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“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

"Truly, you are one of the best teachers I've ever had." Karen F.

Single Session Zooms

Courses

A World of Masks

CA$35.00

Join The Ekphrastic Review for a fascinating dive into the story of masks around the world. We will look at a diverse array of masks through time and across the world, and discuss their meaning and traditions associated with them. We will do several creative writing exercises using mask art.


Thursday, July 10, 2025

2 to 4 pm eastern time

on zoom. $35CAD/$25USD

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Paul Klee Playground

CA$35.00

Paul Klee was one of the most playful, experimental artists in history, constantly expanding his aesthetic explorations and visual language. We will look at Klee's life and work history, with a focus on playful creative writing exercises responding to his art.


Wednesday, July 30, 2025 On Zoom.

4 to 6 pm eastern time.

$35CAD/$25USD.

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Tiny Treasures: art in miniature

CA$35.00

Join us on August 14 from 3 to 5 pm eastern time for a discussion on tiny art traditions. Discover a world of miniature paintings, sculptures, and other fine art objects.


We will use miniature artworks to inspire our miniature stories and poems: haiku, centuries, and 100 word stories, or any small form your desires.

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Upcoming courses with The Ekphrastic Academy and with Women on Writing. Click on image for info.

Writing on Love and Loss: an ekphrastic immersion

CA$275.00

Writing on Love and Loss: an ekphrastic immersion


Take your writing to the next level with community, discussion, engagement with art, and a deep dive into themes of love and loss. This program is for those who have embraced the ekphrastic life and want to immerse themselves in their ekphrastic practice and an intimate experience with a community of like-minded people, writing on deeper themes. It will offer accountability, discussion, feedback, and connection. 

Each week, writers will respond to a selection of artworks on the theme of love and loss, directed by questions and creative exercises, in a 1.5 hour zoom.  We will gather to share our words, discuss the paintings and our process, and share our ideas and progress. Lorette will offer feedback on six finished drafts per writer, whether poetry or small fictions. Writers will also connect inside a private Facebook group for the duration of the program, where we can post drafts, comments, discussion, ideas, suggestions, artworks, questions, etc.


The goal of this circle is to connect with each other, create a safe space for vulnerable discussion on essential but difficult themes, learn more about visual art and use it to trigger meaningful conversation and inspiration, bounce ideas and work in progress off other writers, and to create a small body of finished work.

Participants’ best works will be gathered into a chapbook that The Ekphrastic Review will publish and share with the world. Each writer will get three author copies. The price will be kept low to be accessible to all readers, and offered free to the public as a pdf.


Limited to ten participants.


Cost $200USD/$275CAD


Dates: Wednesday, August 6, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

Wednesday, August 13, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

Wednesday, August 20, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

Wednesday, August 27, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

Wednesday, September 3, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

Wednesday, September 10, 2025- 4 pm to 5:30 eastern time

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Collage and Mixed Media: a four week course on creativity and creation (on zoom)

CA$200.00

This course ran in June, and is being offered again in October.


Discover the joy of juxtaposition and the awakening of creativity through collage, with Ekphrastic editor Lorette C. Luzajic.


This four week course will get you started on your own collage mixed media practice. We will look at the history of collage, discover the diverse work of artists around the world, and create our own projects.


The course will cover topics like colour in collage and mixed media, composition, tools, adhesives, collecting and creating collage materials, choosing themes that resonate, and finding your voice.


Each week will include both discussion of the above topics and creation of your own collage mixed media pieces.


You will bring your own materials to the Zoom session. You can use anything you have on hand. You will need scissors, a glue stick, acrylic gel medium, acrylic paints and brushes, and a stack of collected images and papers from magazines, books, and brochures. You can work on small canvases, canvas boards, or watercolour/mixed media/acrylic paper.


You can also bring crayons, pencil crayons, pastels, and any other media you like.


Dates: October 2025


Tuesday, October 7, 2025 from 6 to 8 PM eastern time


Tuesday, October 14, 2025 from 6 to 8 PM eastern time


Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 6 to 8 PM eastern time


Tuesday, October 28, 2025 from 6 to 8 PM eastern time


Lorette C. Luzajic, the editor of The Ekphrastic Review, is an award-winning collage and mixed media artist. She creates abstract, surreal, and urban collage paintings. Her work has been exhibited in hundreds of group and solo shows in Toronto and around the world. Venues include galleries, museums, restaurants, cafes, hotels, banks, offices, and corporate lobbies. Her work has appeared on the cover of two textbooks, several poetry books, a novel, and in countless literary journals. It has been shown on a billboard in New Orleans and used in an ad campaign for a Madrid based diamond company. She was invited to represent Canada in a symposium in North Africa, a guest of the Ministry of Culture of Tunisia. Her work won first place and $5000 from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Canada. Lorette has collectors in forty countries so far, including Canada, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, China, Estonia, UAE, England, and Saudi Arabia.


Testimonials from the first class!


"Lorette’s Class is packed with practical hands-on cues and concrete information, and at the same time every minute of the classes is freeing, inspiring and encouraging."

Kalliopy P.


"This is an amazing class that packs so much into each session, including exposure to lots of different examples of collage and fun exercises to practice what you learn. Lorette is a stellar teacher who knows how to create a sense of community in class where it feels safe to experiment, play, and share your work. "

Katie Hynes


"Lorette C. Luzajic's Collage and Mixed Media Course was a delight to participate in: 4 weeks of 2-hour classes on Zoom with suggested assignments, and detailed instructions and examples of collages to view during class, and that are also sent to you as a PDF to continue your exploration of collage and mixed media. I already knew Lorette was a fabulous artist, as I own 7 of her artworks, but she's an inspirational teacher as well."

Karen G.


“Lorette's Collage and Mixed Media course was so inspiring! Through exploring history, composition, color, and materials, I learned to translate personal creativity into visual storytelling—something I had never attempted on a canvas before. She helped me know what to stock my art room with to get started. Lorette brings a mix of depth, openness, and support that meets every artist where they are. I left the course not only with new skills, but with a spark to keep creating.”

Kathi C.




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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.

All are welcome- famous writers, first time writers, and everyone in between. Our workshops are supportive, challenging, interactive,  and fun. They are about community, creativity, connection, and conversation. Writers can participate as much or as little as they feel comfortable.

If you would like to attend a workshop but can't afford to do so, contact us at [email protected] and we will work out a reduced or waived fee.
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Please be patient between signup and receiving a welcome/confirmation note and zoom link. We strive to respond within 24 hours. If you are signing up the day of the event, rest assured, we will be on the lookout and you will get a link before the workshop begins!

If you miss or cancel your workshop date, we will accommodate you in a future session.

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"Lorette is one of the most vibrant, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable workshop leaders I’ve encountered, and I’ve worked with about a dozen of the top poets in the U.S., including Naomi Shihab Nye, Ted Kooser, and Jane Hirshfield. No one should get bored by coming back again and again. It’s amazing how she keeps the topic fresh: always varied, always full of more prompts and resources to check, and most important of all, always welcoming to everyone who shows up."
Alarie T.

"Lorette's enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge about art combine to make her one of the most exciting and empowering workshop leaders I have ever had the joy of writing with. And the Hyperbole police would not arrest me for saying that!  I was exposed to art I would never have looked twice at, and have learned how to linger and engage with the work and the artist. Her preparation, presentations and written feedback were thoughtful, generous and encouraging. an absolute delight!"   
Susie Whelehan

"In 2024, while dealing with a serious medical condition, I've taken a wild ride with Lorette C. Luzajic and The Ekphrastic Review--workshops, Facebook marathons, biweekly challenges. Writing in response to art is helping me heal at the soul level, and for that, I am forever grateful to Lorette and the team at The Ekphrastic Review."
Barbara K.
 
"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
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“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 two grants 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; the second project is underway and is a series of ekphrastic flash stories on the theme of living with illness and pain.  Her flash won first place in a contest at MacQueen's Quinterly. She has been nominated several times each for Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fictions, Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize, and seven times for Best American Food Writing. Her stories were selected for Best Small Fictions 2023 and 2024. 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

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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




    Lorette C. Luzajic [email protected] 

  • The Ekphrastic Review
  • The Ekphrastic Challenges
    • Challenge Archives
  • Ebooks
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  • About/Masthead