Alyson Stanfield Retreat

I am finally catching up with enough things to sit down and make a blog post about the fabulous Artist Marketing Retreat with Alyson Stanfield.

Alyson brought lots of books and CD's with her wonderful marketing materials to help guide you and inspire you to get moving with putting yourself out there as a working artist. We had two full days of presentations filled with valuable information.

Our fearless leader Laura Wasilowski makes announcements while Alyson sets up her presentation.

We also had lots of times to chat with friends and share information on breaks and after our day was through.

The lovely Frieda Anderson and Anne Lullie (below)

We had a nice turn out of 50 attendees from several midwest states, many from PAQA and several photographers, weavers and jewelry artists.

The retreat was held at the Sienna Center in Racine, Wisconsin on lake Michigan. Unfortunately it rained most of the time we were there, but the weather cleared just before we left and I had to take a walk out to see the lake.

This a view looking back at the Sienna Center with a labyrinth planted in the grass, if I wasn't in such a rush to get back to Chicago and my kids with all the afternoon traffic ahead of me, I would have loved to take some time to walk it.

The lake was lovely with waves crashing on the beach, it looked and sounded just like the ocean. I am a coastal girl, spending most of my life close to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans, so that is a sound that is so comforting to me.

Now I have to get started on making my Irish dinner of Corned beef and cabbage, I have a knitting group meeting next wednesday, so I am celebrating early. I have a friend from Austin staying with me over the weekend to share the meal with us this year.