On the Road Again—For Art!

I am barely unpacked from Florida, but since I still have piles of clothes, I'll just pop them back into my suitcase!


Spring is especially inspirational and I get a big surge of creative energy, as do most artists. Particularly after this horrendous winter. In a few days, me and Annie (my BFF) are off to the yearly retreat/conference in Columbus, Ohio called Artiscape. This is a mixed media event that draws instructors in all medias. The artists who attend can choose from the large number of workshops that they offer. This time of year plays a key part for me, plus it's only a three-hour drive from Pittsburgh.

When Annie and I travel, nobody really knows what is in store, we laugh until tears run down our legs and the bitching and moaning keeps us sane. It's akin to a high school girl's sleep over. Last year was extremely fun because I made at least four good friend/artist connections, not to mention the fun we had after hours in the hotel bar with the Canadian rugby team--who were in kilts. The X-rated pics are excellent! Wooo Hooo! But, I digress.

The workshops I have signed up for this year: Journaling in Wax (Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch); Italian Boxed Set (Pat Osborne); Repujado Metal Embossing (Magdalena Muldoon); Collage with Moxie (Cory Celaya); By the Book (Carol Kimball); and Experimental Watercolor Media (Jacqueline Sullivan).

I have one workshop with Anne and then we are separated for most of the day only to reconvene at meals and evenings. We share our knowledge and compare notes. We drink wine. I also expect to get some time in for journaling. On the way home, we will make the obligatory stop at Dick Blick in Columbus to buy more art supplies as one can never have enough. Too bad they don't sell "time".