“Students enjoying fall in the Villages”

     Students from Iowa and Missouri take part in classes at the Villages Folk School and spend a weekend enjoying the beautiful fall weather here in the Villages of Van Buren County.

     It was a “double header” in Bentonsport this past weekend as Betty Printy and April Ziegler taught simultaneous classes. Betty’s kitchen in her historic brick home was the stage for the “Artisan Bread Making Made Easy” class and the performance was breath taking. When I arrived, everyone was gathered around the working island in the center of the kitchen and taking turns applying the techniques Betty had just shared. I never tire of sitting in on the classes and snapping photographs of the continuing process. The class moves from the use of the yeast in preparing the dough to the hand kneading of the loaf and, for the grand finale, into the cloche and the oven for a spectacular finish. This class is always popular, a treat for those who attend, and leaves them with a pleasant trip home to share the excellent loaf of bread with their families. Betty’s bread recipes are among the best I have tasted and will become a delight at your dinner table for years to come.

     A few paces north from Betty’s front door and you are at the front door of the log building where April Ziegler, Betty’s daughter, is teaching a class on rug weaving. April and her students were carefully “warping the beam” which is the process of properly loading the yarn onto the loom prior to beginning the weaving of the rug. The first day in class is spent selecting the color scheme and warping the beam. On the second day the students begin to weave their masterpiece and by the end of the day have completed a rug that can be proudly displayed at home.

     Bread making and weaving are only two of the many classes offered year round at the Villages Folk School here in scenic southeastern Iowa. The winding river valley and lush hardwoods in this picturesque county which is home to our 30 folk school artists will become a refuge for you to come relax and enjoy the arts with our talented artist instructors.

     Go to our web site at www.villagesfolkschool.com and choose you next class from our class calendar. You may print out a registration form and mail it in to our office or simply call us today at (319) 592-3700 for more information and registration assistance. Our office is in Bonaparte, Iowa at the Opera House and is open from 8:30 to 12:30 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. For those of you without internet access our upcoming class schedule as follows:

Natural Dyes in My Backyard

27-Oct-2011 28-Oct-2011

Container Candles

5-Nov-2011 -

Beginning Knitting

5-Nov-2011 -

Shaker Boxes

12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

Tatting 12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

7 Step Chair Caning

19-Nov-2011 -

Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting

19-Nov-2011 20-Nov-2011

     Call us today and register for a class at the Villages Folk School. We look forward to your visit.

“Creating masterpieces in the oven and on canvas”

     Students from around Iowa visited Van Buren County last weekend to learn the art of artisan bread making and painting the landscape from Villages Folk School instructors.

     John Preston set his easel on the banks of the Des Moines River at Bonaparte and welcomed students from Ames, Cedar Rapids and Keosauqua who had come to learn the techniques of painting the landscape in oil and watercolor. John’s brilliance with shadow, color and perspective soon unfolds as his brush gently strokes the canvas and creates, as if by magic, the splendor of the surrounding landscape. I never tire of watching his seemingly effortless style of painting and hearing him express that gift to the students in tangible means so as to encourage them in their painting experience. If you have a desire to paint but just can’t find the right motivation to begin then I urge you to spend a day with John Preston. His “Painting the Landscape” class will set you on the right path and encourage you to draw from within yourself as you begin to create on canvas what is vividly displayed on nature’s panorama.

     Betty Printy welcomed students to her historic Bentonsport home for a class in artisan bread making. Her class covers every aspect of the process from ingredients to proper mixing and baking and Betty shares little secrets of hers throughout the day. I, of course, excel in the “tasting” process and never pass up the opportunity to sample some of the day’s spectacular results. Students attending her class leave with a sense of accomplishment and all the skills needed to continue baking homemade bread on a daily basis.

     Register for a class at the Villages Folk School and come enjoy a weekend in the historic Villages of Van Buren County. Our web site is www.villagesfolkschool.com or call us at (319) 592-3700 and discover for yourself the joy of “living the arts” with our artist instructors.

     Our new office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

     The following is our class calendar for the remainder of October and November:

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

22-Oct-2011 -

Spring and Fall Birdwatching

22-Oct-2011 -

Rug Weaving Workshop

22-Oct-2011 23-Oct-2011

Natural Dyes in My Backyard

27-Oct-2011 28-Oct-2011

Container Candles

5-Nov-2011 -

Beginning Knitting

5-Nov-2011 -

Shaker Boxes

12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

Tatting 12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

7 Step Chair Caning

19-Nov-2011 -

Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting

19-Nov-2011 20-Nov-2011

“Weaving your way through the Villages?”

                                                                                                                                                          
     For those who traveled through the historic bypass and stopped in each of the villages here in Van Buren County it was a weekend of parades, vendors, car shows, good food, music and the historic splendor of this river valley. It is this “historic splendor” that will continue to draw people back to our simpler way of life. The Villages Folk School classes give people the opportunity to come to this beautiful county, stay in a historic hotel or inn, and enjoy the arts taught by gifted artist instructors who “live the arts” here in Van Buren County.

     Classes are held year round and offer a chance for students to come enjoy all the seasons here in southeast Iowa. October and November are a good time to start thinking about gifts for Christmas and this year you could make your own with the help of an artist. Paint the Landscape with John Preston and discover your own creative side as John guides you through the steps. He makes it look so easy and his helpful guidance will have you painting masterpieces in no time. How about making your own gift basket complete with bread you learned to bake at the “Artisan Bread Making Make Easy” class taught by Betty Printy in her historic home. Add to that a container candle that you made by attending Joy Hanson’s “Container Candles” class at the historic Mason House in Bentonsport. Give handmade rugs, quilts, Shaker boxes, caned chairs, hand knitted items for the choice is yours as you browse through our calendar of classes on the web site at www.villagesfolkschool.com .

     Visit or web site, pick a class, register by calling our office at (319) 592-3700 or print and mail your registration form and get ready to enjoy yourself at the Villages Folk School.

The following is our class calendar for October and November:


Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

15-Oct-2011 -

Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits

15-Oct-2011 -

Painting the Landscape

15-Oct-2011 -

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

16-Oct-2011 -

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

22-Oct-2011 -

Spring and Fall Birdwatching

22-Oct-2011 -

Rug Weaving Workshop

22-Oct-2011 23-Oct-2011

Natural Dyes in My Backyard

27-Oct-2011 28-Oct-2011

Container Candles

5-Nov-2011 -

Beginning Knitting

5-Nov-2011 -

Shaker Boxes

12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

7 Step Chair Caning

19-Nov-2011 -

Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting

19-Nov-2011 20-Nov-2011


See you soon at the Villages Folk School.

“Folk School classes on a fall palette”

    

     Driving through the lush countryside of Van Buren County offers a chance for you to slow down, enjoy the beautiful fall colors, and savour the pace of life in this rural wonderland. The changing of the guard, if you will, as the greenery gives way to fall’s burst of color. I am still overcome by the spectacle nature provides as I travel to Villages Folk School classes in this scenic river valley devoid of stop lights and fast food restaurants. I invite you to experience the Villages of Van Buren County and all this southeastern Iowa County has to offer.

     October at the Villages Folk School welcomes the return of Betty Printy’s popular “Artisan Bread Making Made Easy” class where you will learn the art of making bread in the historic Bentonsport home of Bill and Betty Printy. This class is always a treat for the many who travel to the villages to learn the art of baking bread. Call our folk school office at (319) 592-3700 or contact us by email at villagesfolkschool@gmail.com and make your reservations. For those of you with internet the class calendar is available on our web site at www.villagesfolkschool.com.

     John Preston’s “Painting the Landscape”, Raymond and Connie Morris’s “Fall Birdwatching”, and Pat Crawford’s “Natural Dyes in My Backyard” are classes that will take you into the fall splendor and give you a firsthand look at October in Van Buren County.

The following is our class calendar for October and November:

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

15-Oct-2011 -

Chair Caning with Flat Reed Splits

15-Oct-2011 -

Painting the Landscape

15-Oct-2011 -

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

16-Oct-2011 -

Artisan Bread Making Made Easy

22-Oct-2011 -

Spring and Fall Birdwatching

22-Oct-2011 -

Rug Weaving Workshop

22-Oct-2011 23-Oct-2011

Natural Dyes in My Backyard

27-Oct-2011 28-Oct-2011

Container Candles

5-Nov-2011 -

Beginning Knitting

5-Nov-2011 -

Shaker Boxes

12-Nov-2011 13-Nov-2011

Tatting

12-Nov-2011

7 Step Chair Caning

19-Nov-2011 -

Hand Piecing, Appliqué & Quilting

19-Nov-2011 20-Nov-2011

     We invite you to join us at the Villages Folk School as our artist instructors teach you to enjoy art commingled with history and nature.