PAQA Retreat

On Monday I posted I was at the PAQA retreat. It is good to be back in good old Madison, WI again. I am especially enjoying sleeping in my own bed!!!

I love going to these retreats. They are held in the Siena Center in Racine, WI. While in Racine be sure to eat at the Douglas Street Diner. All the food is home cooked. I have eaten many different foods there over the years and have NEVER had a bad meal. It is decorated like a 1950's soda shop. With black and white tiles on the floor, red Formica table tops and big deep booths.

If you click here you can see their menu.

I love the way I captured the light fixtures in this picture of Marilyn Monroe. The Siena Center is right on the shore of Lake Michigan. They have an outdoor labyrinth. To see what it looked like in the snow, search my archives for March 15, 2008.
There were 50 of us to hear Art Biz Coach, Alyson B. Stanfield, tell us how to advance our art careers. You can visit her site at:

http://artbizcoach.com/

While there be sure to sign up for her newsletter. It comes on Monday and has some very good tips in it. I have been an artist for 35 years. I thought I knew every thing about being an artist, but I was able to pick a few gems on customer service from her newsletters.

Alyson didn't have anywhere to hang the mobile microphone. I suggested she hang it from the top of her booth, which she did. She is always on the move. That is why she is out of focus in this picture. She had a really good energy. We learned quite a bit in the two day class. On the way home the sun was setting and there was fog in the low lying areas. Being in a car full of women artists, we allowed ourselves to get out of the car and take these amazing pictures. That is not a lake it is a field!

More Rust-Tex winners tomorrow. You can see them at International Quilt Festival in Chicago. I will be in booth #1632 where you can buy a CD that has all the Rust-Tex Collection winners on it.