RAEvN's Nest - Cedarburg, Wisconsin

First of all, thank you for your many kind thoughts on the passing of our small but mighty spirit, Hermanito. It does help soothe the heart. I returned from Wisconsin last night and with bags still packed have spent the day preparing photos and pondering all the memories. If I had time I could write a book about all the wonderful new women I met there. Instead I keep saying their names, hoping this time my feeble memory will hold onto them until we meet again.

This was my first ever visit to Wisconsin and I found it to be beautiful; lovely fall colors, heaps of leaves to kick through and the nicest people you could ever imagine. I didn't expect to love it so much. Now I see what my friend meant when she said a part of her heart would always remain there.

Kim Rae Nugent put us all up in historic buildings in downtown Cedarburg. I felt like a guest at a lovely resort. I shared my room with Jill Berry the first night and Laurie Mika the next three nights - wonderful roommates; the only thing missing was sleep as we stayed up into the wee hours every night enjoying each other's company.

Bernie Berlin and Michael de Meng rounded out the teaching squad. We posed for photos on the first night of the event while a party swirled around us.

And now I'm going to show you some of the encaustic collages that came out of my first day class. I won't say much about them as I just want to share the work.



I was going to post them in groups of 4 like the one above but it took too long to assemble them. So click this one to see it better.







I have to stop and say that Marie (above) was my heaven-sent angel throughout the event as she seemed to anticipate my every need in the classroom. In addition, we had a great time shopping and walking together. She's my girlfriend (hee hee).





This is Chris Meissner who came for my business class and showed me a great plaster piece she had done as well as a beautiful resin necklace with a snake skin inside (wink wink). Thank you, Chris. You have a room in my heart.

The next group of photos is from the journaling class. I'm only posting a few; I've worn myself out already so please forgive.

So just a few for flavor, okay?

I love to ask the students to paint faces.

The results are always charming and often surprising.

The women filled many pages in their journals; every page was complex, layered, as interesting as the artists who created them.

Thank you all for playing.

Your pages were spectacular.

I got as many ideas from you as you got from me.

And oh my goodness you were beautiful. I wanted to scoop up each one of you and take you home with me to play in my studio together and be my friend forever. (the incredible Bridgette Guerzon Mills with me above. Oh, what a love she is. I've waited for 2 years to meet her and she is even more beautiful in person than she is on her blog.) My heart is full.

At the end of the last teaching day I sat with a snack and a glass of wine while I packed up my supplies for home. My life is not easy or perfect (please! pictures on blogs can be deceiving) but my prayer of becoming a teacher has been answered and I'm so grateful for this past year. I'll write more when I've had some rest, opened my mail and unpacked my bags. Be well.