Karen Olson
Artist Statement
When trees converse, the air is charged with fragrances, hormones, and electrical exchanges. Placing myself in the middle of this conversation, I am illuminated by it. These experiences—shaped by hours spent walking the trails near my home in Midcoast Maine—form the foundation of my creative inquiry. I explore the intersection of human emotion and the natural world, investigating how our connection with nature supports mental health and interpersonal communication. My work is driven by a desire to understand both the scientific and the soulful dimensions of this relationship.
As a lens-based artist, papermaker, mentor, and educator, I weave together photography, handmade paper, and place-based practices to explore how perception is shaped through material engagement. Informed by my training as a forest therapy guide, my teaching emphasizes relationship with the landscape, resonance, and attunement—a shift from mastery toward dialogue, where making becomes a form of listening and the work emerges through sustained attention, presence, and reciprocity.
Through workshops, retreats, and online offerings, I extend this same approach to learning environments. I invite artists to slow down, work with care and curiosity, and cultivate practices rooted in observation, patience, and collaboration with materials. I support artists in developing a deeper trust in process—where making becomes a conversation, and where both the work and the maker are shaped by sustained attention, presence, and place.
karen@karenolsonphotography.com
Workshop description
The Sculptural Book: Form, Place & Presence is a five-day immersive retreat designed for artists and photographers who wish to expand the expressive possibilities of the book. Together we will explore how sculptural form, sequence, material, and structure can transform photographs and works of art into unique, three-dimensional artist books that tell a story. Throughout the week, you will create two to three sculptural books inspired by your own chosen theme, developing work that reflects your individual artistic voice.
One of the most valued aspects of last year’s retreat was the rich conversation that unfolded around the creative process. Building on that experience, each day will begin with an in-depth discussion exploring the relationship between concept, material, and form. Together we will consider how books can become journeys rather than containers, how structure communicates before content, and how light, shadow, movement, and the extension of the page into space shape the viewer’s experience. Set within the remarkable area of Salento, we will also explore how architecture, history, and place influence perception and inform the stories our books can tell.
Participants are welcome to work in their chosen medium. You will have the opportunity to print photographs or reproductions of your artwork for use in your books, while artists working with original media will learn how to create templates that adapt their imagery to each sculptural structure. Through demonstrations, individual mentoring, and generous studio time, you will discover innovative ways to expand the traditional book form into sculptural works of art that invite touch, movement, and discovery.
A Zoom planning session will be held 6 weeks before the workshop.
$4,699 USD per person
October 3-9, 2027
BONUS COMPANION PACKAGE $200 USD
Not an artist? You are warmly invited to come along. While retreat participants are working in the studio, non-artist companions will have the opportunity to experience Salento with Piero and Alex as their local guides.
Days might unfold through visits to historic villages and ancient sites, walks through olive groves and the distinctive landscape of southern Puglia, stops with local artisans and producers, or leisurely encounters with the food, wine, and traditions that make this region so memorable. With Piero’s deep knowledge of Italian cuisine and wine, even a simple lunch or café stop can become an invitation into local life.
Rather than following a fixed tourist itinerary, these outings are designed to be relaxed, personal, and responsive to the season and the interests of the group—leaving room for discovery, conversation, and the unexpected.
At the end of the day, companions rejoin the artists for our shared meals and evening experiences, bringing everyone back together to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of Salento.
RETURNING PEOPLE SPECIAL $300 DISCOUNT
EARLY SIGN-IN $200 DISCOUNT (by April 3th, 2027)
Discounts are not cumulative
Book Now to save your spot! $500 USD non-refundable deposit.
Terms and Conditions, including our refund policy, are located on the Book Your Tour page.
Dates and pricing
- Private transfer to and from the Brindisi airport, BDS airport (please check our time stipulation on day 7 and/or contact us for any reasons)
- 6-night accommodation, breakfast included at https://www.borgoterra.com/ all bedrooms ensuite (NO supplement for single)
- 5 dinners and 5 lunches, beverage and wine included
- Welcome aperitif
- Private studio at stunning Palazzo Micali
- Wine, extra virgin olive oil and food tasting at Masseria
- Private boat trip and lunch by the seaside
- Private stone carving workshop
- Private workshop at the aloe farm
- Exclusive week-long class with Karen Olson 25-hour workshop guaranteed
- All activities for “non-artists” included in the itinerary
- Week-long private guide with Certified International Sommelier Piero
- Opportunities to meet local artisans and artists
what’s included
itinerary
Day 1, October 3rd
- Arrival Brindisi BDS is the meeting point for arrival day (*see time stipulations, contact us for any reasons) and transfer by private bus to the Hotel.
-Take time to settle in, unpack and explore before we all meet up. The hotel is within walking distance of shops, markets, restaurants and village life unspoiled by time.
-Together we will begin exploring the week ahead, the ideas behind sculptural books, and the creative possibilities that emerge when form, place, and story come together. Then pizza time! Enjoy an evening of introductions over the best pizza in town in an authentic Italian pizzeria. End the night with a stroll, a nightcap, and a good night’s sleep.
Day 2, October 4th
- Wake up to the smell of pastries and espresso. Enjoy a local breakfast at the hotel followed by our first full day studio class with Karen in the stunning Palazzo Micali. 9-12:30 PM.
- Morning Theme: Artist Books & Sculptural Books
We begin by exploring contemporary examples that blur the boundaries between book, object, and sculpture.
Presentation: Techniques for Creating Structure & Form
Through demonstrations and discussion, Karen will introduce methods for sculpting, shaping, folding, and layering paper. Participants will explore a variety of approaches for transforming photographs, drawings, prints, or other works on paper into sculptural pages that move beyond the traditional book format.
Non-artists will have the opportunity to discover the Grecìa Salentina: scenic drive to visit nearby villages, to sit with the locals for an espresso and gelato. With Piero you will never get bored!
- Break for lunch
- Afternoon studio time 2:30-6 PM .
Theme: Connecting Concept & Structure
How does the story you wish to tell influence the structure that holds it? Together we will consider books as vessels, landscapes, and immersive experiences, where every structural decision contributes to meaning.
Presentation: Joining & Binding Methods
A range of joining techniques—from simple stitched bindings to elegant paper hinges and concealed connections—will be demonstrated, offering participants a flexible vocabulary for creating books that open, unfold, and reveal themselves in unexpected ways.
Karen will work individually with each participant to develop the conceptual direction of their project and create an initial mock-up that will serve as the foundation for the days ahead.
- Evening Excursion
Before dinner, we will take a guided walk through the city’s honey-coloured limestone streets, ornate Baroque facades, hidden courtyards, and shifting Mediterranean light. Together we will observe how architecture, shadow, relief, layering, and the passage of time can inspire sculptural thinking.
Over dinner, we will reflect on how place can influence not only the imagery within a book, but also its physical structure.
-Dinner at the square!
Day 3, October 5th
- Enjoy a local breakfast of cappuccino and pastries at your hotel.
- Full studio day with Karen,
- Morning Theme: Form Carries Meaning 9-12:30 PM.
The relationship between story, material, and structure becomes the focus as participants begin developing their individual books.
Presentation: Foundational Structures
Karen will introduce several adaptable sculptural book structures that can be modified to support a wide range of artistic concepts. The remainder of the morning will be devoted to studio practice, with individual mentoring and technical guidance.
Non-artists will venture out for a visit to the Trulli, the traditional dry stone huts with a corbelled roof. We’ll go to visit Alberobello. Lunch in Alberobello!
- Artists break for lunch.
- Afternoon: more studio time with Karen, 2-5 PM.
Theme: The Book as Place
Landscape can become more than subject matter—it can become the structure through which a story unfolds.
Presentation: Sequencing & Movement
Through discussion and demonstration, participants will explore pacing, rhythm, scale, repetition, texture, and the movement created through page turns and unfolding forms. These compositional decisions become powerful narrative tools within the sculptural book
- Late afternoon private Aloe Plant workshop on the Aloe farm Naturalis bio resort
- Dinner on site at the Aloe farm.
Day 4, October 6th
- Grab your swimsuit and sunscreen: a boat day trip to the seaside is awaiting you!
- Enjoy the marvelous sea in Puglia: this unpolluted and crystal clear water will take your breath away. We will be able to explore the coastline from multiple points of view, while sipping a nice glass of wine and delicious aperitif.
- Lunch in Otranto
- Afternoon return to our hotel for studio time with Karen. 4-6 PM
Open Studio & Individual Mentoring
This dedicated studio session allows participants to continue developing their projects with Karen providing individual guidance, technical assistance, and conceptual feedback as each book begins to take its final form.
Inquiry — What Holds Structure Together Before It Exists?
Through conversation and making, we will consider the unseen frameworks that support both our creative process and the works we create.
- Dinner on your own.
Day 5, October 7th
- Breakfast at the Hotel.
- Full studio day with Karen
- Morning Theme: Material as Meaning 9-12:30 PM
As the primary structures are established, attention shifts to the subtle decisions that transform a well-made book into a compelling work of art. Surface, texture, rhythm, transparency, and the interaction of light become active participants in the narrative.
Presentation: Layering, Depth & Transformation
Karen will demonstrate ways to enrich sculptural books through the thoughtful integration of materials and imagery. Topics may include: incorporating prints, photographs, drawings, and handmade papers creating depth through layering and relief using transparency, shadow, and negative space.
Participants will spend the remainder of the morning continuing construction while receiving individual mentoring and technical guidance.
Non artist morning free time to relax and enjoy village life.
- Break for lunch then return to the studio for your class with Karen.
- Afternoon in the studio 2-5 PM
Theme: Books as Experiences
Rather than simply presenting information, a sculptural book invites discovery through movement, surprise, rhythm, and interaction.
Presentation: Refining the Reader’s Journey
Together we will explore how viewers physically experience a sculptural book.
Discussion topics include:
pacing and moments of pause, surprise and revelation.
Karen will continue working individually with each participant, helping resolve both conceptual and structural questions.
- Late afternoon we will visit a typical Masseria, where olive oil, wine and other traditional Apulian products are produced. You will taste them all and try to decide which one is your favorite.
- Dinner at the Masseria!
Day 6, October 8th
- Breakfast at the hotel followed by half studio day! We will finish up our artworks and review lessons shared.
- Morning Theme: Refining the Work 9-12:30 PM
As projects near completion, we shift our attention from making to seeing.
Presentation: Critical Reflection
Participants will learn practical approaches for evaluating their own work by asking thoughtful questions:
What does the work need?
What can be removed?
Where can space, silence, repetition, interruption, or sculptural expansion strengthen the experience?
Karen will provide individual feedback as participants complete their books and prepare them for exhibition.
- Break for lunch.
Non-artists, we will visit the west coast. on the Ionic side. Completely different landscape from the coast of the day before, here soft sandy beaches. Visit to Gallipoli! Return in the afternoon for relaxation time.
- Afternoon critique.
Closing Exhibition
The workshop concludes with an informal exhibition celebrating the work created throughout the week.
Before our farewell dinner, participants are invited to share their sculptural books over wine and light refreshments, reflecting on both the creative journey and the connections formed during our time together in Salento.
- Then, private Lecce stone carving class in the late afternoon to create a fantastic memory of your journey in Puglia.
- Meet that evening for a farewell dinner where we will raise a glass (or two, or three!) to our week in Puglia. Cin-cin! Cheers! And a warm salute until next year.
Day 7, October 9th
- We recommend booking a night or two in Brindisi at the end/beginning of your trip to explore this beautiful city and to make your departure/arrival flights more convenient. Please contact us for recommendations.
- Departures , hotel check-out at 11 AM
Time Stipulations:
- On arrival day, complimentary group transportation to our Salento accommodations will be offered between 12–3 PM, with pick-up available at BDS Brindisi Airport or our designated hotels in Brindisi:
https://www.palazzovirgilio.it/
https://www.albergointernazionale.it/
- Departure day, in order to arrive for your flight with ample time, we recommend scheduling departing flights after 4 PM
- Pick-ups and departures from other locations, or at times outside these parameters can be arranged at an additional fee.