TEESHA MOORE PLAY RETREAT: JULY 9-12

If you EVER get an opportunity to participate in a retreat hosted by Teesha and her fabulous family - DO IT!!! It has been the most fabulous experience I have had since I started on this art journey. Teesha and her husband Traci are incredibly talented artists and their daughter Tiffany has all their artistic genes!!! Trista is also a wonderful girl. It warms your heart to see a family that is so close; they are bound by love and their passion for art and it rubs off on you!!!

I left Miami at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8th. I was flying standby but had no problem getting on the flight to Dallas which would eventually (and I MEAN eventually) get me to Seattle. I fly standby thanks to my wonderful brother-in-law who works for American Airlines and is kind enough to get me a ticket! Okay, so I leave Miami and am in Dallas at 9:45 am. Awesome!! Well, not quite. I got bumped off 4 flights and ended up getting to Seattle at 9:30 pm. (Mind you it's now 12;30 in Miami!!!). But, okay. I'm in Seattle. It's all good. Not quite. I arrived at 9:30 pm but my suitcases have been there since early in the afternoon. After about an hour they find my bigger suitcase, the smaller one, the one with my art supplies has still not appeared!!

Of course I missed the shuttle to Fort Worden in Port Townsend which is about 2 hours from SEATAC airport. I spent the night at the Ramada by the airport and got up at 6:00 am to catch a shuttle to Fort Worden. I have to tell you that Fort Worden is absolutely GORGEOUS. Talk about inspiration!!! Amazingly beautiful. I'm there at about 9:30 am and I had read that the retreat check in was at 10:00 so I was rocking! Well, the check in was actually between 3 and 5!! Sat on a stoop at the building like an orphan until Tracy arrived at 3:00 pm!!!

What an awesome experience to finally meet Tracy Kaufman! Loved her before... adore her now!!! It is so funny because everyone at the retreat assumed we had been friends for years! They could not believe we had never met personally! Teesha said we were "like an old married couple"!! We had so much fun! Tracy is a riot... tried to kill me with her god-awful driving skills and "keen" sense of direction... but we had a blast! I haven't laughed so much in a very long time.

I took pictures (although not many) while at the retreat and will upload them as soon as I get home. For now all I can say is that I have found my niche! I absolutely LOVE Teesha's journaling style and feel privileged to have been taught by her. Not only is her art inspiring, but her deep-rooted belief in the importance of art journals is stimulating. She truly TRULY believes that these art journals are therapeutic and important; that what you leave in these journals matters.

I am absolutely a convert. I am very happy with the work I did. I never thought I could do it ... I've been admiring her work from afar for years but had never even attempted it because I just didn't even know where to start. Well, what I discovered this weekend is not only that I CAN do it, but that I'm actually good at it!! Woo HOO!!! Stay tuned for pictures!!!