The After Glow-Life after Squam

A week's gone by since I returned from Squam Art Workshops-September edition. My classes exceeded my expectations. Eventhough I've made lots of books the Book a Day class with Christine Mason Miller and Marisa Haedike gave me some new tricks (including the new "MM" -Mason Miller-way to easily bind multiple sections). My memory book about my grandmother is a new treasure. I felt her great love all the while I worked on it.

And Mary Beth Shaw's class was just the right activity for the last class when we were all a little tired- kind of like finger painting in kindergarten. Again, I've done lots of paste painting but her take on it was entirely new and I came home with a stack of paper to use for book covers and face pages.

Sarah Ahearn's class Text and Image was so good for me as she encouraged us to use a wide variety of materials and techniques. She had a terrific class activity that took us out of our comfort zones. My "P" piece was the class activity- chalk pastels are my new find! The One True Love piece uses another photo of my grandparents on their honeymoon in 1927-sigh....


And my cabin mates? The best! We laughed, shared our lives, drank wine well into the night, then met up in front of the fire for early morning coffee to gear up for the day. It was show-and-tell at night as the eleven of us took a wide variety of classes. Mary Beth was a fabulous roommate in Eldorado- the little sister I always wanted!
And can I just say that having Jenny Doh as a cabin-mate was a true pleasure and honor. She IS the person behind the welcoming letters in Somerset magazines, a champion for all of us trying to live more creative lives.

Here's me with little sis MB :)

Countdown to Squam Art Workshops!

Just 13 days to go until the fall Squam Art Workshops. I feel so blessed to be going AGAIN! June classes were terrific, my cabin-mates were the best.
This time I'm in a larger cabin with 12 other soon-to-be new friends. We are right on the water with a wonderful porch looking off across the lake. I'm already imagining early morning coffee on the dock, late nights on the porch listening to the loons calling out to each other.
And oh my, my classes! I start off with A BOOK A DAY with Marisa Haedike and Christine Mason Miller, using long cherished photos of my beloved grandmother as inspiration. I met both teachers in June and am really looking forward to this class. Then on Thursday it's TEXT & IMAGE with Sarah Ahearn-I love her work!! Saturday morning I'm working with Helene Finizio in CONNECTING WITH YOUR ESSENCE-I'm so ready for this one! In the afternoon I'll be with Marybeth Shaw in NOT YO' MAMA'S PASTE PAPER. I've done paste paper before (self-taught) but know I'll learn new techniques and approaches, plus it is so much fun, like finger painting in kinderarten. And on Saturday night I'll be at the ART FAIR with my handmade books and journals.
I live nearby Rockywold-Deephaven Camps and have been there several times this summer already visiting friends so I can tell you that SAW has a glowing reputation there. They are ready and waiting for our return!