Our Instructors

Ali Solonche (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist based out of Baltimore, MD. She earned her BFA in Studio Art from New York University where she spent time exploring all things art in New York City and Florence, Italy. Ali has been a lifelong creative, following in the footsteps of her grandmother (sorry dad, it skipped a generation), and after being in the corporate world for nearly 10 years, decided to get back to her roots and share her art with the world. When she's not in the studio, she can be found going on adventures with her family, walking her rescue pup, lounging with a good book in the hammock, or naturally, taking pictures of the sky.

Sky Queen Studio is Ali's collage and mixed media business that creates colorful, whimsical and playful artwork to be enjoyed in the home, businesses, publications & beyond. SQS creates pieces that are inspired by pop culture, travel, 90s/00s nostalgia, animals & sustainability. All pieces incorporate recycled or reclaimed materials and/or processes, in an effort to give new life to old things. 

My name is Amy O'Donnell and I'm an avid lover and learner of astrology. I've been taking classes, working with mentors, and studying astrology since 2003. I finished a four year certification program through Astrology University in 2023 and am currently enrolled in a two year honors program through CAMS (Centre for Astrology, Myth, and Symbol). I've been a practicing astrologer since 2020. I hope you'll come join me at one of the classes I'm offering in the fall. Until then, feel free to learn more about me at ODastrology.com

Having grown up in a creative environment, and instilled with a love of the outdoors and nature, Annette now expresses her creativity through textile arts. Annette’s exploration of textile arts began in 2018 when she took a class in natural dyes at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. Since then, Annette has studied both eco-printing and thread-painting, often combining the two processes. Annette takes inspiration from travelling and often uses her own photos in her work. She also makes use of the bounty of plants available in Maryland in her eco-printed designs.

Brad Blair serves as Gallery Director and Curator at Manor Mill, where he has been coordinating and hanging fine art exhibits for about ten years. He emphasizes relationship-building with artists and meticulous attention to exhibition design.

Blair holds a B.S. in Fine Arts from Towson University and an MFA from Florida State University. His ceramic sculptures are shown locally and nationally. He teaches pottery classes at Manor Mill and maintains an online portfolio at BradBlairCeramics.com.

Beyond curation, Brad runs the Instagram account @MarylandMushrooms, documenting regional fungi photography. He is an avid mushroom forager and nature lover who explores the mysterious world of fungi.

What started as a personal journey to build confidence in the kitchen and master the art of breadmaking has grown into a thriving micro bakery and a vibrant community of bread lovers in Baltimore. Along the way, I discovered my passion for the slow, transformative process of sourdough fermentation—where humble ingredients like flour, water, and wild yeast become bread that nourishes, comforts, and brings people together.

At Bread By Bridget, every loaf is crafted with care, reflecting a dedication to quality and tradition. But my mission doesn’t stop at baking—I’m here to empower others to bring the beauty of sourdough into their own kitchens. Through hands-on workshops, I teach beginners and enthusiasts alike to master sourdough baking, from nurturing a starter to pulling a perfectly golden loaf from the oven.

Bridgette Guerzon Mills is a multi-media artist. Her work incorporates a variety of materials including photography, paint, encaustic, and textiles, as well as reclaimed materials. Her artwork has been published in magazines and books and her work has been collected in the United States and internationally. She currently resides in Towson, MD with her family. As a mixed media artist, encaustic is a versatile medium that allows her to create depth in layers and serves as a means for further exploration in both form and meaning. She combines her photography with encaustic to create a bridge between two worlds, the real and the reconstructed. The canvas becomes a multilayered surface that speaks to both the visual and tactile senses. Her landscapes are an attempt to capture a feeling of wonder, recognition and kinship with the land. She explores landscapes in both oil paint and encaustic. Her outdoor installations, often created using foraged or recycled materials, focus on environmental issues and seek to engage and educate the public about these concerns. www.guerzonmills.com

I'm a modern calligrapher in Baltimore that has a passion for world travel, social impact, and well-being. I do and teach the wonderful art of hand lettering alongside many other creative outlets: watercolor, illustration, and graphic design. I specialize in thoughtful gifts, weddings, classes, and working with small businesses!

The farm was founded in September 2021 by Candice Gasper. Candice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and before getting into farming, had a successful career in sales and marketing in the environmental consulting and green construction industries. Candice discovered her interest in agriculture when she started volunteering at her neighborhood farmer’s market in 2016, which eventually led her to volunteering at a nearby urban farm in Washington DC. In 2018, Candice completed her Permaculture Design Certification and traveled to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region of France to work on two organic farms for several weeks through the program WWOOF France. Upon returning, she began working at Little Wild Things City Farm in Washington DC, a woman owned farm which grows microgreens and edible flowers. In October of 2019, Candice took a job as a greenhouse supervisor with Gotham Greens in Baltimore, MD, leading a team of nine farmhands growing lettuce and basil for grocery stores nationwide.

Celia Cook has been bookbinding since 2022. While earning her MA in Creative Writing from Ball State University, she was awarded a research grant to develop her skills and knowledge in the book arts with Mikayla Galgerud. As she continues to explore the book arts, she hopes to share her craft with others. When not bookbinding, Celia is busy writing two books, buying too many cardigans, and baking banana bread out in Baltimore. You can find them on Instagram @belia.book!

Courtney has been in the wellness and holistic space for 2-decades, teaching a variety of classes and offering therapeutic services. Her and her husband are both yoga teachers and Thai Yoga Bodywork practitioners. 

In 2006 they ran a 4k sq ft wellness center in Carroll County before moving to the Baltimore County. 

Courtney is a Clinical Medical Support Hypnotherapist and a certified Integrative Nutrition and Wellness coach. 

She holds a non-judgmental space that integrates clinical hypnotherapy, developmental psychology, inner-child exploration, somatic breathwork and transformational holistic coaching to create a safe space for expression.
Her invaluable unique skill set combines the most effective elements of:

• Integrative Holistic Coaching
• Clinical Hypnotherapy &
• Hypnobirthing
• Therapeutic & Guided Imagery
• Aromatherapy & Reflexology
• Somatic Breathwork & Meditation

Courtney facilitates her clients in discovering their unique paths that ensure effective and long-lasting positive change and personal evolution. Every person is a unique individual seeking authenticity. Upon identifying and removing emotional barriers and obstacles, each person regains their power to control their lives and as a result gains a nourishing and deep sense of fulfillment.

After retiring as a Latin teacher, Deetzie Walker spent the next 20 years working at Woolstock and Black Sheep Yarn Shops.  Already an avid knitter and crocheter, this is where she was introduced to the world of weaving. She loves experimenting with and learning about all the varieties of looms: rigid heddle, tapestry, peg looms, weaving sticks, handheld pin looms, Saori looms and even potholders! In addition to class offerings, Deetzie also offers private or small group classes.  To inquire, please email info@manor-mill.com

It is a living, ever-evolving offering, rooted in the same natural rhythms that shape us all. At its heart is Emileigh Zola, a woman of the woodlands with a deep reverence for the quiet wisdom of mountain creeks, forested hills, and the unseen threads that connect us to the Earth.

Emileigh is devoted to curating spaces rooted in depth, belonging, and inspiration. She leads with her heart and is widely known for her grounded, embodied presence and her ability to make others feel welcomed, seen, and included. Her path has been non-traditional, shaped by years of study with many teachers in Earth-centered practices, and she is currently in the midst of a seven-year training at a local Earth-based healing school.

Whether crafting brooms, teaching broom-making, or guiding women’s retreats, Emileigh brings patience, devotion, and a deep belief in the healing power of creating sacred, practical tools with one’s hands. Intentionally made, her brooms carry this resonance—holding space for ritual, daily use, and transformation.

When she is not in her broom workshop, Emileigh can be found tending plants, making medicine, sitting quietly in the woods, studying spiritual texts, learning new skills, or facilitating women’s gatherings. She lives in Marshall with her partner, two daughters, a bonus son, two dogs, a cat, and a snake.

Gigi Chen’s work creates an aesthetic that combines her training as a traditional animator and painter, along with her love of  the techniques  of Old Masters. Entrenched in the art of storytelling, the work pulls together her love of  contemporary idioms of cartooning, photo realism, texture and design to produce works that coalesce into Love, Craft and Fun.

Born in Guang Dong, China and raised in New York, Gigi’s exhibition credits include Stone Sparrow Gallery, Superfine! Art Fair, Deep Space Gallery and Antler Gallery. 

I was first introduced to polymer clay when I was 9 years old. I would make little figurines for myself, family and friends. I didn’t revisit sculpting until 2017, when I started sculpting figurines of my friends’ pets. I created my brand name, Clay By Hillary, and website in 2021, and I even dabbled in resin art. However, I was still creating for friends and family. It wasn’t until October of 2024 that I expanded my audience by participating in local markets. These experiences have introduced me to a lovely and supportive community of fellow creators, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them! Most recently, I started leading sculpting workshops that are open to the public. I have really enjoyed teaching and spreading the fun of polymer clay and am excited to continue.

Jacob is a Baltimore-raised composer, performer, and music teacher with a lifelong love for storytelling through song. He studied vocal music at the Baltimore School for the Arts and went on to earn a degree in Composition for Film, TV, and Video Games from Berklee College of Music. Jacob has taught music to children from 1 to 8 years old and led engaging music classes for adults with disabilities across Maryland. He has also collaborated with local and regional visual artists, scoring original music for stop-motion animations. Jacob independently writes, records, and performs his own songs under the name Slippy Buñuel.

Jennifer is an E-RYT200 & 500RYT Trauma Informed Yoga Specialist, Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner & Aromatherapist, Master Life & Wellness Coach, Pranayama & Meditation Teacher, Master Sound Healing Practitioner, and Master Usui & Vedic Reiki Master. She is passionate about weaving together these various healing arts to create a safe and welcoming space for students of all backgrounds and experience levels.

In addition to building one of the most successful catering companies in his region, Jerry has traveled the world, training and assisting caterers, chefs and event planners to animate their guest’s culinary experience.

Since inception, Jerry’s leadership led to two separate National Catering Company of the Year Awards. He personally won over 50 industry awards and holds an honorary doctorate in hospitality, but is most proud of his NACE Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jillian Roper is a Maryland-based artist with over two decades of professional experience across various media. Her work delves into the profound and enduring relationship between animals and humans, exploring this connection through a range of visual approaches. At times, she uses whimsical narratives where animals embody human emotions and behaviors, offering playful yet poignant reflections on shared experiences. In contrast, Roper also takes a more serious, scientific lens, addressing urgent ecological concerns and the impact of human activity on wildlife and natural habitats.

Employing traditional printmaking techniques such as reduction and intaglio, alongside painting, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media, Roper creates bold, tactile works that capture the intricate details of each animal subject. Her careful selection of materials and intentional shaping of line language imbue each piece with a distinctive emotional depth, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world. Through her work, Roper seeks to foster empathy and raise awareness, encouraging reflection on our interconnectedness with the environment and its creatures.

Roper's work has been exhibited in galleries and small businesses across the region, and she continues to develop new pieces that challenge and inspire.

Jim Prinkey grew up in the small town of Youngwood Pennsylvania in a blue collar family that valued strong work ethics, honesty, faith, family and the diversity of skills. Jim has been working ever since he started delivering newspapers and cleaning the public swimming pool facilities in junior high and evenings and weekends in high school at a garment factory and the local gas station. At 17 he was hired by Westinghouse as a janitor, where his father worked nights maintaining the plant's equipment and days hauling cement, sand and gravel. 

Jim earned his BS from the University of Pittsburgh through evening and weekend studies, and over the years rose to the position of Plant Manager of a Westinghouse subsidiary company.  After 27 years, he began turning around businesses overseas, starting in Gasny, France and later in Germany, ultimately serving as Global Controller at the Headquarters in Louisville Kentucky. He later began overseeing the chemical demilitarization effort at Aberdeen Proving Ground's Edgewood arsenal as well as a number of chemical weapons stockpile sites throughout the United States.  Jim later joined his son's business TAP Construction, and helped his old government customers destroy the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile. 

After retiring to their small farm in Peach Bottom township, Jim turned his passion and talent towards wood turning, and is now a member of the South Central Pennsylvania Wood Turners club as well as the American Association of Woodturners. Jim also enjoys fly fishing and fly tying.

Merreyman Custom Woodcraft was born in the basement of a suburban townhouse in Towson, MD on October 23rd 2018. I know that date well because it is two days after my wife Jeni and I were married. A few weeks before our wedding I had come across the Youtube channel of a man who focuses on woodworking with hand tools, mainly antique tools, by the name of Paul Sellers. One particular video series in which he walks the viewer through the steps of building a proper woodworking bench caught my eye. After watching a few episodes in the series and devising a plan to “borrow” some of my dad’s tools without his noticing, I decided it looked like a fun project. Jeni and I both took off of work the Monday after our wedding but only I took off that Tuesday. 

So, home alone and equipped with blissful ignorance as to what I was getting into, I returned from a trip to the hardware store, and my dad’s shop, with a hand plane, 2 or 3 chisels, and a handsaw, and enough construction grade lumber to get started on my bench. Safe to say I was hooked. While the bench did not turn out perfectly, there are gaps in some of the joints and it’s about as square as a pizza, it worked, and it did instill in me a confidence with the understanding that if I broke even the most complex project into small steps it could become achievable. I still have that bench, and I use it everyday. I’ve come a long way from those first few days following our wedding and the joy I get from turning rough lumber into beautiful, functional, and well built furniture grows every time I stand in front of the bench that started it all. 

Based out of Reisterstown, Maryland, our master falconer of 10 years has more than 12 years of raptor experience. We’ve trapped, trained, and flown more than six species of birds for falconry. We want to

I was born and raised in Baltimore County Maryland. I am a fulltime Occupational Therapist, husband and father of 2 children. I have been an obsessive hobby crafter since 2019. The first 4 years I focused on spoon carving then transitioned to leatherworking in early 2023. I'm very passionate about leather, leather goods, and traditional forms of craft.  I love the smell, the patina, and the functionality of great leather. My aesthetic is minimal and classic silhouettes. I find inspiration in wabi-sabi pottery, tattoo art, and Green wood working. I enjoy using hand tools and hand stitching my work. I have participated in local craft markets in Maryland for the last 2 years. My favorite build is a traditional tote bag. My favorite style of leather is natural veg tan because it will acquire a unique and rich patina with use. When I'm not leatherworking, I enjoy my work at the hospital, spending time with my family and friends, playing pickleball, and listening to music.   

For more than three decades, I have dedicated my professional life to education, serving as a teacher in Baltimore County Public Schools and as a Lead Facilitator at the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism at Towson University. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about fostering growth, creativity, and connection within the communities I serve.

As a creator, I bring that same spirit to the art of traditional broom making. Working from my home in Parkton, Maryland, where I have lived for over 30 years, I create handcrafted brooms that blend utility, craftsmanship, and artistic expression. Using natural materials and time-honored techniques, each piece is thoughtfully constructed to honor the rich heritage of this enduring folk art tradition.

My work reflects an appreciation for the beauty of handmade objects and the stories they carry. Influenced by a lifelong commitment to teaching, learning, and preserving traditional skills, I seek to create pieces that evoke a sense of warmth, authenticity, and connection.

I am also the proud mother of two daughters, whose encouragement and support continue to inspire my creative journey.

Katherine Fahey is a a candid and thoughtful multidisciplinary artist who combines the folk arts of storytelling, hand cut papercut artwork, and shadow puppetry in the form of *crankies (scrolling artwork inside a box). Katherine’s Crankies are often based on folklore, oral histories, or songs as far reaching as the southern swamps of Louisiana to the northern reaches of Inuit Quebec. Others are personal stories from her childhood in Virginia or the streets of her in Baltimore City.

Katie is an actor, singer, writer, and teacher based in Baltimore City. She has a bachelor's degree in musical theatre from Nazareth University and an MFA in classical acting from George Washington University. Katie absolutely loves working with little ones and has a wide variety of experience teaching and entertaining children of all ages. She has been a nanny, a program associate at Port Discovery Children's Museum, a pirate entertainer for Urban Pirates, and a teaching artist with Blue Igloo Playgroup, Imagination Stage, and Unity Dance & Movement. Katie uses her theatricality and creativity to bring the joy of music and movement to her students.

You can learn more about her work at
www.katieganem.com.

Katie Warfield is a licensed massage therapist, Yoga teacher, Reiki Master, and founder of Warfield Wellness. She blends therapeutic bodywork with mindful movement, energy healing, and seasonal wellness practices to help others feel more at ease in their bodies. Katie is passionate about creating spaces where people feel nourished in mind, body, and spirit.

I have always been a “maker”. I am retired from a career in graphic arts where I used a computer every day. I am now free to get back to creating with my hands.

I discovered needle felting the winter of 2018 after my daughter gave me a kit as a gift—and I have been going strong ever since. I started very small, and began making likenesses of dogs that I know, and have moved to making animals of all kinds.

Building a sculpture in wool is a slow, but very satisfying process. I am happy to share my work online and in a few craft shows per year.

Lindsay is a ceramic artist that creates whimsical and functional pottery. Her work is full of bright colors, bold patterns and fun illustrations. She earned her BFA from Towson University and now spends her time making with clay, teaching about clay, and selling clay - you may know her from Clayworks Supplies. Lindsay loves any craft that she can get her hands on, but it's safe to say that ceramics is her passion.

Bey-Her Baskets grew from Louise and June being co-workers, friends, and taking basketry classes together. They were intrigued about how you could make something so strong, long-lasting and useful with just your hands and minimal tools. That began their love of basketry and their love of sharing basketry through classes they teach, interacting with the public at craft shows and other venues, and becoming active members of a basketry guild. Their passion grew to designing original baskets and experiencing different material. Over the past twenty-five years, they have grown their skills and basketry knowledge to include many different basket styles, taking classes from basketry teachers from all over the country. . The reward of hearing praise about their craftsmanship, the delight of a beginner weaver taking one of their classes and interacting with the “basketry community” has led to hours of pleasure for them as they continue to pursue the art of basketry.

Facebook: Bey Her Baskets

Luci Jockel maintains a studio practice in Baltimore, MD where she holds the position of Metalsmithing & Jewelry Lecturer and Area Coordinator at Towson University. She received a M.F.A from Rhode Island School of Design in Jewelry and Metalsmithing, 2016 and a B.F.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Jewelry and Ceramics, 2014. She was the recipient of the MSAC Grants for Artists, 2024, SNAG’s Educational Endowment Scholarship, 2021 and American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award in 2019. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally at venues such as Galerie Handwerk, R&Company and RISD Museum. Luci has curated exhibitions at Baltimore Jewelry Center, Towson University and as part of JV Collective- a cohort of seven art jewelers. She actively teaches workshops at craft schools, such as Brooklyn Metal Works, Baltimore Jewelry Center and Peters Valley School of Craft. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, RISD Museum, Galerie Marzee and ArtYard.

My wife, Amanda, and I live in Boring, MD on a 30-acre farm with our three dogs Arlo, Tel, and Rabil. We both grew up in Baltimore and Carroll County and love the area. I have my master's in teaching, went to culinary school, had my real estate license and was a land surveyor before settling into my tie dye business. When I am not tie dyeing, you can find me listening to records, seeing live music (jam bands and blue grass), playing lacrosse, snowboarding, or hiking.

Mel Edden is a British poet who is passionate about sharing poetry. Her own poems appear in Gargoyle, The Loch Raven Review, Meat For Tea, WWPH Writes, Welter and in various anthologies. She is a 2025 Best of the Net Nominee and one of Grace Cavalieri's featured poets on FotoSpecchio.com. Mel also edits our poetry anthology Poets of Manor Mill which is available for purchase in our gift shop, online and in local bookstores. A Romance languages graduate (Swansea University) and a postgraduate in art education (University of South Wales), Mel has a particular interest in translation, ekphrastic and immigration poetry. She lives in Monkton with her husband and two rambunctious little Americans. She enjoys swimming, reading and photography and will jump at any opportunity to go to the beach. Find out more and read her work at www.meledden.com

Early interest in mechanical things from childhood. Trained in engineering with teaching career exceeding a decade, becoming nationally recognized STEM educator at NASA. Taught hundreds of students welding in classroom engineering curricula. Currently balances education nonprofit work, small metal-art business, and lots of time outdoors.

Mike is a native of western Pennsylvania and holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in percussion performance from Towson University. For the past 11 years, Mike's professional career has given him opportunities to teach instrumental music in many school settings, both public and private, to students in grades 3 through 12. Mike is an active member of the Baltimore music community as a pit musician and is a member of the eclectic indie rock duo, Sweater Electric.

My work is grounded in an adaptive, client-centered, and deeply collaborative approach to transformation and healing through the power of the mind. As a Fellow of the International Board of Hypnotherapy and an alumna of the Hypnotherapy Academy of America, I practice Integral Hypnotherapy®, a methodology that is both evidence-based and highly customized to each individual. My background as a yoga and meditation instructor since 2014 deeply informs my work. Having taught countless classes, workshops, and yoga teacher trainings developed an acute skill to educate effectively while holding space with compassion and presence. Ultimately, I offer a holistic, individualized, and well-rounded approach that integrates science, intuition, and education. When people understand how their mind works and are given the tools to harness its potential, they reclaim a sense of agency and possibility.

Neva Hurley is a contemporary artist, graphic designer and horticulturalist based in Baltimore, Maryland. Hurley’s work explores the divinity, design, and other-worldliness within plant forms as well as the personal symbolism found in the interaction of psychologically strong and resilient females with the earth, plants and creatures.

Hurley has exhibited locally in Maryland and virtually in other states in the USA. Locally, she has exhibited in group shows at Manor Mill Art Gallery in Monkton, MD, Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis, MD, The Found Studio Shop in Baltimore, MD and The Artist’s Gallery in Frederick, MD. She has been accepted in virtual exhibitions based in NY and CA.

Hurley has been juried into in numerous online competitions and magazine placements, including Art and Color 365, Artistonish, Artist Talk, and Arts to Hearts 100 Emerging Woman Artists of 2025.

I'm a former Baltimore County Kindergarten teacher that has entertained children at schools, camps, festivals, libraries and other venues for over 45 years. I taught children and young adults guitar for many years through the Rec and Parks at my school. I've been playing guitar for roughly 50 years and mandolin for nine years. I have been focusing on playing bluegrass, fiddle tunes, folk, country and music of the 70's most of those years. I also played guitar in the Big Band in college. I am currently hosting Bluegrass jams periodically at Farmacy Brewing. I really enjoy teaching guitar and mandolin. We have fun and sing along and even learn theory "lite" as well as guitar and mandolin techniques. Join us!

Youtube channel: Pat Hundley

Webpage for children's entertainment: www.pathundley.com

Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist from Hereford. Lifelong musician who started teaching Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Music Theory about decade ago. Teaches privately in Northern Baltimore County area, former Music Director at EMC Performing Arts Studio in New Freedom, PA. Long-time Music Minister at Our Lady of Grace. Rita is also a Jane Austen enthusiast. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, and is a Regional Coordinator Emerta for the Maryland Region. She currently coordinates the Maryland Jane Austen Fest at Oldfields and Manor Mill. Rita is also interested the Ceramics.

I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. When I was at school, I pushed Art aside to concentrate more on academic subjects. It was only when I was introduced to batik in 1970, whilst I was studying for a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education in Bristol, U.K., that I realised that I had missed out on my artistic education.

For the first eight years of my teaching career, I was lucky to be appointed the Art specialist in a number of primary schools in Bristol, UK. I taught drawing, painting, collage, weaving, batik and pottery but it was the technique of batik that really captivated me. It has a magic that no other technique offers. So I started to exhibit my batik paintings in exhibitions and at craft fairs.

Then I moved to Sussex, UK. In 1986 I joined both the Sussex Guild and Batik Guild. (I'm now Vice Chair and the Overseas Representative of the Batik Guild).

From January 1986 - July 2013, I was Head of Art at Cumnor House School in Danehill, Sussex. Many of my students won art awards to their senior schools as well as awards in national competitions. I taught all kinds of Art to children aged 5 - 13, but I made a point of introducing every child to batik so they could explore the many possibilities that this wonderful technique has to offer.

Now that I am retired, I don't know how I managed to combine my own batik work with full-time teaching. Thank goodness for school holidays! I am still based in the UK, but spend the summers in Nova Scotia, Canada, (my maternal grandmother was Nova Scotian) and a few months each year in Maryland, USA.

I have been fortunate to exhibit throughout the world, including Canada, USA, China, Japan, Indonesia, Europe, and of course in the UK. I have lectured and taught workshops in Japan, China, UK, Europe, USA and Canada and my work is in private collections worldwide. I have written three books on batik, including 'Creative Batik' (Search Press, 2001/2016). Please go to my Publications page for more information about my magazine articles, books and DVD. In the last 20 years I've had four solo exhibitions in the Foyer of the Barbican Library, Barbican Centre, London, UK. During 2014 and 2015, I taught batik workshops to teachers throughout the UK for Specialist Crafts. I taught a two-day workshop at the Bath Textile Summer School in 2017 - and a three-day one in 2022

I have exhibited 4 times in the Barbican Library in London since 2005; exhibited in Chester, Nova Scotia; exhibited with the Batik Guild in Naples Botanical Gardens in Florida, USA, in 2024; was a finalist in 2 competitions in the International Artist magazine (2024 and 2022); published a 10-page stage-by-stage article in the International Artist magazine in February, 2015 and in The Artist magazine in June, 2025.

I am now concentrating on advancing my personal batik work. I lecture, give batik demonstrations, teach workshops to adults and children and participate in exhibitions throughout the world. It's amazing how batik continues to be my passion. Retirement? What retirement?!

Sarah Karp is a Certified Master of Medical Qigong, Rapid Transformational Therapy Practitioner (Hypnotherapist), and Cacao Ceremony Facilitator. She facilitates physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual healing through medical qigong, qigong (group classes and personalized flows), acupressure, cupping, hypnotherapy, cacao ceremonies, meditation, and other health + wellness events. Sarah also emphasizes building supportive community during every class + event.

Visit Sarah's website for more info on classes and events.

Shea Kister (b.1995) is a ceramicist and interdisciplinary artist originally from Omaha, Nebraska. She received her BFA in 2017 from the University of South Dakota and her MFA from Kansas State University in 2022. Inspired by her study of trauma’s effects on memory as well as personal and social relationships, her work enlists notions of fragmentation, discontinuity, memory distortion, and dissociation through the use of scale, surface application, and materials. Her work has been shown in numerous exhibitions across the United States, most recently in Illinois, Montana, Kansas, Washington, and Maryland. She's completed a 3-year residency at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, Maryland and currently is a resident artist at Red Giant Gallery and Studios in Baltimore.

socials: 

website: sheakister.com

instagram: @sheakisterceramics

red giant: https://www.redgiantgallery.com/shea-kister

I’m a hypnotherapist, and I absolutely love what I do. I offer a warm, open-hearted space where meaningful change can unfold easily and naturally. Through hypnotherapy, I work with the subconscious mind to gently release old habits, patterns, and past experiences—creating space for clarity, confidence, and a deeper connection to your authentic self.

I love hosting workshops at Manor Mill with Morgan Herum, who is an amazing hypnotherapist. Our workshops and one on one sessions are designed to be both grounding and transformative—offering you practical tools and a powerful inner experience you can carry into your everyday life.

Check out our next workshop event below or find us on the web to schedule a consultation for one on one sessions.

Tara Gillespie is a mixed media abstract artist with a studio based in Timonium, MD. Her work is shown locally in the fine art festival circuit and she teaches fluid art and epoxy resin classes at Manor Mill. Upcoming events/classes are announced on her website www.dreamtopography.com and on her instagram @taragill_art. 

Teresa Stecher is a maker of handcrafted pottery.

Born in California, she’s been living in Northern Baltimore County since 2016. Aside from a recent two year adventure living and doing pottery in Hawaii, she has practiced her craft in a barn on her property, listening to the river and trying to acclimate to the seasons. She enjoys adding a variety of surface decoration to her work and is inspired by all the places she’s lived. The city, the ocean, and the rural landscapes of Maryland all find a place in her work.

She is the Ceramics Studio Manager here at Manor Mill where she teaches classes and sells handmade work in the gallery.

Virginia Warwick grew up in the country and had numerous pets, or "critters" as a child. This relationship with animals and nature has no doubt influenced Virginia's art making and her creation of Critter Critter Creations

​Critter Critter Creations first began as a business offering custom pet portraits. This satisfied Virginia's aim to provide artistic inspiration for a number of years. It was amazing to see client's appreciation for Virginia's art, but in the past few years Virginia decided to change the aim and focus of Critter Critter Creations, now focusing on art instruction and creations of her favorite critters in the form of linoleum block prints. You can also find her more fine art here on her companion site.