Artfest 2012

Words will not adequately convey the fabulousness of the Artfest experience.  The pictures will do the talking.  I shall attempt to narrate.  How did I decide on Artfest you ask?  I believe I found it via facebook or on Misty Mawn's website. She is my favorite artist, and I had just taken her online class in January.  Highly recommend it.  There were a group of women who all posted about taking Misty live at Artfest and I caught wind of it.  I thought, that would be epic and then I looked into it.  She was teaching on my birthday for crying out loud.  How could it be any better?  I went for it.  I am so glad I did.  It quite literally blew my mind.  I don't think my feet touched the ground the entire time I was there.  It was my first trip to Washington, it's cold there see.  I usually opt for warm and beachy.  But I decided to bring long sleeves and work with it.  It rained everyday, as expected, and was quite windy (48mph winds) but I overlooked the weather,  and took in the charm of Washington.  It reminds me of Maine, it has a seaside, quaint and historical look to it.  Brick buildings and colonial style houses.

 I arrived on Weds, March 28th and drove from the airport to Port Townsend with a friend named Lisa who I had only known online.

We chatted the whole way and stopped at some thrift shops on the way.  Then we were there, at Fort Warden, an ideal location to host the entire event.

It had dorms, houses, large gathering rooms for classes, a giant cafeteria and buildings big enough for the hundreds of women like me who were going to art camp.  http://www.parks.wa.gov/fortworden/
The first night they welcomed us all and I got to witness a live proposal....how exciting is that?

she said yes!  The next day was art class with Jesse Reno.  He is extremely artistic and wildly different from me stylistically.  Here is an example of his work.

but he taught me how to keep adding layers upon layers and keep working on something until it shows itself.

 I stretched.  This is the first piece I came up with.

He had us draw five eyes and connect them, and do all kinds of things to open up.  I had never done anything like it before and that is how we grow.  Then that night there was a bonfire at the beach with art journaling in the nearby shelter.  This was one of my favorite memories.

Adeola was a kick, and she had fun wearing my tutu and taking pictures.  I don't usually meet someone who takes MORE pictures than me.  She did. 

I laughed at how many, we would walk a step and take a picture...I met all these wonderful women, who all opened themselves, shared supplies and laughed together...Art has a way of uniting women without competing that inspires me.  Day 2 was Jesse again, doing two more paintings.  stepping outside our comfort zones and looking for symbols and imagery in our 'mess'.  These are my 3 paintings from his class, as yet unfinished.

really different for me.   Loved it.  That night was the artist gallery and all my favorite artists were selling their work.  It was so crazy to see them live after seeing their work on facebook, I truly had a hard time absorbing it.  I debated on splurging on original works, and ended up just getting a couple small things.  Good girl.  The next day was my birthday and last day of Artfest.  Saved the best for last, and Misty was all that I hoped for.  Sweet and mellow, so easy to talk to, I felt like I was in a dream when I saw her paint her demo and then play her awesome soundtrack while we painted.  When life is just that good it is challenging for me to chill and take it in, I am buzzing like a hummingbird..then I get a painting from Misty, for my birthday.  What?  I mean how can it just keep getting better? I bought one so now I have two Misty originals to grace my walls.  They are so much more special now that I have met her then if I bought them online.  She paints like she is, which is beauty and grace.  She humored me with a tutu picture or two too...

 birthday girls

 who could it be? none other than Misty Mawn..

come to find out her birthday was the very next day!! so connected.  After all that excitement it was show and tell where everyone put out the art they made and we all walked around and saw the stellar work produced at this event.  Mind blowing.  I am eliminating so many pictures and so many details as I am just too pooped to share them all.  Another gem of a girl was Miss Charlotte.  She made her wig and don't just think it matches my pink tutu perfectly?  She was thrilled to wear it, and pranced all over the grounds twirling, making everyone happy.  She was meant to have it and it now resides with her in Canada, I know she will do amazing things with it.

The last day was gorgeous and sunny enough to wear a semi short sleeve, we explored the town a bit, and bought fun souvenirs.  I swear I could go on but this Hip Chick is still recovering from all of the hoopla.  This is my Disneyland and I am so grateful to have found my people.