I know I told you all that I may stop writing these “reviews” after I hit 50 posts, but I cannot wait to share my experience at my first Art Retreat!
First published June 29, 2024: For my 70th birthday (yikes!) my kids paid for a retreat that I picked out. How I picked it? Well… here were my thoughts:
- I knew I wanted to stay in the U.S. (didn’t want to spend my time traveling when I could be painting)
- I wanted to learn something new
- I wanted the comfort of a cozy atmosphere near good shopping (a must, right?)
- I wanted a tried and true instructor whose work I admire
So when I saw Lori Siebert’s post on Dimensional Collage, I applied almost immediately. (I don’t think you have to apply for all retreats, but I was happy that someone was vetting who would be there, to make sure the spirit of the event is not dampened.) The Retreat was held at The Smiley Manse in Springfield, Vermont. Another plus — though it was a 12-hour car trip for me, I love Vermont for its Green Mountains.
The real work took place in a beautiful old barn which was very rustic inside, making me feel that it was ok to get messy. Jennifer Nelson and her wonderful husband provided simple breakfast foods, sit-down lunch and three dinners during the course of the 4-day retreat. They were fantastic hosts and the food was not too heavy, very nutritious and absolutely delicious. Jennifer was also one of the participants in the art part.
The idea behind Dimensional Collage, as I understand it, is to build up layers as thick as necessary, using found materials such as cardboard, old canvas, lace, beads, etc. Where I tripped up at first was to think that I had to find a layer that was the color I wanted. That is not really how it works. The idea is that everything will have a coat of paint on it by the time it is finished. This not only provides a top surface that lasts, but it forces the artist to choose the base materials for their texture, not necessarily their color.
Lori’s teaching style is very low key. She shares what she has discovered and how she creates. She was right there creating along with us, while still being free for consulting and questions. Her support of each student made it very easy to not be overwhelmed by the three-dimensional building process. I would definitely take another course from Lori, and Jennifer has inspired me to move forward to develop my barn into a smaller version of what she has created. The ideas were flowing!
Here are the three pieces I created. As you can see in two of them I followed my theme of portraits of my heroes. But it was so exhausting to make those (a good kind of tired) that I went back to my comfort zone for the florals piece, which is kind of my wheelhouse. The irony is that these portraits are just what I was looking for to stretch my art practice.
The last one I am calling Quaint Arrangement.
If you are interested in art retreats, there are lots of them out there. The key is to find an instructor whose work you admire, and I would also take an online course from them to check out their delivery style. Lori was perfect for me. The experience was perfect for me and the outcome was way more than I expected…
The last thing I want to add (but most important, really) is that the group in our class worked together very harmoniously. Sometimes the quiet concentration was like a library; sometimes there was laughter and always there was the support of my peers. Wow. What a fantastic experience!!
For now, I am signing off as I put all of my energy into my 100 Portraits Heroes project (I am on 44 I think). But if Lori or Jennifer were to ping me about a new retreat opportunity…. well ya never know!
Happy ArtVentures this week!
PS. Thank you to my lovely children for making this art retreat possible!