“These workshops, with inspiring art prompts and educational descriptions by the brilliant artist and writer Lorette C. Luzajic, can be used like a secret remedy for letting the creative genie out of her bottle.” Meg Pokrass
Scroll down for information about these workshops.
Scroll down for information about these workshops.
Ekphrastic Writing Workshops
Let's gather online and spend time writing poetry and flash fiction together, with creative and inspiring ekphrastic exercises.
The Ekphrastic Review hosts a variety of writing sessions and workshops, with editor Lorette C. Luzajic.
Lorette will present and discuss several artworks from a range of artists and cultures. In addition to discovering more about art history and deepening your relationship with visual art, there will be a variety of writing exercises and approaches each session. Writers can work on flash fiction, microfiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction as they feel moved.
All are welcome- famous writers, first time writers, and everyone in between. Our workshops are supportive, challenging, intimate and fun.
Zoom link will be emailed the day of the event.
Most workshops include the option of gathering 15 minutes early for a casual chat.
If you miss or cancel your workshop date, we will accommodate you in a future session.
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"I had never done an Ekphrastic workshop—in fact, had never heard of it before I met Lorette at a flash fiction conference. I joined a workshop out of curiosity and became an instant convert. The art chosen for the workshop was inspiring and the prompts Lorette gave us generated a lot of discussion and writing. There are so many things to love about these workshops from the joy of walking away with several great stories, or at least story ideas, to the excitement of learning about new artists. But the best part is the community—even as a newbie who had never been to one of these workshops before, I felt wholly welcomed by both Lorette and the other participants." Finn Burnett
“If you love learning about art and artists and if you love writing, Lorette's workshops are the perfect place to twine those loves together! Comfortable, educational and inspiring, these two enjoyable hours fly by. And like me, you may linger breathing in the riches of The Ekphrastic Review for your heart and soul.” Fran Turner
Lorette C. Luzajic founded The Ekphrastic Review in 2015 and has been the editor ever since. The journal is a rare publication devoted entirely to literature inspired by art. Lorette's mostly ekphrastic flash fiction and poetry has been widely published in hundreds of literary journals in print and online, including Cleaver Magazine, Ghost Parachute, JMWW, Cabinet of Heed, Unbroken Journal, New Flash Fiction Review, Rattle, Indelible, The Citron Review, Trampset, The Miramichi Reader, and more. She was awarded a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to create a collection of ekphrastic flash fiction, which turned into The Neon Rosary: tiny prose poems and The Rope Artist: ekphrastic small fictions. Her flash won first place in a contest at MacQueen's Quinterly. She has been nominated three times each for Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fictions, and four times each for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. Her story will appear in the Best Small Fictions 2023 anthology. Some of her work has been translated into Spanish and into Urdu. Lorette has a dusty degree in journalism, but continued with her creative writing as well as visual art. Her award-winning mixed media collage paintings are internationally collected, in 40 countries so far, including Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. She is most passionate about art history, and has studied independently and in classroom for as long as she can remember. The stories of triumph and tribulation recorded in paint have changed the world, and they change our writing, too.
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“This is one of the most enriching experiences that I have participated in for many years, as an artist and writer. Lorette's selection of art I have never seen before, her wealth of history on the paintings and prompts presented in an open, warm and encouraging setting provides the perfect formula for creating. These workshops have stimulated my poems and accompanying paintings. I always leave elated and so very glad I attended.” Sonya Gonzalez
"I have been a follower of Lorette’s Luzajic’s Ekphrastic Review for a couple of years, even sending a poem occasionally. When this monthly Ekphrastic Writing Workshop came along, I signed up enthusiastically. I was 'enthusiastically, ecstatic, ekphrastically' about the work of such detail and variety of and about the art, I can hardly wait from month to month to attend the next one. I have learned so much about artists and their work as well as writing some personally delightful poems. Keep them coming, Lorette." Jackie Langetieg
"Lorette’s ekphrastic sessions are well curated, combining a high level of organization with technical smoothness, professionalism, a knowledge of art which she extends to her participants, as well as an encouraging and intimate tone. Her idea of creating an ekphrastic community has succeeded completely, not only with the Review, but also with the writing workshops, And I feel so fortunate to have participated in many of them this fall." Laurel Benjamin
"The Ekphrastic Review ekphrastic writing workshops have helped me begin writing, again. The art and prompts are interesting and inspiring, and the writers are fun and supportive. I've taken four workshops and plan on taking more!" Marjorie Robertson
"I have attended several of Lorette’s workshops and came away from these fast-moving sessions with poems or prose that I continued to revise and enhance. Lorette provides information about the artist that is not only educational but often provides additional inspiration when responding to a prompt." Lois Villemaire
“I have attended several workshops offered by The Ekphrastic Review. Each time, the experience has provided a positive and nurturing environment in which I can freely practice the art of ekphrastic writing with other talented writers from various locations and backgrounds. Lorette chooses a wide range of styles of art, and she is an excellent teacher, and offers great feedback. I always look forward to learning from her about the artists’ backgrounds as much as I do the writing process. These workshops really get my creative juices flowing!” Lisa Molina
"You might wonder how an ekphrastic writing workshop with Lorette is like forest bathing? I have a special trail that few people frequent near my home in the Pacific Northwest. I go there to hike and practice forestbathing. When I enter the woods, I’m plunged immediately into a quiet place of moss, mushrooms and ancient fir trees, which give me their pure oxygen to fill my lungs. And quiet my worried mind. Then I climb a steep slope to a ridge. The trail becomes a worn ribbon undulating across the scruffy hills that stretch before me. On top, I have a 360 view of the mountains for miles. The sun is bright, the sky ultramarine, the wind light. Two crows play chase down the valley. This same feeling of serenity, trust and utter joy comes over me when I enter the Zoom room and participate in one of Lorette’s workshops. She thoughtfully prepares mind-bending visual art to share along with background information of the artist and his/her/their times. Her demeanor creates the right conditions to spur me to write. Her prompts are well-constructed and unusual. Lorette is a gifted teacher. I feel gratitude that I have found my way to her online classes which draw to them such interesting fellow writers. We receive the same art to view and the same prompt but our responses are as individual as snowflakes." Karen Ostrov
"Lorette Luzajic, editor and founder of The Ekphrastic Review is an experienced artist and writer. She loves to create a home for the appreciation of the written and visual arts. Her enthusiasm for sharing all things ekphrastic creates a welcoming environment. I have participated in several of her events. Each is different with a wide range of artists, periods, styles of art. The similarities are the warm, encouraging ambience of her workshops Warning: highly addictive. Because she is a talented writer and visual artist, Lorette brings a background of knowledge and great enthusiasm for creativity. The number of participants is kept small, so that everyone can fully engage. There are many workshops out there, I keep returning to these because they always surprise and delight me." Lynne Kemen
"Whether you’ve ever written an ekphrastic poem or not, a two-hour workshop with Lorette C. Luzajic will inspire you. I especially like how in a few minutes she opens up an artwork—no matter the century of creation or the style—by describing its place in history and sharing intimate and insightful anecdotes about the artist. Each time, I find myself writing from a totally different perspective than I imagined when the artwork first appeared on the screen." Sandi Stromberg
"I attended my first ekphrastic workshop without knowing what ekphrastic meant. Lorette expertly guides you through each painting, providing a wonderful and detailed history about the art and the artist. These workshops have brought poetry back into my writing and I’ve produced submittable work from each class. I’ve also discovered that writing from images is excellent for writer’s block." August Van Stralen
**
“This is one of the most enriching experiences that I have participated in for many years, as an artist and writer. Lorette's selection of art I have never seen before, her wealth of history on the paintings and prompts presented in an open, warm and encouraging setting provides the perfect formula for creating. These workshops have stimulated my poems and accompanying paintings. I always leave elated and so very glad I attended.” Sonya Gonzalez
"I have been a follower of Lorette’s Luzajic’s Ekphrastic Review for a couple of years, even sending a poem occasionally. When this monthly Ekphrastic Writing Workshop came along, I signed up enthusiastically. I was 'enthusiastically, ecstatic, ekphrastically' about the work of such detail and variety of and about the art, I can hardly wait from month to month to attend the next one. I have learned so much about artists and their work as well as writing some personally delightful poems. Keep them coming, Lorette." Jackie Langetieg
"Lorette’s ekphrastic sessions are well curated, combining a high level of organization with technical smoothness, professionalism, a knowledge of art which she extends to her participants, as well as an encouraging and intimate tone. Her idea of creating an ekphrastic community has succeeded completely, not only with the Review, but also with the writing workshops, And I feel so fortunate to have participated in many of them this fall." Laurel Benjamin
"The Ekphrastic Review ekphrastic writing workshops have helped me begin writing, again. The art and prompts are interesting and inspiring, and the writers are fun and supportive. I've taken four workshops and plan on taking more!" Marjorie Robertson
"I have attended several of Lorette’s workshops and came away from these fast-moving sessions with poems or prose that I continued to revise and enhance. Lorette provides information about the artist that is not only educational but often provides additional inspiration when responding to a prompt." Lois Villemaire
“I have attended several workshops offered by The Ekphrastic Review. Each time, the experience has provided a positive and nurturing environment in which I can freely practice the art of ekphrastic writing with other talented writers from various locations and backgrounds. Lorette chooses a wide range of styles of art, and she is an excellent teacher, and offers great feedback. I always look forward to learning from her about the artists’ backgrounds as much as I do the writing process. These workshops really get my creative juices flowing!” Lisa Molina
"You might wonder how an ekphrastic writing workshop with Lorette is like forest bathing? I have a special trail that few people frequent near my home in the Pacific Northwest. I go there to hike and practice forestbathing. When I enter the woods, I’m plunged immediately into a quiet place of moss, mushrooms and ancient fir trees, which give me their pure oxygen to fill my lungs. And quiet my worried mind. Then I climb a steep slope to a ridge. The trail becomes a worn ribbon undulating across the scruffy hills that stretch before me. On top, I have a 360 view of the mountains for miles. The sun is bright, the sky ultramarine, the wind light. Two crows play chase down the valley. This same feeling of serenity, trust and utter joy comes over me when I enter the Zoom room and participate in one of Lorette’s workshops. She thoughtfully prepares mind-bending visual art to share along with background information of the artist and his/her/their times. Her demeanor creates the right conditions to spur me to write. Her prompts are well-constructed and unusual. Lorette is a gifted teacher. I feel gratitude that I have found my way to her online classes which draw to them such interesting fellow writers. We receive the same art to view and the same prompt but our responses are as individual as snowflakes." Karen Ostrov
"Lorette Luzajic, editor and founder of The Ekphrastic Review is an experienced artist and writer. She loves to create a home for the appreciation of the written and visual arts. Her enthusiasm for sharing all things ekphrastic creates a welcoming environment. I have participated in several of her events. Each is different with a wide range of artists, periods, styles of art. The similarities are the warm, encouraging ambience of her workshops Warning: highly addictive. Because she is a talented writer and visual artist, Lorette brings a background of knowledge and great enthusiasm for creativity. The number of participants is kept small, so that everyone can fully engage. There are many workshops out there, I keep returning to these because they always surprise and delight me." Lynne Kemen
"Whether you’ve ever written an ekphrastic poem or not, a two-hour workshop with Lorette C. Luzajic will inspire you. I especially like how in a few minutes she opens up an artwork—no matter the century of creation or the style—by describing its place in history and sharing intimate and insightful anecdotes about the artist. Each time, I find myself writing from a totally different perspective than I imagined when the artwork first appeared on the screen." Sandi Stromberg
"I attended my first ekphrastic workshop without knowing what ekphrastic meant. Lorette expertly guides you through each painting, providing a wonderful and detailed history about the art and the artist. These workshops have brought poetry back into my writing and I’ve produced submittable work from each class. I’ve also discovered that writing from images is excellent for writer’s block." August Van Stralen