Nothing Beats In-person Workshops.
Even though I teach workshops I make it a point of going on a workshop/retreat every year. It’s something that I look forward to for months as there is nothing better than gathering with a community of like-minded artists.
This year it was photographing the white horses of the Camargue region in the South of France. I was nothing short of magical to stand on the beach of the Mediterranean with the waves crashing alongside those beautiful white creatures.
Self-doubt can be my downfall as I so often feel like I create art in a vacuum. It’s so empowering to stand side-by-side with other artists who are just as passionate about image creation as I am.
A community of artists can make us feel connected to something bigger, give us support and confidence to take risks, and knows what it’s like to express ourselves through making art.
Don’t get me wrong, online courses are amazing—I run one of them. They give us the opportunity to learn from an array of people, on our own time, from our own studio, and to connect with people from all over the world.
But…..nothing beats in-person.
Nothing beats totally immersing yourself in your art. Giving yourself a designated time to eat, breath, laugh, photograph, and make art. When you sit next to someone at the dinner table and hear their story, get to know their struggles, laugh alongside them, you create bonds and friendships that will last forever.
I’m so proud of the opportunity that I have created at for artists Eatons’ Ranch in Wyoming. I’m not narcissistic enough to think that people join this workshop just to meet me. Over the years I’ve learned that they come to sharpen their vision, to build structure for creating pieces they love, to make a commitment to themselves and their artistic path, and to have a ton of fun.
I have loads of conversations with artists who want to know more about the workshop, so I thought I’d paint a picture of it for you. So, take a deep breath…..and come along with me.
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After searching for that cowboy hat you have stored away in back of the closet….the one you kept because it brings you joy…. you’ll pack your bag with all your comfortable clothes and head to the airport and board your plane for Billings Montana.
You land in Billings and immediately you notice the air is different. As you walk through the terminal you feel a little nervous to meet the other participants. Will I like them? Do I belong here?
You recognize one of the other artists from her picture from the private Facebook group. “Hi, are you….?” Yes. You relax a little. You see Marie standing off to the side with her sign that says Eatons’ Ranch. Excellent, your ride is here. You relax a little more.
The excitement is high, and everyone is sharing a little of who they are. It’s a 2-hour drive to the ranch so there is plenty of time to start getting to know each other. Everyone seems so nice. You relax even more. By the time you turn right onto Eaton’s Ranch road you are already forming friendships.
You pull up the long and winding road to Eaton’s. The scenery takes your breath away as the vast open landscapes unfold. Wait. You’ll have to stop here for a few minutes. The gate is closed as the horses are running out to the pasture just beyond the gate. Your excitement level increases. Look at all those lovely creatures.
You arrive at the office and get out to stretch your legs. The barn is right in front of you and the wranglers are going about their chores. You get your cabin assignment and Marie herds you back into the car and drops you at your cabin. You open the door to home for the next 6-nights and are greeted by a little sitting room that makes your heart melt for the bygone days of the American West.
There’s a welcome note on your bed telling you where to meet the group in a couple of hours, so you set out exploring behind your cabin. You’ve only been walking about 10 minutes, when just beyond the bushes you find yourself in the mountain pasture where the horses are now grazing. You didn’t bring your camera, so you just take it all in and introduce yourself to the beautiful roan horses that just lifted his inquisitive head to see who you are.
Time flies in the pasture and you scurry down the hill to make sure you get to Howard Hall by 4p to meet the rest of the group. You’re glad you had the opportunity to meet a few of the other artists on the trip from the airport.
Howard Hall is a lovely large hall that is designated as our classroom for the next 6-days. The room has been divided–one area is for setting up computers and editing images and another area for playing with wax.
We then all introduce ourselves. Getting to know each other a little more. We talk about why we are here, what is our experience with encaustic, and ‘the’ image we want to pack into our bags for the trip home.
Clare walks you through how the week will unfold and what to expect. Then together we head across the lawn together to have a drink in the quaint ‘Apartment Bar’ before we hear the pounding of the dinner bell.
In the dining room we have two large round tables set for our group with a large Lazy Susan in the middle of each. On their downtime the staff hand paints napkin rings with our names on them and we find our spots. We get the lay of the land…..where to find coffee in the morning, meal times, and how many desserts we can have each night (as many as you want)!
The morning is crisp, but you are awake early. You’ve to meet the group at 6:30 just outside the main house for a short walk up to the mountain pasture. It’s important to be up there as the light breaks and the wranglers go out to round up the horses. Some of the horses have made their way to the bottom of the pasture, but some are still way out. There is plenty of time to talk about camera settings, think about where to stand, and talk to your fellow artists.
And then you see them in the distance. The wranglers are pushing the horses in your direction. You hear their hoofbeats. Your adrenaline starts to rush through your veins. ‘Here they come’ someone shouts. Everyone scampers to find the spot they previously scouted. The excitement rises and you start photographing as roughly 200 horses run past on their way to the corral. It’s over in a couple of minutes. But you know you’ll remember it for a lifetime.
We look at the back of each other’s cameras to see who got what shot. And happily, we walk down the same path the horse had just travelled and hear the breakfast bell. As you enter the dining hall it all starts to feel very familiar. This is your home for the next 6 days and you begin to feel the ebb and flow of the routine.
After breakfast it’s time to get fitted for your saddle, so up to the barn everyone goes. You find that it’s a very casual atmosphere at the barn. Nobody is in too much of a hurry. You are truly on ‘ranch’ time now. The wranglers and other ranch guest are friendly. There’s a long bench you sit on while waiting for the wranglers to grab your horse and hitch him to the railing.
The excitement mounts again as our group meets our horses and get a leg lift from one of the young wranglers who looks like he’s barely 16. You find out he’s a local kid who’s been riding horses his whole life. He’s quiet, but you can tell from his sideways grin that he’s got some mischief in him.
Camera’s nestled safely in saddle bags we head off with a young wrangler named Kristen. You haven’t been on a horse in years, but somehow it all feels right. It’s an easy ride up the sweeping landscape and through the gate to Indian Rock. At the top of the rock you can see 360 degrees back to the ranch and out the valley towards Sheridan. We all dismount and turn our attention to photographing Kristen and her horse, Ace. She’s actually done a little modeling before so she’s at ease with it all. In the group there are a few photographers who work with models and they start to direct her in various poses. The sun is shining. It’s a beautiful day. You look around and your heart is full. You are in your element; photographing horses in the American West.
The ride down is over before you know it. The group is giddy with excitement. There are stories about the horse’s personalities, the muscles people forgot they had, the perfect image and the images that got away. As you head over the Howard Hall you are just praying that you got one image from the morning.
Plunk. Your camera hits the table as you rummage for your card reader. You can’t wait to see the images on your laptop. The room goes quiet as everyone is engrossed in their images. You do the quick run through getting rid of the ‘duds’ and then start the process of judging whether you will keep or delete each image. All of a sudden there are two of your cohorts standing behind you commenting how much they love the image that’s on your screen. You feel your shoulders relax as you realize that you really do have some nice images from the morning.
Before you know it the lunch bell is ringing, and you think ‘where has the time gone?’
The ideas are flowing and you’re so excited about the images you want to create. At lunch everyone is talking about their images, troubleshooting where they are stuck, and getting support from one another. It starts to feel like you’ve known them for years.
After lunch you head back to Howard Hall and get a lesson on the secrets to creating powerful backgrounds to make your images stand out. You take copious notes as Clare unleashes all her years of experience. You get up the courage to ask the thing that has been bothering you about embedding tissue paper for so long. It turns out others have the same concern. It feels good to know that you are not alone. Clare is excited to talk about it and to help problem solve. You are amazed at how much you have already learned, and its only day one.
And so, it goes. The days unfold between photographing and working with encaustic. You find your groove. You take breaks sitting in the rocking chairs along the huge front porch of Howard Hall. You get to know the wranglers and fall in love with your horse. You find yourself laughing so hard that your side hurts.
When the workshop ends you are tired but energized. You’ve made life-long friends. You know your paths will cross again in the future. You promise yourself that you’ll make it a point to take an in-person workshop every year.
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So, there it is, a snapshot of your week at Eaton’s Ranch. If you’re feeling like you’re meant to be there, then please join me. You can find all the details here>>
What have been your experiences with in-person workshops? I love to hear what people love about workshops and what they dont.
Be well….be creative,
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Well said and that is exactly why I’m going back again this year. You were also right in that people really want to meet and work with you. You run an amazing workshop!
And I can’t wait to see you again and see what you create this year. I was thinking the other day that it would be nice for Mary Eaton to see images the images from your recent show. I think they would be thrilled to see all your amazing work. It would put another feather in Kolton’s hat:)
Yes to having face to face time with kindred spirits. It’s so energizing and validating. Loved the little vid clip of Eaton’s Ranch and those incredible animals. Probably not this fall but next, I’d love to take your Wyoming workshop. I’ve also passed along your workshop to a fellow photographer who regularly photographs the AZ horses in Gold Canyon. She may like a different approach depicting what she captures using encaustics.
I’m looking forward to face to face time with you someday Diana. And thanks for passing my info along on the Wyoming workshop:)
Hopefully one day Clare I can join you…. coming from Australia. It sounds wonderful!
That would be wonderful Jenni…..I would so love to meet you in person:)