FROM IDEA TO ART
A THREE-DAY CONTEMPORARY ART DEVELOPMENT LAB
by mary telfer, MFA
You have an idea.
— Now what do you make?
Something has your attention. An idea, a question, an experience, something you care deeply about.
But knowing what you want to explore and knowing how to turn it into art are two very different things.
Let's find out what your idea could become.
OCTOBER 20–22 · 11am - 1pm CT
LIVE ONLINE · LIMITED TO 11 ARTISTS
$197 · or 2 payments of $99
An idea doesn't tell you what to make.
You can care deeply about something and still aren't sure how to turn it into art.
Maybe your first thought is a painting. A photograph. A drawing.
Those are possibilites.
What happens if you stop asking, “How do I illustrate this idea?” and start asking:
What could this idea become?
A painting? A series of photographs? An installation? A book? A video? Twenty tiny drawings? Something made from objects, text, sound—or a combination you haven't considered yet?
The goal isn't to find the “right” answer.
It's to get beyond the first answer.
In From Idea to Art, we'll take one idea you genuinely care about and push it in different directions—before you decide what form it should take.
You'll look. Question. Brainstorm. Experiment. Make.
And discover possibilities you couldn't have found by thinking about the idea alone.
THREE DAYS.
ONE IDEA.
LET'S SEE WHERE IT CAN GO.
TUESDAY — QUESTION + EXPAND
We'll begin with one idea, question or subject that has your attention—and go underneath it.
What specifically matters to you? What do you believe? What do you question? Where's the tension, contradiction, fascination or discomfort?
We'll look at contemporary artists who have taken ideas into unexpected forms, and I'll show you how one investigation in my own work became several completely different possibilities.
Then we'll brainstorm.
Not How do I make a painting about this? But: What could this idea become?
You'll leave Tuesday with possibilities you hadn't considered—and three you're ready to test.
WEDNESDAY — EXPERIMENT
This is your studio day.
You'll test three different possibilities for your idea.
This could look like: A painting study? Ten photographs? Five PowerPoint slides? A rough book? Thirty seconds of video? An installation mock-up? Drawings? Objects? Text? A combination of media?
These are experiments, not finished pieces.
I'll be in our private Facebook group from 11 AM–1 PM Central to answer questions, see what you're discovering and help if you get stuck.
THURSDAY — LOOK + FOLLOW
Bring your three experiments back.
We'll look at what happened—not simply at what's “good.”
What surprised you? What has energy? What did making reveal that thinking couldn't? What deserves another iteration?
Because we're limited to 11 artists, everyone gets to be part of the conversation.
You'll leave with:
One investigation.
One direction you want to pursue.
One concrete next step.
You may or may not leave with finished artwork. That's not the point. You'll leave having actually put your idea into the work—and knowing where you want to take it next.
Three days. Because making changes everything.
You can think about an idea for weeks and still not know what it wants to become.
You can brainstorm possibilities. Look at other artists. Ask better questions. Get excited about a direction.
Then you have to make something.
Because the moment an idea meets materials, images, words, objects, movement, sound—or whatever form you choose—something changes.
Something works differently than you expected. Something feels forced. Something you barely thought about becomes the most interesting part.
That's why Wednesday matters.
You'll take the possibilities we develop together on Tuesday and test three of them in your own studio.
Not three finished artworks.
Three experiments.
Try the photograph. Make the tiny painting. Mock up the installation. Shoot thirty seconds of video. Make five slides. Draw it. Build it. Combine things. See what happens.
Then on Thursday, we come back together and look at what the making taught you.
What has energy?
What surprised you?
What do you want to abandon?
What do you want to push further?
You may or may not leave with finished artwork. That's not the goal.
You'll leave having moved one idea you care about into actual making—and with one direction you want to pursue and one concrete next step.
You might be ready for this if…
You have an idea, question or subject you care about—but you're not sure what to make from it.
You want to get beyond the first, most obvious way of turning that idea into art.
You're willing to experiment with different possibilities before deciding where the work should go.
You want to leave with a direction you're genuinely excited to keep pursuing.
Herb j.
“Mary's guidance has opened my eyes to ideas and approaches I hadn’t considered before.
What I appreciate most is that it’s not only about feedback on my own work — I learn just as much from hearing the conversations about other artists’ work as well.
She asks questions and introduces ideas that push me to think about my work in ways I wouldn't have on my own.”
connie K.
“Working with Mary helped me look at my art differently.
She asked questions and offered ideas that made me think beyond technique, see possibilities I hadn’t considered, and become more intentional about the choices I was making in my work.”
marina D.
“Working with Mary has brought more clarity, depth and refinement to my work.
I’ve learned to see things differently, and the emotion I want to express in my work comes through more clearly.”
Three days.
See where your idea can go.
October 20–22 · 11am–1pm CT · Live Online
Limited to 11 Artists
FROM
IDEA
TO
ART
Take one idea you care about. Question it. Push it. Experiment with it—and discover what you actually want to make.
$197 · or 2 pmts. of $99
FROM
IDEA
TO
ART
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN
FROM IDEA TO ART
TWO LIVE SMALL-GROUP SESSIONS
Meet with me Tuesday and Thursday, 11am–1pm Central, in a group limited to 11 artists.
We'll question, brainstorm, look at artists and ideas, then come back together to look at what you made and decide what deserves to go further.
YOUR STUDIO EXPERIMENT DAY
Wednesday is for making.
You'll take one idea and test it in three different ways—quick experiments designed to help you discover possibilities, not produce three polished artworks.
LIVE WEDNESDAY SUPPORT
I won't disappear while you're in the middle of experimenting.
I'll be in our private Facebook group Wednesday from 11am–1pm Central to see what you're working on, answer questions and help when you get stuck.
A CLEAR DIRECTION FOR WHAT COMES NEXT
By Thursday, you'll have moved beyond simply thinking about your idea.
You'll leave with one investigation, one direction you want to pursue, and one concrete next step for continuing the work.
ARTIST · EDUCATOR · MENTOR
Mary Telfer
Hi, I’m Mary Telfer. I’m an artist, educator and mentor with an MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts and more than 25 years of experience teaching and mentoring adults.
Before graduate school, I could make beautiful art. But I hadn’t yet learned how to make art carry the ideas, questions and convictions that mattered most to me.
I worked with practicing artist-mentors who challenged my assumptions, questioned my choices, introduced me to artists and ideas I hadn’t encountered, and pushed me beyond what I would have done on my own.
That experience fundamentally changed the way I make art—and the way I teach.
I don’t have a formula for making meaningful art, and I wouldn’t want one.
I ask questions. I look closely. I make connections. I may send you toward an artist, a book, a film, an essay, a piece of history or popular culture because I see something there that might crack open another possibility.
My own work has been exhibited in solo, group and juried exhibitions, and I’ve served as a juror and judge for art exhibitions, including international shows. I’ve received the Jane Mary Weiss Award for Artistic Merit and the NISRA Compassion Award for Teaching.
From Idea to Art is a concentrated version of the process I know can change things: question the idea, push past the obvious, experiment through making—and pay attention to what you discover.
Questions you might have
Do I need to be an advanced artist?
No. But you should already be comfortable making art independently. This isn't a technique class—you won't be learning how to paint, draw, photograph, etc. You need to be able to take an idea and experiment with it through whatever medium or media you choose.
Do I need to know what I want my art to be about?
It's helpful to arrive with one idea, (but I can help you beforehand if you don't have an idea yet) question, experience or subject you want to explore. It doesn't have to be perfectly formed. In fact, that's the point. We'll spend Tuesday questioning it, opening it up and finding possibilities you may not have considered.
What happens during the three days?
Tuesday, we'll work together live from 11am–1pm CT to investigate your idea and develop several possible ways you could explore it through art.
Wednesday is your making day. You'll experiment with your idea in three different ways. These are experiments—not finished artworks. I'll also be in our private Facebook group from 11am–1pm CT to check in, answer questions and see what you're discovering.
Thursday, we'll meet live again from 11am–1pm CT. We'll look at what happened, talk through what you discovered, and help you identify the direction you want to pursue next.
What if I can't make three finished pieces by Thursday?
You don't need to—and I don't expect you to. These are experiments. A photograph, a few sketches, five PowerPoint slides, a tiny painting, the beginning of an installation, ten minutes of collage—whatever lets you test the possibility.
You may or may not leave with a finished artwork. You'll leave knowing much more about where your idea could go.
Do I have to use my usual medium?
No! In fact, part of this process is asking what form actually serves your idea. You might stay completely within your usual medium—or discover that your idea wants something else.
How much time should I leave open on Wednesday?
Enough time to actually make some art. You don't need to spend the entire day in your studio, but please don't schedule this workshop during a week when you have no time between our Tuesday and Thursday sessions. Wednesday is part of the lab.
Will the live sessions be recorded?
Yes. The Tuesday and Thursday live sessions will be recorded, so you'll be able to go back and revisit the conversations, questions, artists and ideas that come up.
But the recordings aren't a substitute for being there live. This is a small, highly participatory lab, and much of the value comes from responding to your specific idea, seeing what you make, asking questions and participating in the conversation as it happens.
You'll get much more from From Idea to Art if you plan to attend both Tuesday and Thursday live.
Why is it limited to 11 artists?
Because this isn't a webinar. I want enough time for us to talk about the ideas and work that are actually coming out of the group. You're not just coming to listen. You're coming to work.
Three days. One idea. Eleven artists. Let's see where your idea can go.
October 20–22 · $197 or 2 payments of $99
Ready to see where your idea can go?
Bring one idea you care about.
Over three days, we’ll question it, push it, experiment with it—and see what happens when you stop trying to know the answer before you make the work.
FROM IDEA TO ART
October 20–22 · Live Online
Limited to 11 artists
Tuesday + Thursday: 11am–1pm CT
Wednesday: Make, experiment + check in
$197 · or 2 payments of $99
You may or may not leave with a finished artwork.
You WILL leave with one direction you want to pursue—and a concrete next step for taking it further.