last week i hopped on a tiny plane (my worst nightmare) and headed to center sandwich, new hampshire for the squam art workshops at squam lake. my role was to speak on the opening night of camp, but the organizer, elizabeth of blue poppy, was kind enough to let me stay for the rest of the week to take a class and spend time with the artists in attendance. i’ve never attended an arts retreat before but after leaving last friday i can say with the utmost sincerity that that any artist with the means to attend should try to do so. squam was full of (mostly) women from all across the country who came to do one thing- create artwork while disconnecting from the rest of the world for a few days. for me, the disconnecting part was the biggest draw. there’s something about being on a lake (with little to no cellphone reception and no computer) that really forces you to relax. i woke up early both mornings i was there to watch the fog lift off of the lake like long, ghostly fingers. it was heaven. [image above via mturnage]

the tippity top of the trip for me was the full day i spent learning how to sew. when it comes to craftiness, i’m more of a painter and a furniture-re-doer. sewing? not so much. so i was terrified to take a full day of sewing. fabric in hand i headed down to a little cabin on the water and, to my delight, found that the day wasn’t so scary after all. i had the best teacher you could ever hope for- catherine slye- who patiently taught me how to sew, not to be afraid of the machine (even when i made it jump and make horrible noises), and to stick with my project until the end. the final result was a bag made of fabric from purl soho, repro depot and hable construction that made me smile like i’d just won the lottery. some parts were uneven and i forgot a button to close it but that day gave me the sort of happiness i haven’t had in awhile. i walked away with something i made (well, about i made about half of it- catherine helped with the rest) with my own two hands- and a new friend. if you ever have the chance to take a class with catherine slye i highly suggest it. she is not only the coolest chick on the block, but she’s a really fantastic (and patient) teacher. i’m considering going again next year just to take another of her classes. seriously. [images above via catherine slye]

squam art workshops will be held again next year so click here to check out what happened this year and keep an eye on next year’s event. i had such a fantastic time and it was just an honor to meet everyone there and share in the week’s activities. [painting above by the lovely christine castro]

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