In Maine, there’s a saying that we have two seasons—winter, and the Fourth of July. Hope you had as beautiful a summer season as we did!
For this post, we’re going to go “On the Road” and travel back in time to a beautiful week in spring—at the end of April and beginning of May—at Woodland Ridge Retreat in Downsville, WI. Sandy Schmitz’s beautiful “blue” heron, in photo above, is waiting to greet you.
I have taught at Woodland Ridge many times before. The owner, Chris Daly, takes very good care of me and my students. An all-in-one facility, we eat, sleep, work/play with fabric, even shop for fabric(!) in the same building. Having morning coffee, working on your collage, and eating lunch all in the same fuzzy slippers is always a possibility.
The two classrooms give my twelve students ample room to stretch out (six per room), for a week of creativity. Their luggage and containers explode with all the fabric they packed, covering their tables, walls, and floor around them—a sure sign of creativity at work—such as Cathy Borneman’s wonderfully tussled elephant-themed workspace, below.
I fall into a comfortable morning routine at Woodland Ridge. I tend to wake up early, and with the time zone change, even an hour earlier. I pad down the hallway in my pj’s and fuzzy socks, turn on the already set up coffee maker in the kitchen, and start to set up my own tables (above) for the day’s class demo.
This year, there were other early birds here and there in pajamas, sometimes beating me to the coffee, and keeping me company while quietly working on their projects. I finish my task with fresh coffee in hand as I pin the previous day’s examples on the hallway pinning walls (below).
Then back to my bedroom to contemplate a pre-class walk in the woods and fields behind the retreat center. But more on that in next week’s post.
If you find yourself interested in joining me for a week at Woodland Ridge Retreat, I will be returning there, May 28-June 1, 2025. Click here for more information on their website.
Now, drumroll please, meet my first six students and their whimsical, fanciful, gorgeous color-filled collages from this year’s Retreat!
Click on any of the smaller photos to see them larger and to scroll through the gallery.
Joan Handrahan
Kim Bates
Ann Coleman
Jean Grube
Sandy Schmitz
Cathy Bourneman
Tune in next week for the second installment of my Woodland Ridge Retreat 2024 class, with the final six students and their fabulous collage work—and join me in a short armchair walk through the springtime woodland landscape.
Thanks for the memories! Such a great time and learned so much- I’ll be back next year with a new project that I’m already gathering fabric for!
You’re welcome, Kim—thank you! Love to hear I’ll see and work with you again next year! 🙂
This such a beautiful place. Lucky ladies to work on these fun projects with Susan. Beautiful work, ladies.
I did not know you come to WI. I live in WI and would love to take a class – how do I get on a or the list for classes?
Hi Marcia! Just follow the link I have at the end of the intro paragraphs, then click on the Retreat’s homepage. Im sure there’s a place to add your name to her email list! Hope to see you there sometime!