoi Kusama — one of the most iconic living artists of our time, celebrated for her mesmerizing use of dots, vibrant color, and endlessly repeating patterns. In this workshop, we'll explore Kusama's life and artistic vision before picking up our own brushes to create dot-inspired floral designs set against vivid, colorful backgrounds.
Class participants will work to create a sampler on paper before working on their 5x7 work on canvas board.
Whether you're a seasoned creative or have never touched a paintbrush, this is your invitation to play, experiment, and let your imagination bloom. All supplies provided — just bring your curiosity.
Beginning Watercolors: April Showers
What better medium to capture the magic of a rainy spring day than watercolor?
In this hands-on introductory class, you'll explore the essential techniques that make watercolor so wonderfully expressive — wet-on-wet washes that mimic a misty sky, wet-on-dry edges for crisp raindrops and delicate details, color blending, layering, and the art of knowing when to let the paint flow freely. Through guided exercises, you'll get a feel for how watercolor behaves and learn to embrace its beautiful, watery unpredictability.
Then you'll put it all together by painting a charming April-inspired illustration — using a pre-sketched image provided by the instructor. No drawing skills needed; the lines are ready and waiting for your color to bring them to life.
You'll leave with a finished 5x7 piece, a set of foundational watercolor skills to carry forward, and maybe even a new love for a grey April day.
No experience necessary. All supplies provided. Just bring your love of rainy days!
Join us for our final outdoor art market before breaking for the summer months!! PLUS, this month, we are hosting a special "Empty Bowls" fundraiser!!In partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank, our gallery will host a special Empty Bowls event featuring hand-crafted ceramic bowls created by local artists, artisans, and students — each available for a donation of $25, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the food bank. Select larger works will be featured at higher price points, also with all proceeds going directly to hunger relief.To participate in the glaze-your-own bowl opportunity, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Food Bank, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../glaze-your-own-bowl...
Participating art market artists include:April DeConickAlisha PangbornCaroline MooreDoni Langlois (bowl glazing station from 10-12 - RSVP Required)Felicia Gunter (NEW)Hannah BladhIrina ZamotorinaJennifer Marquez (NEW)Jennifer VahlbruchNatalie ShipulaShafer JewelrySunbo EzeZahra Martinez
Empty Bowls at Ardest Gallery - Saturday, April 25th | 10AM – 4PM
Join us for a day of art, community, and compassion. In partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank, our gallery will host a special Empty Bowls event featuring hand-crafted ceramic bowls created by local artists, artisans, and students — each available for a donation of $25, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the food bank. Select larger works will be featured at higher price points, also with all proceeds going directly to hunger relief.
Throughout the day, visitors can try their hand at a pinch-pot or glazing station led by ceramist Doni Langlois, and kids are invited to decorate their own bowl outdoors — a fun, hands-on reminder that your bowl helps feed a family. Raffle tickets will also be available at $5 each or 5 for $20 for a chance to take home a beautiful vessel and make an even bigger impact.
Unsold bowls will remain on display and available for purchase through the end of May, including during our Opening Reception — so there's more than one chance to find the perfect piece for a perfect cause.
Come for the art. Stay for the community. Leave knowing you made a difference.
Join us for a hands-on creative experience where art meets community. Local ceramic artist Doni Langlois has handcrafted a collection of beautiful bowls just waiting for your personal touch — and now it's your turn to bring them to life with color and glaze.
With only 10 spots available, this is an intimate, relaxed session where you'll get to slow down, get creative, and make something truly one of a kind. No experience necessary — just bring your imagination!
A $25 donation to the Montgomery County Food Bank covers your space, all materials and supplies, and the firing of your finished bowl. Once it's been fired and cooled, your completed bowl will be ready for pickup anytime on or after May 8th.
Introduction to Pastels: Blooms & Blending
Discover the rich, velvety world of pastel art in this hands-on introductory workshop! Whether you're a complete beginner or simply new to the medium, this class will walk you through everything you need to get started with confidence.
Through clear, step-by-step visual instruction, you'll learn how to handle and apply pastels, build color with layering, and master essential blending techniques that bring depth and softness to your work. By the end of the session, you'll walk away with a completed floral piece — and the foundational skills to keep creating long after class ends.
You'll explore:
No experience necessary — just a love of color and a willingness to get your hands a little dusty. All materials provided.
Paper Weaving Basics
Explore the meditative rhythm of weaving in this hands-on workshop for all skill levels! You'll learn the fundamentals of paper weaving while creating a one-of-a-kind abstract sampler mounted on an 11×14 canvas board — a finished piece ready to hang and enjoy.
Choose from a curated selection of vibrant cardstock, vintage papers, and textured fibers to weave together a composition that's entirely your own. Through simple over-under techniques, you'll discover how color, pattern, and texture can combine into something truly striking — no experience required.
All supplies are provided. Just bring your creativity and leave with a finished work of art.
Mixed Media Workshop
Explore the intersection of acrylic paint and collage in this hands-on workshop. You'll master techniques for weaving collage materials directly into painted surfaces — layering, glazing, and working paint over and around torn paper until the two become indistinguishable. The result: a unified composition where texture and color feel wholly intentional, not assembled.
All supplies required. No experience needed.
See above for workshop description.
Join us for the Opening Reception of "Thresholds" featuring glass works by Texas artists as selected by our Guest Juror Malina Cipleu, who will give remarks around 7 p.m. that evening.Thresholds is a curated exhibition exploring glass as a material of transition, mediation, and connection. Fragile yet resilient, glass occupies a unique position between separation and permeability. It creates boundaries while allowing light, vision, and presence to pass through—acting as both barrier and bridge.
Featured artists include:Barbara MuellerCora SalvinoDeborah EllingtonKathleen AshLoraine TomonMargita PencevovaMary TorresOksana SaladinoSandi NeimanTaylor Vaughn
Join us for a morning creative session where you can create your own unique design on canvas. We provide the art supplies, you provide the perfect sip to accompany your artistic flow at our PICK YOUR PALETTE workshop.
Your journey begins with selecting the perfect design that speaks to YOU. Using traditional tracing techniques, you'll transfer your chosen design onto canvas – no artistic experience or drawing skills are required!
Choose your mini canvas template from our curated collection of 15+ inspiring designs:
Once you have transfered your design onto canvas, you can enjoy the pure joy of painting!!
While you'll have the freedom to paint at your own pace and follow your creative instincts, our professional artists will be your creative companions throughout the morning. They're here to whisper color secrets, share finishing flourishes, and celebrate every brushstroke with you.
Each participant will leave with more than just a painting – you will get to take home a piece of your creative spirit, beautifully captured on canvas and ready to grace your walls with pride.
All supplies provided. $20 per person.
See above for the workshop's description.
Mother’s Day Kokedama Workshop – A Living Gift Experience
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a unique, hands-on botanical experience. In this guided workshop, guests will create their own elegant kokedama — a Japanese-inspired moss ball arrangement featuring a delicate orchid paired with curated tropical plants.
Each participant will learn the art of shaping and wrapping natural moss, designing a balanced composition, and caring for their living creation. The result is a timeless, sculptural piece that brings nature indoors — perfect as a meaningful gift or a personal keepsake.
This experience is designed to feel calming, creative, and elevated — ideal for enjoying quality time with loved ones.
What’s included:
$85 per person
Join us for an amazing opportunity to create and connect with Curated Collage!
To begin, you will flip through our carefully curated collage treasure boxes—each one a portal to artistic possibility. Like a curator in your own personal museum, you'll select the kit that speaks to your soul, then settle into our cozy creative corner where magic happens.
What awaits inside your artistic adventure kit?
Your creative journey unfolds in two acts: First, craft a mini masterpiece during our guided session—no experience required, just bring your curiosity! Our mentors will be there to nurture your artistic instincts as your collage comes to life.
Then, the adventure continues at home! Take your remaining treasures with you and let inspiration strike whenever it pleases. Your kit becomes a companion for future creative moments, whether it's a quiet Sunday afternoon or a burst of midnight creativity.
No experience needed. All supplies provided. $20 per person.
Join us as we explore the "Art" of book folding with Julianne Mahler!! Each class participant will create a folded Texas within their choice of provided book, using a personalized pattern created by the artist.
Using a pencil and ruler, each participant will create folds on designated pages, ultimately creating a unique heart design upon completion. The book will be finished using your choice of ribbon, and the final product will be a wonderful shelf-worthy piece of literary art!
PLUS, as a class bonus, a 2nd book folding pattern will be provided to each participant to use at home along with their choice of book (Value $5). Julianne's original book folding patterns are also available for purchase in her Etsy shop.
Whether you are looking to add unique artisan decor to your home's shelves or are looking for a creative, relaxing hobby, this workshop is for YOU!
No experience necessary. All supplies are included. $50 per person.
Gelli Plate Magic Workshop with Barbara Welch
Dive into the mesmerizing world of gel plate printmaking where every pull reveals a surprise! This hands-on adventure transforms ordinary materials into extraordinary art through the alchemy of texture, color, and spontaneous creativity.
Whether you're a complete beginner or seasoned maker, you'll discover the addictive joy of layering paints, pressing textures, and watching unique patterns emerge with each print. No two pieces are ever the same – that's the beautiful unpredictability of gel printing!
What awaits you:
*Master multiple gel plate techniques that will have you seeing texture everywhere
*Create a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind printed papers perfect for collage, card-making, and mixed media projects
*Experience the therapeutic rhythm of print, peel, repeat
*Walk away with your own collection of artful papers PLUS a stunning matted collage suitable for framing
All materials provided – just bring your sense of play and prepare to get wonderfully messy! In just 3 hours, you'll unlock a whole new world of creative possibilities.
Perfect for explorers, experimenters, and anyone ready to embrace happy accidents in art.
Join us for this special paint-your-pet workshop with Jeff Lung!
After registering for the workshop, Lung will sketch your pet on an 8x10 canvas panel prior to the event.
During the workshop, enjoy bringing your sketch to life with colorful acrylic paint pens using color tips and tricks along with guidance from the artist.
Supplies included. No experience needed. All ages welcome (children under 12 with a parent/guardian). $65 pp.
Turn your own photos into encaustic works of art with Shauna Martin! In this workshop, participants will create (2), 5x5 encaustic photos on wood panels.
In this specialty workshop, you’ll be using your own photos, turned black & white, and oil sticks of all colors to create beautifully layered compositions! The end result will remind you of the timeless hand-painted photographs of the late 1800's but with a modern twist! We offer an assortment of supplies, but you are welcome to bring more; your favorite tissue paper (plain or pattern); favorite writings, quotes, poems, magazine cutouts, hand-made papers, fabric, etc. Essentially, if you like scrapbooking or journaling, this workshop is for you! Make sure to check your email after registration for a photo request from Shauna. Once she receives your images she will edit and get them printed for the event.
This 2 hour workshop is designed for artists of all levels, even those new to encaustic painting. All supplies included.
Ardest Gallery is a fine arts gallery representing top Texas 2D and 3D visual artists, located in The Woodlands, TX.
25200 Grogan's Park Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
832-296-6723
julieverville@ardestgallery.com
GALLERY HOURS
Wednesday to Friday 10am - 2pm
Saturdays 10am - 4pm
Copyright © 2025 Ardest Gallery. Site by Art Galleria
