20th annual Masterpiece Conference
Ascend 2026 Creatives Conference
June (25) 26 & 27th 2026
Focus for Artists, Singers, Songwriters and Instrumentalists
For creatives ages 13 & up
( early bird Chris Hopkins session on the 25th)
Endeavoring to ascend toward the artist, musician, singer, songwriter, or you were designed to be? Join other aspiring and talented creatives at this two-day, atelier-style event—training with top art & music professionals.
Join us this year at the beautiful new campus at Magna Deo in Ashland, Oregon. Atop this hill with 360 degree views, this pastoral garden enhanced campus and facilities will afford the conference many possibilities for our art, music and song venue.
Featuring: The phenomenal Chris Hopkins. As an artist of our generation, Chris is nothing short of a wonder of the World! He will be teaching Sound Strategies and Techniques for Creating Great Art . (See his course description below).
Plus Charity Hubbard and the Rogue Classical Atelier, teaching Fundamentals of Drawing and Foundations of Portrait Painting (see course description below)
Music Track:
The Art of Song: The Unmitigated Place and Power of Singers, Songs and Instrumentalists
A dynamic musical and vocalist team teaching this 2 Day Workshop
(more description below....)
More details and registration begins April 1st.
Sign up early as some class sizes are limited.
Sound Strategies and Techniques for Creating Great Art
Instructor Chris Hopkins
From thumbnail ideas to finishing touches. Students will gain an understanding on the principles of shadow and light, reflected light, backlighting and luminosity to create drama in a painting. How to design a painting in order to control the viewer and make for the most effective painting. We will discuss color theory, using complimentary colors on the color wheel to control chroma intensity and color neutralization. How to harmonize color. Choosing color and color temperature direction. Students will explore paint manipulation and controlling edges . We will experiment with alternate medias to best express your artistic voice and to get the most out of your piece.We will apply the use of minimal color as well as painting techniques using various tools to apply the media.
In a realm where all is relative to exaggerate to express feeling in one's painting.
3 Day Workshop includes Thursday lunch, lunch and dinners Friday and Saturday, and all general Conferences all group sessions.
$350.00 early registration by May 1st. $375 after May 1st.
Materials list available on registration site.
FUNDAMENTALS IN DRAWING
WORKSHOP WITH CHARITY HUBBARD
This workshop is perfect for someone who is seeking a solid foundation and understanding of drawing fundamentals. Students will be instructed in life measuring technique, the behavior of light and shadow upon structure, edges, seeing light to dark values accurately, and how to make round objects appear realistic instead of flat. Charity is passionate about imparting an understanding of structure on a deeper level. Students will get their feet wet with some great exercise work, then work on a beautiful drawing in charcoal/white pastel pencil. References will be provided both for the drawings and exercise work. The lessons are intentionally selected from Charity's Rogue Classical Atelier program of study that has been approved by Art Renewal Center.
2 Day Workshop includes Thursday lunch, lunch and dinners Friday and Saturday, and all general Conferences all group sessions.
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
$210.00 early registration by May 1st. $240 after May 1st.
Materials list available on registration site.
Space is limited so please register early
The Foundations of Portrait Painting
Instructor Charity Hubbard
This workshop will be beneficial towards understanding of facial structure and how the plains of the face turn in the light. It will also present a user friendly step by step process, complete with handouts, references and online studies from Charity's program of study coursework that has been approved by Art Renewal Center. Artists can plan to leave feeling much more competent in Portraiture, armed with newly learned tools and resources and a fully or mostly completed portrait painting along with some exercise work.
If you have never oil painted before and don't feel adept in your drawing skills, it is recommended that you take Charity's Fundamental's in Drawing Track. If you are experienced in drawing and understanding of light/shadow and light/dark values, but feel shaky in your understanding of color theory and paint mixing, working in monochrome or simple temperature study might be encouraged. If you have solid understanding of light/dark values, warm and cool temperature, identifying chroma and have had some experience in mixing oil paint, working in the Zorn palette would be a great choice for you.
2 Day Workshop includes Thursday lunch, lunch and dinners Friday and Saturday, and all general Conferences all group sessions.
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
$230.00 early registration by May 1st. $245 after May 1st.
Materials list available on registration site.
Space is limited so please register early
The Art of Song
The Unmitigated Place and Power of Singers, Song, and Instrumentation
There is a dynamic spiritual force in God's creation - the physics (think walls of Jericho), the emotion, the mystical transformative nature of music. In a practical way this two day workshop will inspire attendees while exploring the science, the psychology and spiritual force of music, sound, voice, mood and melody, embracing a fuller knowledge of one's own capacities as a singer with our vocal coaches or as an instrumentalist with our instructors. Enhancing and using these skills and gifts can bring spiritual transformation in oneself and those around you, broadening your capacities for impacting your spirit, your home, the church and culture.
We will examine the theology, musical structure and power of songs using examples from the Psalms and great worship songs of the last two centuries, then put these dynamics into practice by the expansion of singing or instrumentation skills and practiced skill sets through harmonies and melodies, corporate dynamic of song and instrumentation.
Local professionals including international award winning Ukrainian pianist Iryna Kudielina and more will join input from other giants of theology and thought...Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, John Lennox, Allistair Begg, And insights from contemporary worship leaders like Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, or Forest Frank's with "In the Room".
Attendees will leave prepared with new learned skills to enter new personal and group music and worship settings with a portfolio of new skills in arranging, improvisation and collaboration with other singers and musicians.
Bring your voice, bring your instrument. At registration attendees can indicate song choice and receive some pre-workshop preparatory exercises if desired.
2 Day Workshop includes Thursday lunch, lunch and dinners Friday and Saturday, and all general Conferences all group sessions.
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
$160.00 early registration by May 1st. $175 after May 1st.
Materials list available on registration site.
Space is limited so please register early
