This past weekend I had the pleasure of being flown to Naperville, a suburb of Chicago to do a private painting retreat for two painters. The entire experience was a pleasure from the first night until the day that I left. There was hospitality and creativity in abundance. It was a delightful painting environment. The backyard was filled with many 200 year-old oak trees, which are a painter’s dream.
Sylvia Lippmann-Red Tree in Summer
Not only does my hostess Sylvia have a history of painting, she has art in her genes. She hadn’t painted for a while and wanted to jump back in and get a confirmation of her painting style which was obviously well-formed and quite lovely. She has a well-established palette and a definite leaning toward particular color combinations.
Sylvia Lippmann-Unexpected Pears
Sylvia Lippmann, oak trees in progress
The second painter, Dotty, is a beginner to painting, although she has been expressing her creativity for many years. In three days she went from asking many questions and being somewhat tentative to working primarily on her own.
Dotty Seiter, oak tree in progress
Dotty Seiter-Sitting in Lotus Position
Dotty Seiter-Leaning into Lessons at the Edge of the World
For me the experience was a delight not only because I painted along with them, but because they were both so receptive to my suggestions. At the end of the three full days of painting we were surrounded by a collection of lovely paintings that we left sitting around us as we talked or dined. It was like eating in an art gallery because we each did three paintings. It was a total immmersion experience that I would enjoy repeating.
Sylvia Lippmann-My Mother’s Palette.
Dotty Seiter-Creative Juices in the Flesh