Maybe the kids are back at school, or away to university, or otherwise out from under your roof. Or perhaps your nest has been empty for some time and

Maybe the kids are back at school, or away to university, or otherwise out from under your roof. Or perhaps your nest has been empty for some time and you are interested in a new adventure. Either way, now it is time to think about you! What are you going to do for you? No matter what your age your brain benefits from actively seeking out new ways to use it. Presenting our brains with new challenges, stimulates neurons in the brain and creates new neural pathways - pathways that stave off memory disorders like Alzheimer's disease. So search within - sign up for a course in something you have always wanted to do or delve into a subject you once loved and have got away from.

Take a look at the studio offering and sign up - it will be good for your soul and for your brain!
And remember, if the budget is tight, we can work out a payment plan.

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Blue Heron Writing Workshops

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Words are Worth 1000 Pictures: Writing your Memoirs

Wednesday afternoons, 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., 8 weeks, starting September 26th.
$240 + HST

The old adage says that a picture is worth a thousand words, but that’s only true when everyone recognizes the pictures. How many times have you flipped through an old family photo album and wondered, “Who are those people with Grandma?” “Wonder where that was taken?”

It’s stories that we are hungry for: stories of our grandparents and great grandparents. Stories of what life was like for our families in “the old days”. Stories of when our parents were young. And it’s stories of us and the events that made us who we are that our children and our children’s children will yearn for.

In this course you will learn techniques for telling your stories in ways that capture the interest and imagination of your reader. In this course, we will explore: what it means to write well about the self and about others in our lives; what it means to tell the truth about our life experience in writing; we will be listened to deeply and will listen to others deeply as we explore our lives through writing and share our lives through story.

Each week participants will be offered optional homework to encourage them to pursue this discipline of getting their lives down on paper.

The best writing in the memoir class as chosen by the Blue Heron Selection Panel, will be forwarded to editor Adrienne Kerr at Penguin Canada for personal feedback and consideration.

The Write Magic – a course in writing

Tuesday nights, 7- 9:30 p.m. 8 weeks beginning September 25
$240 + HST

If you think you’re weird because you’re obsessed with words, read voraciously and have a passion to write, take heart – the mother ship has landed at Blue Heron Books! This fall, you can indulge in your passion in a safe, inspiring environment through THE WRITE MAGIC – a basic creative writing course taught by The Writing Fairy herself, Dorothea Helms.

Whether you have dabbled in writing, or even just thought about writing and want to find out whether this is a creative outlet you would enjoy, this course is the perfect exploration launch point. Aimed at beginners, the 8 sessions cover the basics of fiction and nonfiction. Participants will learn how to polish their work for potential publication, find out how to approach editors with articles and ideas, and write, write, write. The course will be run workshop style, with students sharing their written pieces verbally during each class. The course fee includes the book The Writing Fairy(R) Guide to Calling Yourself a Writer by Dorothea Helms.

The best writing in this class, as chosen by the Blue Heron Selection Panel, will be forwarded to editor Adrienne Kerr at Penguin Canada for personal feedback and consideration.

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Get Published Poetry Workshop

with James Dewar

Wednesday evenings, 7:00 to 9:30, 8 weeks starting September 26th.
$240 + HST

Enjoy eight interesting and collaborative weeks writing, sharing and preparing your poetry for publication. In addition to writing poems and sharing feedback, you will be invited to participate in discussions about some of the most common poetic forms, rhyme schemes, rhythm styles, free verse and line breaks. At the conclusion of the workshop, the facilitator will publish an anthology of poems written by the participants. Each participant will receive three copies. The best poetry, as chosen by the Blue Heron Selection Panel, will be forwarded to poetry editor Jerrod Bland at Anansi Press for personal feedback and consideration.

A copy of The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser is included, and will be used as a source book throughout the workshop.

Blue Heron Books will offer the poetry anthology for sale in the store. If participants would like additional copies of the anthology, or would like to create their own chapbooks, James Dewar will be happy to assist.

Wednesday evenings, starts September 26th

Time: 7:00 to 9:30

Writing Stories from Our Lives

Sunday evenings, 7 – 9:30 pm, 8 weeks, starting Sunday September 23rd
$240 + HST

Humans are the Story Species. It’s one of the few characteristics we share across cultures, across genders, across ages — we understand our lives and ourselves through the stories we tell.

In this set of eight writing workshops we will be practicing how to make our ideas into essays, our memories into memoirs and our lives into literature.

Each class will cover some aspect of the writing craft – the skills necessary to create strong prose that engages the reader and keeps them turning the page, including strong characterization, sensory description, vivid details, metaphors and accuracy.

The classes will also cover how to overcome hesitation about writing personal material, and how to transform material that may have begun as personal experience into stories that are transformative either as memoir, or as fiction.

We will be sharing our writing in class in a safe and respectful environment.

Participants will be encouraged to polish at least one of the pieces prepared in class to submit to a writing contest or a call for submission.

The best writing in the short story class as chosen by the Blue Heron Selection Panel, will be forwarded to editor Adrienne Kerr at Penguin Canada for personal feedback and consideration.

Course fee includes a copy of the text.

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Blue Heron Studio Fall Kids' Classes

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Young Sculptors

Love to build, squish, mold and transform things? Dive into the fun and oftentimes crazy world of sculpture. Kids will create individual and group projects using a number of traditional and less than ordinary materials. You’ll be surprised what they will come home with!

Instructor: Francis Muscat
Ages: 9+
Date/Time: Wednesdays 4—5pm (Oct 3 – Nov 21, 2012)
Course Fee: $120 + HST
Materials List: TBA

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Drawing Superheroes and Dastardly Villains

From Spiderman to Batman to your favourite Anime characters: Learn how to create your own superheroes and villains and send them on adventures of your own creation!

Instructor: Doug Knight
Ages: 9+
Date/Time: Tuesdays 4—5pm (Oct 2 – Nov 20, 2012)
Course Fee: $120 + HST
Materials List: TBA

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Acting Up!

Have a blast learning how to act …
Learn improv and gain confidence. Final performance for parents.

Instructor: Asia Krol
Ages: 8-12
Date/Time: Thursdays 4—5pm (Oct 4 – Nov 22, 2012)
Course Fee: $120 + HST
Materials List: TBA

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Make Some Noise! Parent & Tots Music Sessions

Turn your child’s desire to bang pots and pans into a fun learning time with parents. Kids get to bang, sing, and express themselves while learning basic concepts of rhythm and music. Guaranteed to be a fun time for all!

Instructor: Christie Warren
Ages: 6 months+
Date/Time: Tuesdays 10 – 11am (Starts October 2nd, 2012)
Course Fee: $75 + HST

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Blue Heron Studio Fall Adult Classes

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Watercolour Painting

Learn how to express yourself with this beautiful, subtle medium or expand on what you already know. Students will learn how to master the basic techniques of watercolour painting under the guidance of a professional water-colourist. This is an afternoon class.

Instructor: David Greaves
Ages: 15+
Dates/Times: Tuesdays, 1:30 – 3:30pm (Oct 2 – Nov 20, 2012)
Course Fee: $192.00 + HST
Materials List: TBA

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Life Drawing Sessions

There is no better way to learn to draw the human figure! Participants will be able to sketch undraped models in a variety of short and long duration poses over a 2 hour session. This is an open (uninstructed) studio class. Suitable for any skill level, life drawing is beneficial to both the beginner and the experienced artist. Ages 18+ only. Sessions will run for 8 weeks.

Instructor: none (open studio)

Ages: 18+

Date/Time: Thursdays, 7—9pm (Oct 4 – Nov 22, 2012)

Course Fee: $160+HST

Materials List: Participants bring their preferred materials. Chairs and tables will be provided. If desired, you can bring your own easel.

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The Un-Drawing Course with Fly Freeman

Go beyond the ordinary and stretch your creativity in the process! Open to artists of all skill levels.

Professional artist Fly Freeman will take you on a drawing journey that will change how you view the act of drawing and expand your ability to express yourself in this medium. Sure to be lots of fun for artists of all abilities! (Due to the fact that there will be undraped models in a few of the classes, students must be over 18 years of age).

Instructor: Fly Freeman

Ages: 18+

Date/Time: Wednesdays, 7-9pm (Oct 3 – Nov 21, 2012)

Course Fee: $192.00 + HST for 8 weeks

Materials List:

• large sheets of paper (can be newsprint)

• a flat, smooth board to clip your paper onto

• a large clip

• soft leaded pencils such as B, 6B, and charcoal (vine and compressed)

• Students will be experimenting with a variety of drawing mediums. The instructor will let you know of any other required materials as the course progresses.

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Learn to Draw with Sarah Holtby

Ever wondered why your drawings do not look quite like you imagined? Improve your drawing skills by learning hands-on how to draw more realistic images through increasing attention to detail, understanding the elements of an image including, light, shadow and texture. Great for the beginner who wants to sharpen their skills or for students wishing to continue on from their classes last spring.

Instructor: Sarah Holtby

Ages: 15+

Date/Time: Mondays, 7 – 9 pm (Oct 1 – Nov 26, 2012. No class on Oct 8th.)

Course Fee: $192.00 + HST for 8 weeks

Materials List:
• drawing pad (at least 8X10)

• pencils, eraser

• black ink pen

• charcoal pencil and white charcoal or white conte

• black paper

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Events in Brief....

Sept. 20th – Celebration of the Arts Books and Authors Night with CS Richardson, Vincent Lam, Annabel Lyon, and Miranda Hill, wife of Lawrence Hill, at Uxbridge Music Hall
Sept. 22nd – Opening of Blue Heron Studio BOOK < > ART exhibition, Street Art party and Culinary event featuring a visit from Canada’s Local Food Ambassador, Lynn Ogryzlo
Oct. 14th – Ruth Walker – In store book launch
Oct. 18th – Raw Food Chef Doug McNish, in partnership with Passionate Cook’s Essentials
Oct. 28th – IFOA Event with Jane Johnson and Laura Lippman, Books and Brunch at Wooden Sticks Golf Club
Nov. 18th – Books and Brunch with Terry Fallis for the release of his new novel, Up and Down, at Wooden Sticks Golf Club
Dec. 4th – Improv – er extraordinaire Colin Mochrie,with his book Not Quite the Classics interviewed by television personality Neil Crone, at the Music Hall
Jan. 27th – multi-nominated, multi-winning author Patrick de Witt for The Sisters Brothers, Books and Brunch at Wooden Sticks

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