Ellen and I are often asked how we choose the faculty for Art Is...You. What are the criteria, and what is the selection process? It is simple - who would we like to spend time with?
While the art projects certainly play a significant part, it is the essence of the artist, their spirit, and their soul that we are attracted to in the first place. It is their poetry, their stories, their sharing of personal stashes. It is their golden patience and the gentle touch of their hand and voice when a student is unsure. It is their genuine desire to share a cherished part of their spirit. It is the delight they take in laying out tables of art candy, in setting places with treasures and kits for their students.
For the gift is in the giving and in doing so our faculty and their students are rewarded with breathtaking and unforgettable workshops.
We take great joy when we visit the workshop rooms in the mornings and see everyone unpacking and readying themselves for the day ahead. The laughter of anticipation can be heard and the deep exhaling of many who have held their breath for a whole year can be felt. Then at the end of each day the atmosphere is overflowing with joy and celebratory glee as our faculty and their students come together to gloat over the beautiful pieces that were created with their own hands.
The communal time is very important to us. From journaling in the morning, to our festive luncheons and low key art get-togethers in the evening, we try hard to give our attendees an experience that is bursting with inspiration, friendship, and art. When there is not an official function, you can find our attendees grouped together over coffee, over wine, over dinner and over art...old friends greeting new friends like they were old friends
Why do we do what we do? We do it to see the bliss on the faces around us. We do it for the faculty who tell us that they are renewed and inspired by the experience. We do it for the beginner who is fearful to begin yet comes and finds us at the end saying look what I just made.
This is a personal journey for Ellen and I. We honor and hold close to our hearts, those that choose to spend their weekend with us and our faculty. We are reminded that Art is...a circle of life. All that we do, all that we say, all that we share, comes back to us tenfold.
Art is...You and me 2
See you in October
Sallianne and Ellen
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