Monday, April 6, 2009

Artfest and Fort Warden

Sunrise at Fort Warden

If you ever get the chance to immerse yourself in a day, a weekend, or better yet a number of days in a creative retreat – go for it! Take classes that push the limits of your creative comfort zone; that aren’t in mediums you are used to working in. Be open to producing work that isn’t a masterpiece, that perhaps you are a little embarrassed to ‘show and tell’ at the end of class. Jump into the spirit of learning, growing, stretching. To do so is exhilarating, humbling, refreshing, stimulating and best of all – feeds the soul and opens up new areas of interest.

I spontaneously leapt into an open spot at Artfest and took some inspiring classes, met some wonderful women and spent 5 days in a beautiful setting.

Here is just a snippet:

L. K. LudwigThe Poetic Eye (class)

I learned photographic transfers, layering with tissue to create strong paper, colorizing and manipulating wire mesh and so much more. L.K. is a very bright, energetic woman who went through a lot of soul searching before she found her calling in life.

Judy WisePhotographic Memory (class)

This class was all about encaustic (yippee!) and Judy made it seem so easy. Her artwork is gorgeous and my attempts don’t give the class justice – I learned so much more than you can see. Judy is a cheerful, sparkly, magnetic person – the type you would love as a friend as well as teacher.

Bee ShayCaptive Memory (class)

Bee taught us how to manipulate a photograph to give it a painterly look – you have to peek at her work to really get a feel as to what is possible. Bee is a multi-talented woman with a very restful, serene energy – the perfect teacher and perfect class for the last day. Unfortunately, the only images I brought with me in the right format are not ones I would have chosen had I had time to really prepare and I goofed up the process at the beginning by coating the photo with a solution that was too wet… the image turned a mauvey-magenta. Ugh - I was looking for cool, subtle beach tones. I wanted to tear it off and start over, but Bee guided me in turning the ‘ruined’ piece into one that I like. Best of all, I learned a tremendous amount about how I can paint/draw onto photos to completely alter the feel.

My housemate Diane Havnen-Smith showed me her techniques on how to paint faces – here is what I painted that night, sipping wine and talking with Diane, Annie Lockhart and Dan Carrel all stunning artists and teachers and fascinating people!


A woman at the Bonfire Journaling Party on the Beach showed me some of her amazing doodle art all made with a fat sharpie pen. I wish I had asked her name!!! She inspired me to doodle and pass it on to my kids. If you know who it is that has a journal filled with doodles like the ones I did below, please let me know!!


I met Susan Wooldridge - a poet, author, teacher, dancer, free spirit and beautiful woman.

Lulu, a teacher from Portland OR area and I were on parallel paths and her wild stockings, shoes, apron and hand painted art bag sang with color!

And I saw my dear friend Kathy Taylor Jones who is the only artist at Tommy Bahama that draws concepts by hand - computer designers take her art work, digitalize it and turn it into the printed fabrics that the cloths line is famous for.

A true whirlwind of creativity, beauty and bonding.

On top of all of this, my family joined me for the last couple of days (at the end of the kids’ spring break) – they camped and explored while I took classes and the last day we all explored. We collected beachglass, shells and rocks along the shore under the fort, then scrambled up, around and into the gun batteries. I filled my photo card taking pictures of the old rusty metal doors, and underground passages coated with layers upon layers of paint.

The colors of rust, decay, peeling paint on the gun battery doors at Ft. Warden are an emerging photographer's dream.

Now, I am buckling down to finish my manuscript - please forgive me if I hibernate for awhile. I look forward to communicating with you and seeing all of your blogs when I re-emerge!

13 comments:

  1. Glad you had a great time
    some lovely photos

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  2. The second photo of your portraits (faces) resembles a Modigliani! I am impressed with what you have done, and I am sure you will go very far in all your artistic endeavours.l

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  3. What a wonderful trip! While I marveled at your artwork -- and clicked on every one so I could see more detail! -- I especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful photos of your family. What handsome men!

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  4. Welcome back! Sounds like you had a fabulous few days - all that creative growth and soulfood. Love all the art you created and those photographs of rusty-painty textures are just yummy! And how lovely that you were able to share some of the time with your family too. A perfect combination!

    I think I'm going to have to attend one of these artistic retreats in the US... They always sound so great and we just don't seem to do that sort of thing in the UK - only watercolour weekends! :)

    Vasbyt with your writing!

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  5. wow, just reading your descriptions & seeing your photos was like art nirvana for me - i'm not sure i could survive actually attending a retreat like that! what an amazing experience in such a beautiful setting.
    thank you beverly for your kind words on my blog - i just sold my low tide lunch piece so i'm happy i didn't have to send it away after all. i can't wait to see what you do next!

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  6. Hi dear friend, love to see how you loved the weekend. I can see how much you enjoyed it in every single picture and every single word you so enthusiastic write down. I'm longing for my trip to your sweet home so I can see and touch every new piece you've created. And the three-musketeers still look very handsome. Give them my hugs.
    Go and burial yourself into your last bit of work for now. Then come out asap and enjoy Spring, the guys, and life.
    Hugs from me.

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  7. Sounds like you had an inspiring retreat, lots of lovely work and pics. Great photos of the metal surfaces of the fort. Good luck with your book writing.

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  8. I love the one of the woman with the green background. Something about her eyes.....so breathtaking!

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  9. What a wonderful break for you. The teachers look like winners all, and your projects great.

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  10. Wow! Yes, good advice, I need to take it. Sounds like it did you a world of good. I so believe in 'cross medium' training. It broadens ones horizons. Thanks for reminding me.

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  11. Wow! Sounds like a great serendipitous score for those ArtFest classes and your housemates. Very cool Beverly!!!

    And as for those photos are amazingly beautiful. RUST LUST!!! I have it bad too. hehehe

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  12. RUST LUST indeed! Love the rust photos.
    What a wonderful 5 days you've had.....AND you met Susan Wooldridge. I dip into my copy of Foolsgold regularly. Happy writing!

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  13. Lucky you- going to Artfest! Such wonderful names to hang with: Kelly Rae and LK Ludwig. I wonder if you met friend of mine: Michelle Geller? And I love Teesha Moore and her work and her family's work so much. She's of the first artists who ever inspired me and I have ordered from her collage sheets and rubber stamps ever since. Don't know who was doing the doodling of course, but it looks like a Zentangle to me- one of my other favorite things. Happy writing....

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