Painted Floorcloth: Painting a Story

Painted Floorcloth: Painting a Story

Visiting Artist-Textiles | Available

251 N Spruce St. Winston-Salem, NC 27101 United States
Weaving Studio - 211
All Skill Levels
10/2/2026-10/4/2026
9:30 AM-5:30 PM EDT on Fri Sat Sun
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$485.00
$15.00

Painted Floorcloth: Painting a Story

Visiting Artist-Textiles | Available


During this workshop, students will work with nationally recognized artist Kathy Cooper to design and create their own painted floorcloth - surely to become a family heirloom!

Students are encouraged to gather inspiration to paint your story.  Bring a handful of your favorite photos and let them inform your ideas...  maybe a favorite sunset, beautiful flower, an affectionate four legged pet or just the twinkle lights on the patio.  Let your imagination loose in a happy place!!  It doesn’t have to make sense or be literal as long as it brings a smile to your heart.

Students will begin by painting on a black background.  Your collection of ideas do not have to be in scale to one another as long as you allow your composition to grow and evolve.  Kathy will guide everyone by chalking your ideas out, erasing the things that go sideways and slowly color in what remains. There your story will come to life.  

Trained as a weaver, Kathy fell in love with painting when she made her first floorcloth in 1979.  Making a floorcloth requires some patience in construction.  To speed the process up, we will start on a hemmed canvas so that you can jump into painting.  Kathy will share the process, the inspiration, and the completion for painting on a hemmed canvas.


All skill levels are welcome.
  • A Material fee of $15 will be added to your total at checkout.
  • Registration will close one month prior to the start of the workshop.
  • Enrollment is open to Students 18+

  • This workshop is part of Sawtooth Luminaries, a long weekend of immersive and intensive workshops that will take place from October 2 - 4, 2026, in Winston-Salem, NC. This exciting event welcomes nationally acclaimed artists to provide learning experiences for creative students of all skill levels. It expands Sawtooth's depth and scope as a community art school and aligns with our vision to be a creative hub for Winston-Salem and the entire region.

    The weekend's programming will balance structured studio time in Sawtooth's landmark downtown facilities with communal lunch offerings and evening events that explore Winston's reputation as the City of Arts and Innovation.

    Tuition includes three days of instruction and dedicated studio time, catered lunches, opportunities to socialize with other artists in attendance, and exclusive access to some of the city’s most beloved art institutions. Special rates at The Historic Brookstown Inn, Sawtooth’s preferred lodging partner, are available for enrolled students and guests. (Discount code is provided after registration.)

    Learn more about this dynamic weekend and see the full list of workshops at sawtooth.org/luminaries

Cooper, Kathy
Kathy Cooper

Kathy Cooper is a nationally recognized artist, producing original hand-painted floor cloths in custom designs. Begun from her simple desire to make a kitchen rug in 1979, inspired by a magazine photo and a discarded piece of canvas, her journey unfolded in that first floorcloth.  Selling a few here and there, she paid for a booth at her first art show. People were buying her work and soon she was selling on Madison Avenue in New York City. 

An ad in a brand new magazine (Country Living) helped build a larger audience. Selling in NYC gave Kathy the opportunity to make custom rugs for many famous clients including Carrie Fisher, Christina Ferrari, Michael Keaton, Paul Newman, Henry Winkler and others!

People kept asking for directions to make a floorcloth which led to The Complete Book of Floorcloths (1997).  With a book in tow Kathy became a guest on HGTV’s DIY network reaching a national audience.  Her second book Painting Floorcloths (1999) grew out of an effort to simplify the process for workshops. 

Kathy has been a frequent guest on television, appearing on Home Matters, Decorating with Style, Interior Motives and Paint, Paint, Paint. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers including Southern Accents, Home, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, Gourmet, Surface Design Journal, and Country Living, and the cover of Where:Atlanta.

Spreading joy one rug at a time, today Kathy's days are divided between custom work, gardening and yoga!  She loves color, patterns, flowers and animals and she is known for fun whimsical designs.  This has led to a life devoted to art for the floor!