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Into The Brush Receives Community Award for S.O.U.L – 2017

Into The Brush is honored to be recognized as the local winner of Minnesota’s Touchstone Energy Community Award  by Lake Country Power for its work with Stones Of Uplifting Light (SOUL) in providing emotional support for those who become unexpectedly terminally ill.   SOUL operations in April of 2017 as a new program designed to share art on stone with people who are suddenly in the final stages of their life by working with an intermediary (family member, friend, acquaintance, etc) to find out some details about the afflicted individual and a more joyous time in that person’s past.   Joe Baltich, lead SOUL artist,  then paints that moment on stone and sends the art to the individual.  No fees are charged for SOUL stones.  Donations to Into The Brush are accepted but not required.  SOUL recipients are generally not acquainted with SOUL artists and there is no contact between either party.  SOUL founder and artist, Joe Baltich wanted SOUL to represent the kindness of strangers through sharing art.  Although feedback has been non-existent (neither expected, encouraged, nor required)  from SOUL recipients, Into The Brush has been gratified to hear through a few intermediaries that the various recipients were very moved by the gesture-in-stone-art and their families also very appreciative of the lasting mementos.   A small, positive effect in a most difficult time is the goal all Into The Brush with SOUL.   If you know somebody who is having a rough time and faced with harsh realities, Into The Brush encourages you to contact them at intothebrush@gmail.com

Touchstone Energy Community Award
Into The Brush thanks Lake Country Power for their recognition of the SOUL program and is pleased to be a part of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives!

Into The Brush NEWS!

Get Started Here for 2018!

Into The Brush - Saving the Future of Wilderness - One Stroke at a Time

Into The Brush Painting Art Classes

Acrylics Wild – 2 day Art Class-In studio

During this 2 day class you will:

  •  Learn & apply basic painting techniques.
  •  Finish a painting on canvas.
  •  Relax in the beautiful surroundings of the northwoods.
  •  Have fun and be creative.

This Class will be held at Northwind Lodge located 15 miles northeast of Ely, MN, 2267 Fernberg Rd.   2 Day Program includes: 12 hours of instruction, all painting supplies, after-class independent painting time if desired, discount code for take-home supplies.  Meals not included.  Northwind Lodge housekeeping cabin guests are on their own.  Non-registered (in cabins – see below for rates) class participants may want to bring lunch.

ALL for $150 per person.


Acrylics Wild – 3 day Art Class-In Studio & Field Trip

During this 3 day class you will:

  •  Learn basic painting techniques and apply them to fun projects.
  •  Finish a painting.  Exposure to other surface painting.
  •  Relax in the beautiful surroundings of the northwoods.
  • Take an outdoor hike for artistic observations & inspiration.
  •  Have fun and be creative.

This Class will be held at Northwind Lodge located 15 miles northeast of Ely, MN, 2267 Fernberg Rd.   Price includes: 18 hours of instruction and all painting supplies, after-class independent painting time if desired, discount code for take-home supplies.  Meals not included.  Northwind Lodge housekeeping cabin guests are on their own.  Non-registered (in cabins – see below for rates) class participants may want to bring lunch.

ALL for $275 per person.


Acrylics Wild  – 4 day Art Class-In Studio & Field Trip

During this 4 day class you will:

  •  Learn basic painting techniques and apply them to fun projects.
  •  Finish a variety of paintings on different media.
  •  Relax in the beautiful surroundings of the northwoods.
  • Take a short canoe trip for artist observations & inspiration
  • Have fun and be creative.

This Class will be held at Northwind Lodge located 15 miles northeast of Ely, MN, 2267 Fernberg Rd.   Price includes: 24 hours of instruction and all painting supplies,after-class independent painting time if desired, discount code for take-home supplies.  Meals not included.  Northwind Lodge housekeeping cabin guests are on their own.  Non-registered (in cabins – see below for rates) class participants may want to bring lunch.

ALL for $375 per person.


Cabin Accommodations at discounted rates for art program participants  

Shared Accommodations Rates include –  one bedroom per person with all clean bed linens blankets included,  a shared kitchen/living space which included basic cooking/eating utensils, gas range, electric refrigerator, microwave,  shared bathroom with shower, toilet, lavatory.

Rate is $69.95 plus tax.

Private Accommodations

Private cabins may be available and priced for up to two people minimum depending upon cabin availability at the following rates/dates below.  Individuals may stay alone in a private cabin if available but the pricing for that cabin reflects up to 2 people at the rates in the box below.  So, a husband, friend or partner may want to come up and stay with his wife, but go fishing instead of being enrolled in the art class programming. OR, one person may want to stay in the cabin alone while taking art class programming.  For a total price, simply take the workshop price from above and add it to the the private cabin rate below with regard to the corresponding dates.   Note that at least one person per private cabin must be enrolled in a Art Class to qualify for these rates:  If you have a group of three or more, at your request, we can try to house you in the same cabin for the shared accommodations rates.

Rate is $99.95 plus tax

Taxes are not included in any of the above pricing.  The above rate is for 1 person taking the program. Boat and motor rentals are available.  You may also bring a private boat for a launch fee of $25.  Please ask about details.

A cabin stay is not required to participate in class programming but it is very convenient.  If staying off property, please be prompt in getting to classes and artist observation trips.

Deposit

For Housing/Workshop Packages, we require an advance deposit of 50% of the combined accommodation and/or workshop rates OR if you are only attending the classes, payment for the scheduled program is required in full.   Deposits are non-refundable.  The balance of your stay is required upon arrival.  Applicable MN state sales tax is not included (6.875%).  A regional lodging tax  of 3% will be charged additionally to the lodging portion of your invoice.  A 2% discount for cash or check payments is available.


 


Disclaimers:   Into The Brush, Inc. reserves the right to adjust/change/modify Into The Brush program information when deemed necessary to correct for typographical errors or omissions should they occur.  We also reserve the right to make scheduling adjustments for weather or safety and comfort concerns.  There is no refund for participants missing or failing to attend any part of the scheduled programming, nor will there be refunds of any kind for weather-related or other unplanned, unforeseen, cancellations of activities.  While it is our goal to provide a top quality enjoyable experience every time, Into The Brush, Inc. reserves the right to adjust or cancel any scheduling order for any reason.


 

Chickadee on Wineglass
Chickadee on Wineglass

SOUL – Stones of Comfort and a Work in Progress

Well, it has now been about 3 months since I began SOUL (Stones of Uplifting Light).

In that time, I have sent out about 18+ stones in all directions.  Due to other work obligations, I have been lightly advertising my SOUL mission and picking up people here and there who are in a bad way.  I’ve also been wrestling with how to word my mission so as not to offend or hurt people’s feelings.  Since AI paint alone and I do want every stone I deliver to be my best possible work of art, I do have to narrow down the people for whom I can deliver stones.  Right now, I’ve had no problems delivering but I can see a time where a triage of sorts will be needed and I have to reserve the right to decide who gets what at the risk of hurting someone’s feelings which was never my plan nor intent.

I’ve also had to wrestle with the language I use to describe my mission.  For lack of a better term, since I really can’t solve the terminal condition of the people for whom I paint, I was hoping to “brighten” just a minute of their day because I have no power to do anything more. In discussions with friends and my wife, they felt that the term of simply “brightening” one’s day in the most difficult of times could be considered flippant – which again is not, and never was,  my intent.

Here I sit in front of my keyboard struggling with words that comfort, don’t offend, and explain my mission –  so, please accept my “work in progress”.    Someday, I’ll figure it all out.  Meanwhile, I will continue to paint.

The feedback I have been getting from those kind people who arrange rocks for their struggling friends has been most rewarding and a bit “emotionally wringing” for me.  So far, I’ve heard of a man who received a stone from me and held it for the final two days of his life.  His friends told me that they thought the stone brought him such comfort that he was able to pass.  At the service they held for him, next to his urn, they placed the stone.  I’ve found that these stones, because they have significant meaning to some of their recipients, are kept by the family as a bright memento, during a dark time.  I’ve also heard that some stones go with the person to their final resting place.   (This is bit “deep” for me and makes it hard for me to type.)  I jumped into SOUL with both feet and not really knowing what would happen.  I’ll be staying here for a long time, God willing.

Below is a collage of several of the stones I’ve painted.  Not all are present, but you can get an idea as to what brought different people comfort in their lives.  Please note, that I no longer offer stones with sports star/logo imagery due to potential copyright conflicts.  SOUL Stones are free to recipients.  No charge to family or friends.  Donations to Into The Brush (501 (c)(3) non-profit organization) are cherished but not required for a SOUL stone to be sent to a friend or loved one facing a terminal illness struggle.

For those interested in getting stones for others, please find out something that gave them comfort in their past.  A favorite place, an activity, etc.

SOUL Stone CollageComing Soon – SOUL Stone Online Application

Kayak on Lake Superior

Kayak on Lake Superior – SOUL

Just finished this Stone Of Uplifting Light and hoping it will bring some solace to a person who used to paddle Lake Superior in a home-built kayak.  I hope I hit the mark.  There’s a lot of guesswork in painting someone’s happier time in the past on a stone.

Kayak on Lake Superior
Kayak on Lake Superior – Split Rock Lighthouse

If you would like to donate to help others get SOUL stones (always free of charge), please check out our GoFundMe page:

gofundme button - SOUL

Donations by check are also welcomed: