Tucked away down one of Granite Bay’s gravel roads is a place where you can share wisdom (and a laugh), learn something new, and remember what it was like to create.

For 18 years, mixed media artist and teacher Susan Riegel has been inviting creative youngsters onto her property.

Her little red workshop became the namesake for the art classes, Red Barn Studios.

“I started doing art projects with children when my kids were young,” she said. “Their friends would come over and it just evolved. I thought, you know, I should really offer this to everybody.”

It wasn’t long before adults wanted to get in on the action.

“Adults would say, that looks like so much fun. So I thought I should not ignore those comments,” she said.

Riegel started offering adult workshops in 2007 in everything from journaling to jewelry making.

“It really became something I enjoy. I really want people to come here and give themselves some time to unwind, unravel,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to prepare these workshops, but the satisfaction level is so high.”

Riegel hasn’t repeated a single workshop in five years. On a recent Saturday, she shared her knowledge of herbs with me and a handful of other curious souls.

We started our journey in the yert, meditating on what we’d like to get out of the day.

We then toured the unkempt beauty of the five-acre property, which could get anyone’s creative juices flowing. A creek cuts through the back, with wild nettle congregating on its banks. Adorable red wild strawberries are easily spotted underfoot.

Riegel’s herb garden spans the familiar (oregano, sage, chives) to the new (nasturtium, feverfew, borage). And for each one she shared its secrets. Riegel thumbed through her index cards, explaining how dill once used to ward off spells and that fennel is a great herb for aiding digestion. And if rosemary grows big in your yard, the woman is said to rule the roost in the home.

She shared the doctrine of signatures, which says that herbs tend to signify their uses — plantain looks like a tongue and is good for mouth ulcers. Mullein’s large leaves look like ears or the lungs — and are good to treat infections of both.

After consuming so much interesting information, it was time to eat!

Sharing a meal allowed a chance to digest all we had learned and share even more. My fellow guests and I explored steeping Riegel’s vast collection dried herbs into custom teas.

The afternoon was reserved for creation as we made lip balms and decorated dream pillows filled with hops, lavender and chamomile. I tucked some mugwort into my pillow — the herb is purported to encourage dreams of flying.

We also painted and stamped herb presses, used to flatten the herbs as they dry into little pieces of art, perfect for bookmarks or notecards.

Lisa Levering of Carmichael has taken jewelry, batik painting and raku pottery classes at Red Barn Studios.

“The challenge of doing something creative, that’s why I go. It’s worth it for that — to push yourself to be creative,” she said.

Pressure to produce a product can be paralyzing, so Levering appreciates the carefree and intimate setting that allows the creative spark to thrive. A lot of that is due to Riegel’s teaching style.

“She’s so nurturing. She’s open. There’s no pressure,” Levering said.

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Red Barn Studios Summer Art 2011

What: Learn clay, copper enameling and batik for ages 7-17

When: Session 1 is 9:30 a.m. to noon June 20-24. Session 2 is 9:30 a.m. to noon June 27-30 (9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 30)

Where: Red Barn Studios, Granite Bay

Cost: $175 (includes materials and snack)

Info: (916)652-6165, www.redbarnstudios.org