DeKoven Center’s Sketchy Friends Retreat is a wintertime sketch event, offering you a cozy place to be with your sketch friends for a 3-night stay, 3 classes and several fun and unique sketch opportunities! Your instructors will be Marcia Schrotenboer - Reportage Illustration, Jo Thul – Book Binding Travel Sketch Books, and Denise Zingg – Watercolor Mandalas. We will be learning new techniques and visiting local iconic restaurants to practice … including the famous Well’s Bros Pizzeria, Eave Rooftop Bar, and Red Onion Cafe.
Beautiful and historic Taylor Hall, provides class space, lodging and dining facilities, ample parking, elevator access and complimentary WiFi. We are located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Southside Historic District of Racine, WI.
Our guest rooms offer unique charm with a comfortable and restful atmosphere. Shared bathrooms offer privacy stalls. Our meals will be shared in our beautiful dining room. We will develop a meal plan to accommodate food allergies and special diets including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.
The deadline to register is Friday, January 2, 2026.
Prices
Early Bird (Before October 1st, 2025)- $375
Regular (After October 1st, 2025)- $390
Commuter - $195
Register Now
After submitting your registration form, please call (262) 633-6401 ext. 104 to make your payment. Your registration is not confirmed until payment is received.
The Artists & Workshops
Marcia Schrotenboer
Reportage Illustration
There are stories to be told all around! We are accustomed to reading stories through the written word in newspapers, books and online as well as verbally through voice, photo and video. Have you heard of reportage illustration? It is yet another way of storytelling!
Comparable in some ways to photojournalism, reportage illustrators are visual journalists, creating narrative work about issues and subjects, translating what they witness into handmade imagery. The power of reportage drawing is in the immediacy of the images that are created and the feeling of the illustrator's presence on location. Illustrations connect to people in powerful ways whether they are drawings created documenting during a courtroom trial or recreating the energy of the crowd at a rock concert.
I found reportage illustration in 2022 while attending an event about gun violence sponsored by young mothers in my hometown. After the event I shared the work on social media - those involved with the event were touched by the unique way the art portrayed the event and how it captured many of their emotions. I too, was touched and since that first bit of reportage, I continue to tell stories of events and people through my simple, quick and colorful sketches. Stumbling into this branch of Urban Sketching has added depth and meaning to my sketchbooks and my life!
In our time together, I’ll be sharing stories of my first-hand experiences from reportage illustration. We’ll discuss its similarity and differences with Urban Sketching. You’ll learn some simple concepts of this form of storytelling so you can develop your own creative approach, no matter what your skill level. Then you’ll go find and report a story in your sketchbook!
Jo Thul
Book Binding Travel Sketch Books
I seem to have been doing some kind of artwork for most of my life in one for or another.
I call myself the “essential eclectic artist”. It’s because it includes a little bit of everything I like to do. Where does it say you have to stick with the same thing, the same media, over and over? Life is too short to be put in that kind of box! Most of what I exhibit are oil, acrylic, watercolor and encaustic paintings as well as ceramics, mixed media and altered art. I have recently picked up urban sketching and book arts of all kinds. I enjoy sharing my knowledge teaching adult classes in book making and art journaling.
Denise Zingg
Watercolor Mandalas
Denise is the Founder (1980) and Director of Spectrum School of the Arts and Community Gallery, housed in the East Building of the DeKoven Center. The philosophy of individualized instruction facilitated by small classes has been the tenet of the non-profit organization from day one. Specializing in adult art classes, students get a solid foundation of fundamentals as they learn to express themselves in their unique, creative way. Private art and music lessons for adults and children are also offered. The Community Gallery is a unique, cooperative gallery (Racine’s longest operating one) where artists are encouraged and empowered to choose their own work for exhibition and do not rely on juries for what art the public sees. Denise is known for her watercolor mandalas and surreal themes in watercolor as well as oil painting. She enjoys balancing her love of teaching, creating artwork and playing music in community orchestras and ensembles.