Keys 4 Art 2014, Part 1

All winter long we think about, plan for, shop for, create keepsakes for, and look forward to Keys 4 Art, the annual Florida Keys retreat I have been attending for the past 5 years with my art sisters. Some, like Pat and Teri are friends here in NYC, but the rest come from all over the US and Canada. Which makes our yearly get together so special. And then, poof! It's over. One of the reasons I love to blog about our adventures is to relive them. So here goes, Part 1.

Pat, Teri and I met up at the airport, and found we'd been randomly selected for VIP status. That meant we were swept through security and didn't even have to take our shoes off! Good start. Our flight left on time, was uneventful (always a good thing), and we were able to have a leisurely lunch in Miami before meeting up with the rest of the gang. A van met us and took us to the fabulous house that Elena and Jacquie had found.

An early riser, every morning I woke up in time to enjoy the sunrise in solitude.

Our first full day belonged to Jacquie, who must have literally brought her entire studio along with her. Thankfully, she lives in Florida, so it all fit in her car. She could never have provided such great instruction for us if she had to think about packing for a plane trip. Her topic, encaustics. If you're a regular reader you know I had an unfortunate experience with an encaustics class a couple of years ago; too many students, not enough supplies, and very poor teaching. Jacquie made up for that big time. As you can see, we held this class outdoors, so toxic fumes were not an issue. Plus, being creative in such a great setting, with views of the pool and the ocean.....not too shabby.

Above,  just ONE of the tables of supplies and equipment Jacquie brought. We had many substrates to work on, and I finished these two 6x6" pieces. Any cloudiness has long since disappeared, and I love the way they turned out.

Here are a few of the wonderful pieces my friends did:

If you're unfamiliar with encaustics, I suggest Google for lots more information than I can provide. And if it intrigues you, take a class.....but do a little research, ask questions, and try to get a recommendation from someone whose opinion you trust. 

My next post will feature a fabulous canvas called "Steampunk Dragonfly" that Pat brought for us to do. Stay tuned!