Art and Soul Retreat - Viva Las Vegas

I loved the Art and Soul Retreat in Las Vegas.  The women I met (there were some men there but it was overwhelmingly women) were fabulous, friendly and inspiring.  I felt like I was surrounded by friends I just hadn’t met yet. 

The teachers were great.  I had a class with Jane Wynn on Sunday to make “Science Under Glass”.   She was very encouraging to everyone in the class – and it was the first time I’ve soldered anything since high school.   I am very pleased with my necklace and look forward to making more.

 

 

My next class was Thomas Ashman’s Tiny Glass Journal.   That was a more challenging class. I should have know something was up when he had chocolate kisses spread out on the tables to sweeten our moods.  The journal is very cool.  At first I thought – this is so easy but when it came time for the final assembly it was hell.  I gave it a good try for an hour but my book kept falling apart in my hands.  I left dejected but I listened to Patty Smith at full blast on my way home and thought about the mechanics of getting everything together.  When I arrived home, I sat down and started again.  After a few swear words, it came together and I have my journal.  I will probably put together the second one I started, maybe for a gift.  I don’t know if I’ll make anymore.  One thing about the class – we used a plumber’s torch on the 26nd floor of Bally’s.  It just seemed wrong but it was also crazy fun. 

Tuesday I had my super bonus class with Sally Jean, super bonus because my original class was canceled and the wonderful Glenny put me into Sally Jean’s tiara class.  This class was all butterflies, puppies and everything wonderful.  I was so excited that I was able to complete my tiara and I have ideas for more.  I had bought solder equipment after buy her book but was too chicken to just experiment.  Now I feel empowered and creative.  I also realized I need to organize because I could not find crystals I bought years ago at a flea market in Paris and they are somewhere in my studio.

 

My final class was with Stephanie Lee.  I didn’t finish my projects in her class, Selective Seeing, because there is so much more that I want to explore with them.  Stephanie is a great teacher and gives so much of herself.  If I tried to explain the class it would sound weird and contrived but it wasn’t.  Everyone’s work was so different.