Give the space in your heart a place in your life. Your passport awaits...

Today I've been working on a new concept for a fun, informative workshop where creative people. It all started percolating in my brain last autumn when a few of my girlfriends met me for lunch in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, about 30 minutes from my cottage and we spent the afternoon shopping, laughing, and moseying around the Fork.

We ran into a group of six young ladies with precious British accents doing the very same thing. Not one to be shy, we started a conversation, and discovered they were on vacation to nearby Nashville and wanted to venture out and spend time in the country. They had rented an AirB&B close by and were spending the day in Leipers Fork. Somehow we got on the conversation of Tea, and one of the girls gave me a zippy full of Earl Grey teabags she had brought with her from England. So kind! And so appreciated.

The entire experience got me to thinking how Dianne and my friends and I were enjoying the same friendship, quaint town, delicious dining experience as these tourists who had traveled from the other side of the planet. As much as I love to travel and am yearning to go to England, I need to be more cognizant of the sights, towns, homes, and gardens driving distance from my cottage and enjoy these pleasures, too. They are, in fact, more convenient and affordable than jetting off to western Europe (still on the bucket list!)
So jump forward to today.
I'm painting a double page spread in watercolor in my Illustrated Travel Journal and making plans to offer a series of workshops at local tourist sites, as well as interesting places off the beaten path. Typically my studio workshops are $149 for a full-day, but this sounds like so much fun to me I want to do it even if no one registers, so Adventure Awaits! is only $65 + site fee.
The first in the series is scheduled for July 27, 2019, at The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, located in Hermitage, Tennessee. We'll meet at 10am for the Introduction to Illustrated Travel Journaling and "how to" discussion, and be free to walk the grounds and paint. At noon we will meet for lunch in the cafe located on the property, and afterwards continue with our painting of the mansion and gardens. I'll assist until 3pm, but students may stay as long as they like. The Hermitage doesn't close until 6pm.
Students will need to register by calling 615-668-8263, and will bring their own supplies in a backpack or tote bag. Any watercolor set will do, but a travel watercolor set typically has a small brush in it plus a well for your wash water. Besides your paints, you will also need a travel journal, brushes, black ink pen, pencil with eraser, paper towels, and digital camera. Picnic blanket or old fashioined "sitting squares" optional. If you plan well, pack small, and tear off a few sheets of paper towels without bringing the whole roll, your supplies could fit in a large pocket or two. This is why I LOVE painting with watercolor. I can leave my 40lb plein air backpack and gear at home.

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