BLOGTOBERFEST - Day 22 - Where I've Been

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin

I've been in a strange and lonely place. Unable to go backwards and too afraid to move forward. Armed with my newly created Mondo Beyondo list full of my deepest dreams, I completely freaked out when faced with the reality that I could make them come true. Over the last 48 hours a wave of fear and self-doubt so enormous swelled around me that I was completely knocked me off my feet.

But the time has come. So much for so long has been leading to this moment. Deep breath and here we go...

I am very excited to share with you that in April next year I am running my first art retreat at Sewjourn. Join me from Friday 23 - Monday 26 April 2010 for a weekend of collage, creativity and connecting.

The program for the weekend goes something like this:

• Friday night - we'll spend the night getting to know each other starting with dinner at a local cafe or pub as well as settling in at Sewjourn. Bring a hand held project to work on in the evening.
• Saturday - the morning will consist of explorations in paint techniques and background effects for collage. I'll also work with each individual to design your main collage piece that you'll complete on Sunday. In the afternoon we'll be stitching and trying our hands at different textile techniques. The evening will be free and will be an opportunity to play around with new techniques and ideas learned throughout the day, or spend some time on a project of your own.
• Sunday - we'll spend the whole day on Sunday working on a signature collage piece. This will be a woman/angel that we've designed the previous day (don't worry if you're a complete beginner, I'll help you design something that you'll be delighted with). Sunday night will again be a free night. We'll have a fabulous dinner party together and work on personal projects in front of the fire.
• Monday - we'll spend Monday morning on any finishing touches for the signature pieces and then move on to making a mini-collage using different techniques. After a late lunch it will be time to head home feeling renewed and energised, armed with lots of creative works and new ideas.

There'll be plenty of extra surprises, lots of time to connect and get to know each other, sleep-ins and pampering. The cost is $400 which covers accommodation, meals and the collage and mixed-media workshops. Additionally you'll need to purchase some art materials (list to be supplied) and pay for your own dinner on the first night.

If you'd like to join me on this adventure email me at tinniegirl(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au with April Retreat in the subject line. I'll send you all the fine detail about registration, deposits, etc, and of course answer any questions you've got. There are 6 spots available.

If you can't make it for this weekend don't fret, this is just the beginning. When I think about being an artist this is the stuff that makes my heart sing. I'm planning some one-day workshops in the near future, and Megan K and I are planning a super special retreat for later in 2010. More to come on all those things.

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I'll announce the winner of the wallpaper giveaway tomorrow so if you haven't put your name in and still want to, then go right ahead. The post is over here.

I'll have a new giveaway starting tomorrow as well. It's going to be a beauty.

Gosh, there's still so much news and thoughts to share. That will do for now I think.

OK, here goes, pushing PUBLISH POST and bringing a dream to life...