Ottawa, Canada meetup in April 2017?

[nightowl_too]

So why not have it a bit later in the year so that the weather is nicer. April is still so cold and dreary. If you had it in May they have the tulip festival going on. Maybe we could do a little plein air art around some of the more beautiful parts of Ottawa.

[Miss M]

Yeah, I think Vikinglady and myself need to discuss. But I will agree with you, nightowl, April is not the best month of the year to do outdoor things in Ottawa.

[mcgillisj]

I'm so looking forward to this, Miss M! Canada's capital is a wonderful place to visit! Surely there are more of you willing to join us??

[lini]

I am interested...I haven't been to a gathering since the one in Texas a few years ago! Wouldn't have to get a new passport since I have a Michigan enhanced driver's license!

[vikinglady]

Yeah, I think Vikinglady and myself need to discuss. But I will agree with you, nightowl, April is not the best month of the year to do outdoor things in Ottawa.

I certainly agree that it would be much more pleasant weather in the Ottawa area later in the year - late May or June. However, I couldn't afford to go back to Ottawa again after April. I go once a year and it has to be April because it is an annual conference my husband must attend. BUT, that doesn't mean that I couldn't help Miss M, organize this meet. I would love to meet with her and make sure that everything was running smoothly.

Here is one idea I have and have contacted the owner of the Bed & Breakfast to see how many artists she could accommodate if all of us decided we wanted to do a farm stay. I haven't discussed this with Miss M yet but at this stage it is only an idea and we have to start somewhere!

I'm suggesting that we consider a Farm Stay in the Ottawa area as part of our AFA meet. Here are the particulars:

Bed and Breakfast at: Blue Hen Farm http://bluehenfarm.ca/

Rates: $112.50 pp (double occupancy) OR $225.00 (single occupancy) this is in Canadian Funds in US funds it would be, according to today's foreign currency rate: $85.89 pp (double occupancy) or $171.80 (single occupancy)

Rates include: a big hearty breakfast AND a good organic farm style supper!!! I think the rate including two homemade meals is phenomenal!

Farm Tours: $25 pp Cdn Funds OR $19 pp US Funds

Location: The farm is one hour away from downtown Ottawa and 10 minutes away from the historical town of Almonte. Here is a short video on Almonte: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLS6lFhI5bc We could spend a day here, have a picnic in the park and tour the Textile Museum. Here is a short video of one of the exhibits at the Textile Museum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaYSqiSMeg

So our art retreat could look something like this:

Four days at the farm

Activities: plein air painting/sketching and using both the scenery and farm animals as our subjects.

In the Evening: we'll look at what everyone sketched/painted, finish up our work maybe over a glass of wine? As well, it would be great if some of the peeps coming to this meet would offer an art class. All details that need to be worked into the retreat. If you click on SHOP at the Blue Hen Farm, you'll see that they have felting kits. Perhaps you could all try your hand at felting.

FARM TOUR

One day in Almonte to take in the Textile Museum and perhaps a lunch in the park.

Evening of trading anything artsy - art dolls, atcs, chunky pages, textiles, hand bound books etc.

After the farm stay I say we all head to the big and beautiful city of Ottawa and take in some tours. At this point we would have to find a hotel or B&B to for the remainder of the meet. I checked online for some guided tours and they are just too darn expensive. For this leg of our journey it would probably be best to discuss with Miss M what exactly you'd like to see while in the capital. I would definitely take in the gorgeous National Gallery of Canada and on another day we could do a relatively inexpensive bicycle tour of the city : https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio..._Ontario.htmln

That's all for now folks. I got to get back out to the garden. Your input is most welcome and I hope Miss M likes some of my ideas.

[vikinglady]

Never painted or drawn farm animals before? Here is a FREE four part series on painting farm animals in watercolor with Mariam Shulman. You may have to join her blog to receive her newsletter and free video offers but she has a lot of cool techniques.

https://schulmanart.leadpages.co/fre...cid=f9eabd238b

[Miss M]

Lovely ideas VikingLady!

Sorry, I have been a bit scarce lately...life (i.e. work) has gotten busy lately. Even now I'm logged in from home! yikes! So reading fun stuff is awesome. I will have to follow those links and check it out.

So just an FYI, I don't object to Ottawa in April, it's just really a crap shoot weather wise for outdoor activities.....just depends what kinda stuff y'all want to get done while here. And yes, tours etc will cost more money....being a tourist can get pricey! LOL

[mcgillisj]

Great ideas, Vikinglady! The bonus for me is that I live in Carleton Place, which is less than 10 minutes from Almonte. If you all decide to stay at the Blue Hen Farm first and then in Ottawa, I could simply sleep at home and meet you during the day (money is really tight for me, so I can't afford an overnight stay). A visit to the National Gallery sounds awesome, too!

[Miss M]

Oh my goodness, now I'm feeling really bad. I finally had enough time tonight to read over VikingLady's post (LOL probably b/c I left work early for a doc apptment), and I'm not sure we are on the same wavelength.

VikingLady, honestly, if you can't make it to Ottawa, I couldn't take on organizing or hosting an such an elaborate event by myself. I never had the impression that's what you meant, I just thought I would be helping out as a co-host and some leg work. I'm so sorry for the confusion, and any mistaken impression I've given. I'm not trying to be a party-pooper, I'm just being realistic about my circumstances.

VikingLady, those are awesome ideas, and for sure I can help co-host and Ottawa suggestions. I mean, I live in Ottawa, it's not like I wouldn't be showing up and wanting to meet y'all! That farm is lovely! However, in April, I recommend plans that allow for indoor activities if the weather is not co-operating.

Save</span>

[vikinglady]

Don't you feel bad about a thing Miss M. It is very difficult to hold a retreat particularly when the organizers live approximately 3000 miles apart. So why don't we just keep this thread open and as soon as I have a date for next year's convention I'll just post it here at this thread. Then whomever wants to join in on the fun can just simply meet us at an agreed place. From there who knows!? There's nothing wrong with spontaneity and in fact, when there are no expectations it's often far more pleasant for everyone.

[Kalycakes]

Small World McJ, I know people in From both Carleton place and Almonte, wonder if there is a connection... I'd definately be interested in a meet up. My bro lives just outside Ottawa so I would have a place to crash and could meet up with you all .

Great ideas, Vikinglady! The bonus for me is that I live in Carleton Place, which is less than 10 minutes from Almonte. If you all decide to stay at the Blue Hen Farm first and then in Ottawa, I could simply sleep at home and meet you during the day (money is really tight for me, so I can't afford an overnight stay). A visit to the National Gallery sounds awesome, too!

[nightowl_too]

VikingLady, honestly, if you can't make it to Ottawa, I couldn't take on organizing or hosting an such an elaborate event by myself. I never had the impression that's what you meant, I just thought I would be helping out as a co-host and some leg work.

I don't think it would need to be too elaborate. Seems like we could meet up at various scenic places around Ottawa and hang together a bit and do a little plein air at some of the scenic or historical spots, swap some art and maybe do a city tour. I like the bicycle tour idea. Not sure I'm real keen on staying at a farm. I like the Almonte idea.

No harm in tossing ideas around. There is plenty of time to think about different things, and toss some different ideas around. As far as someone doing an art demo or class....I could probably come up with some things to show. I'm pretty crafty. ( I'm thinking wire woven with beads bracelets, wire woven rings, Dottie dolls, charms, micro macrame, canvas boards with the pēbēo fantasy paints, I could go on, these are just easy things off the top of my head), I'm not a for sure on this yet either. But I'm interested, and interested in tossing around some ideas.

Edited to say - just because I personally am not keen on the farm idea, doesn't mean it's not a good idea. I think it's great that you did the work to come up with it and links and pricing and all. I could warm up to the idea. I could alway stay in a different place and meet up for the day like Josie.

[GwennieJo]

Am I allowed to toss in my 2 cents?

Being from rural Vermont, I'm not particularly intrigued to visit a farm... LOL... and I've never done plein air art (is that just drawing out in the open?) and I'm not sure that would be my first choice of things to do for the first time.

I've never been to the capital of Canada and I'm very interested in touring the city. My husband has expressed interest in going with me so we wouldn't be beholden to the group to entertain us. That being said, I still would love to get together as a group and swap some art and take in some snacks, maybe work on a project together, a meet and greet sort of thing. A show & tell would be fun - lots of us do crafts other than ATCs.

Okay, just tossing around some other ideas. I would hate to see this fall through - I don't seem to get many opportunities to meet other AFA'ers!

[vikinglady]

Thank you so much for your input kalycakes, nightowl too, and GwennieJo! I kind of thought everyone would maybe be interested in a more loosey goosey meetup. Afterall, it's about meeting each other face to face and having some good laughs. The farm stay was totally my idea and I hadn't thought really that being with a bunch of farm animals may not appeal to some folk lol! I get it though. My husband rolls his eyes at me with a lot of my suggestions when we travel. Like the time I almost booked staying in a yurt. I won't repeat what he said to me.

Ottawa, is a lovely city and if we decide to meet there next year there won't be a lack of things to do. I am happy I looked up the farm stay though only because it lead me to the historical town of Almonte. I really would like to hop on a bus and look around that old town for the day and if anyone would like to join me they could just hop aboard.

Well I got to get packing my suitcase. I'm off on another business trip. This time it's to the interior of B.C. - Okanagan wine country.

Meanwhile, please keep this thread going. We'll all think of something to do together as a group.

[nightowl_too]

ditto what Gwennie Jo said. It won't bother be to scrap the outdoors arting (plein air). I was just thinking of something we could do together that would be of an art theme. I was also just thinking that it would be nicer to go in May rather than April regardless. It would be nice to be able to walk about outside with out it being so dismal weather wise. Plus it would be prettier too. Stuff would be starting to bloom.

[mcgillisj]

Small World McJ, I know people in From both Carleton place and Almonte, wonder if there is a connection... I'd definately be interested in a meet up. My bro lives just outside Ottawa so I would have a place to crash and could meet up with you all .

Cool, Kalycakes! Who are your friends from CP and Almonte? Wonder if I know them , although I've only lived here for about 10 years and there are a lot of folks I still don't know. Would love to meet you! Hope you can make it next year!

[Miss M]

Oh, keep tossing ideas around! We'll find something that works! (multiples sites, spanning 4+ days is more of a production than I can take on....but when I retire I'll look at planning an art week in the Carribean! LOL,ya'all will just have to wait at least 20 years for that,or until I win a lottery)

I was thinking along the lines of what I posted in the first post, i.e. something like SeARTle. If I enough people are coming, there's no reason we can't try to find a group hotel space and make an social arty long weekend together. Only the stuff we'd have to book in advance needs to be decided early, actual itneraries have time to settle.

And, if anyone wants to extend their stay in Ottawa, there's no problem. Lot's of stuff to do in Ottawa, and I can certainly advise.

On that note, the only weekend I'd rule out for a gather is April is 15-16, 2017 as that it Easter weekend.

[mcgillisj]

Miss M, I'm really busy all year with my kids' soccer schedule (7 days a week, ugh) but I would be happy to help you plan the retreat as much as I can! As I mentioned before, I wouldn't be staying anywhere overnight, but I could meet up during the day. Just let me know how I could help I'm excited about meeting fellow AFAers!

[vikinglady]

I'll have to sit this retreat out as I can't afford to return to Ottawa again after April. But, I do hope this meet does happen next year. Ottawa is a beautiful city and a person wouldn't regret having a visit in this grand city. Miss M, I hope we can meet again in April. This time I would love to walk through The Museum of Man.

[Miss M]

VikingLady, I totally understand. You had an great idea to have a meetup, however, if this doesn't work for you, then it doesn't work for you. As I've already shared I can not take on the primary organizer role for such an event, it wouldn't be fair to commit myself to something like this, when I know I can't see it through properly. I can help somewhat, but I can't drive an event like this. I never intended to give that impression, my apologies if I did. Thanks for offering to help mcgillisj, but again, I commit to running the show

My apologies to everyone that posted to the thread, there was a significant misunderstanding between myself and VikingLady, and I'm so sorry for the confusion and for the tease.

However, that doesn't mean it will never happen! Maybe just not next year.