when we are retired our art retreats are going to lengthen and widen. we’ll bring a sewing machine, knitting needles, crochet hooks, embroidery stuff, for stitching various things. for example, sewing up a trio of party pants.
nathalie lete was our patron saint for this art retreat. i brought her book and all of us painted mushrooms, birds, and various other whimsical things that she inspired. i also brought a couple of paper post calendar pages from last year’s calendar. it’s nice to gather a rich source of material from which to draw. balanced with sketches of ordinary things.
here’s pam laying everything out this morning.
at the end of each retreat we lay all of our books out and open for photos.
i brought a pitiful sum of 2 sketchbooks, while carol & pam brought about 6 each. i told you i’ve been in a creative drought. i wasn’t kidding.
carol and pam inspired me tremendously this past weekend.
don’t you just love these faces and petals pam made out of blobs of paint? utterly fabulous.
and her watercolor of the house is just wonderful.
carol painted some brilliant portraits.
but really, the art retreat is not about making great art. it’s about play. making marks on paper that sometimes end up looking like something. and sometimes don’t. whatever!
today as we were packing up, i felt like i was just getting warmed up. but that’s always the way it is. thus our future plans for longer retreats.
the house we rented this year was quite special. the combination of glass and light made our days radiant.
sinking into the pool each morning, was like a baptism.
and the jacuzzi. oy. nighttime with a spray of hot bubbles and a star quilt overhead. oh the deep pleasures of living!
we discussed our future art retreats when we are in our 80’s. it’s not that far off. i have 25 years to go. i have the good fortune to know a few arty women who are closing in on 80, and another handful that are staring 70 in the eye.
my little old lady in training routine continues. i study from the best so i can be my best when the time comes.
we always go to elmer’s at least once when we’re in palm springs.
we stayed in the sunmor neighborhood. it was close to the airport, but the plane noise was minimal.
i’m wondering now why we didn’t paint a neighborhood map of palm springs. next year.
after breakfast on sunday we stopped by an open house- a little casita that would fit the bill for my future retirement home. the house was darling, but it’s not in northern california, thus won’t work. but it was great fun to look!
okay i’m wrapping this up. time to get my lunch ready for tomorrow, finish laundry, and get some journal writing done. hope you’re well. happy. doing something marvelous, or getting ready to…
see you soon. xo
See I told you that guy at Elmer’s looked like Robert Deniro! You see it now don’t you?
Every time you go to Palm Springs and post photos of homes and palm trees with the mountains behind…I am reminded of the first time or two I was ever down there, in the late 1950s. I conjure up images from way back then, including what the air felt like, how the light appeared, the heat of the sun. It’s almost like I’m there again. The desert is in my soul, that’s for sure! xx
oh what a gauzy lovely memory that must be…mmmmmmm.
Thank you, Mary Ann. Your family sketchbooks are so inspirational! Your images are all so bright. What kind of paint do you use?
thanks julie 🙂 those bright colors you’re seeing is GOUACHE paint
See? You haven’t lost it after all!
Love the portrait of Carol 15/1 where your pen doesn’t leave the page. Also the three cameos, three birds and that declaration: I sure as shit hope so.
Lovely start to my wet grey Cornwall day.
chrissy we talked about you! your grey cornwall day sounds LOVELY
I feel like I’ve been taken along too! There’s a lot of inspiration from the pictures of your sketches and paintings, but also from the content you write. What sort of camera do you use? Your photos are sublime.
you’re so nice valerie 🙂 that’s just my iphone 6 camera. i’m officially too lazy to use my nikon anymore when my iphone fits in my back pocket so well…
Ooooooooooh! The best postcard yet. How did you find this Nathalie Lete???!!! I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. And where did that 48-well watercolor palette come from??? Loved seeing everything. If there were even more photos, I’d be gaga to see them 😉
she’s a frenchie dahling! from paris…look her up. you’ll LOVE her book. we’ve been fans for years and years. if you were in either sketchbookery or omg i talk about that palette. it’s a kremer metal palette. fab!
I’m glad you posted the yoga in the pool photo/painting. Carol mentioned it on her blog and I was hoping I would get to see it.
Thank you so much for all the inspiration you share with all of us here on the web. Even though sometimes I feel a little like a stalker following along on your adventures, I’m really glad to tag along!! Debbie
stalker schmalker. not you! not anyone. crosses fingers. says a prayer. hee hee about the swimming pool pic.