Travel Tips

Retreats are an odd beast. One never knows if plans will work out, if folks will get along, or if the intentions placed on the event will actually happen. We were lucky that we already knew each other virtually, so the getting along was no problemo! Plans were kept flexible so that participants could pick and choose what they wanted to learn and experience.

Our opening ceremony, done at dinner on Friday night, we all shared our intentions for the weekend ... and I believe we all met our intentions ten-fold!

As our time progressed, it became easier and easier to simply walk to a quiet place and do something creative! No excuses, nothing to interfere with the process. Some sketched, some painted, some knitted, some wrote, some took photos. Regardless of what they chose to do, our participants let the spirit move them.

The live model workshop inspired so many people! Our model was a local Tiwa woman who lives on pueblo land. Her beauty, and ability to hold a pose was wonderful for our artists. Her spirit touched us all as she shared little bits of her life during breaks from modeling.

Katmo was so inspired she even left her hat behind during one break ;)

Knitting needles clicked away during the weekend after Bee took time to share her love of knitting with us. She brough projects she had completed to show us what we could do if we decided to pursue this artform. Her work is AMAZING! She was a patient teacher ... really!

If I can keep this up, I MIGHT have a belt by next year ;)

We prepared a large urn with paints, pens, pencils, papers, shotglasses, brushes and other bits to inspire ourselves. Slowly folks started to dig in the urn and pull bits out that 'spoke' to them. As this occured, more and more bits of art began appearing about the retreat space.

Glasspainting was yet another project. No formal workshops for this one ... just playing with paint and shot glasses. The supplies were left out, and slowly the work would show up on the table .....

In addition to the drawing workshop, we also learned and practiced watercolor shading! Katmo shared how she shades her paintings so beautifully. Ray D shared how to use watercolor pencils in a different manner (using them as a paint palatte with a brush instead of using them directly on paper).

As our weekend progressed, more and more bits of artwork ended up on the VT table ......

Sunday morning was so very special! As our participants arose, they individually grabbed artsupplies from the stash, and took them outside. By the time our writing workshop was ready to begin, folks had been working on projects for HOURS!! Painting, knitting, drawing, photographing, cooking .... creativity in action on a purportedly lazy day :)

I brought several old bead projects to share with participants what they could to if they were interested. Each project I brought was based on the same beadweaving technique I was teaching them in our beading workshop. I was intimidated to be teaching this class, as I've never taught this before! But everyone seemed so willing to work through the frustrating bits and half my students actually finished their beading! Yay! I feel so proud of them :)

And lets not forget the culinary arts! Misha was a wiz in the kitchen Friday night and we were stuffed to the gills. Once LaCristina showed up on Saturday our gluttony continued in a gourmet fashion! Shrimp, crabcakes, fresh veggies, decadent deserts ..... we all had to loosen a pant button or two as the weekend progressed!