Well, I'm back from ArtFest and recovering from 4 days of wonderful, artful camaraderie and one nasty cold! I'm sure I'll get over the cold but I hope I never get over the feelings of shared creativity with like-minded women that I experienced there. Everyone I met was welcoming, warm and generous. Each of them had come to learn and explore, make new friends or reunite with old ones and have a great time creating art in a beautiful setting. I couldn't ask for a better experience for my first art retreat. Wednesday afternoon started with check-in where we each received a beautiful art bag filled with information and goodies to "see us through" the week. After check-in it was time to move in to my room in Dorm 202. I loved my little room...just big enough for me and Octavia and all the stuff (too much!) I'd brought with me. I found myself nested between Nancy and Barb...sisters-in-law who came to be my art buddies for the duration. Next, came the meeting of the Festal Virgins (first timers) at Alexander's Castle where we shared some champagne and chocolate and a few virginal trades. The trading really took off as we gathered in the Commons for dinner. Everyone who had made trades was there either offering or asking and I had little time to admire one before someone else was offering me another! After dinner and the kick-off meeting in the Pavillion we all went back to our dorms and admired all the lovely things people had made to trade. It felt just like Halloween when I was little and we'd come home and pour out our bags of treats and ooh and aah over each piece of candy. We sat up and talked for hours...all excited about the classes that would start the next morning!
