SeARTle March 3 - 5, 2017

[Empress_Dragon]

Registration complete! I'll be calling the hotel next week. Looking forward to seeing you all.

[mlydon]

I am officially registered, too. Yay!

[Fierce Armadillo]

What happens at this event, exactly?
There is a "group meeting room".... then what?

[HHC]

It's a very laid back art retreat and without a firm agenda.

We get together in one big room, meet new friends, meet old friends, visit and create whatever we've brought to work on, laugh, visit, trade with other artists....

There is a free table - folks bring (nice) art supplies they are no longer using to share with others.

There are a few impromptu demos and usually there are some impromptu group projects (last event was feathers!). Last year we also had a gelli-plate station for folks to try it out. Dawn also shared her weaving.

We trade and visit and share snacks. Some folks take trips for sight seeing or shopping while there.

Meals are on your own, however groups of folks usually arrange to go eat together.

And that's the gist of SeARTle.... feel free to throw in anything I've forgotten, past SeARTle-ites.

[jfaskdown]

I'm registering today!

Adding on to HHC's comments: last year was my first year participating, and it was great. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and makes you feel comfortable with your art. It was wonderful meeting so many talented people from AFA and I'm really looking forward to doing this again.

[CynthiaSillitoe]

I probably won't register until January--I should have done my Christmas shopping earlier--but I will definitely be there.

[TrinaLD]

This sounds like a great deal of fun and a chance for me to get out of town for a few days. I need to carefully check my schedule and finances before registering.

[CynthiaSillitoe]

I don't know, but there usually are. HHC's got a lot going on the next couple or days, but I'm sure she'll get back to you.

[HHC]

We've done them before, dragonalloy. The last two years no one actually used them. I'll see what I can put together next week when I'm back from taking care of my parents.

[vikinglady]

HHC, there's a good possibility that I may be able to go to this retreat. I'll get back to you soon. I love Seattle and would like the opportunity to go back there and of course also meet some lovely AFA members.

[TrinaLD]

Well, if [I]Vikinglady[I] will be there, so will I. Seriously, I'm just trying to clear up some other stuff right now. I think the train might even go from here to there and that would be really awesome as I love to ride the train.

[vikinglady]

Trina, my brother-in-law took the train to California a number of years back. I think he hopped aboard in Seattle. I LOVE trains too. I was forever using train transportation in my youth. Always got to see a part of the country you didn't see from road trips. It'd be great to meet you Trina as well as the others!

[HHC]

We'll be delighted to see you if you can come, vikinglady and TrinaLD.

I have wanted to ride the train to the Portland area for sometime... still haven't made it happen.

[TrinaLD]

I rode the train with the hubby to Utah to visit his son and grandson several years ago. It was fun.

The best train trip I took was with the hubby and we travelled from Sacramento to Arizona, stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Inn and then took a train from there to the Grand Canyon. The scariest part of the trip was when the train dropped us (and a couple of other folks) off in the middle of nowhere at about 3 a.m. All of those horror flicks from my youth came flooding back all at once. Well, nothing really to worry about since the driver from the inn was there within 5 minutes to pick us up.

Vikinglady, it will be great to finally meet in person for sure.

[vikinglady]

Ha ha! Yes Trina, I can remember the days when traveling either by bus or train one never knew what time you'd arrive at your destination. Being alone is even worse and often I traveled alone. Still do sometimes. I am a bit of a wanderer. Went to the middle east on my own because my husband didn't want to go and to Sweden too. I highly recommend going solo to anyone. It's good to spend some time with yourself.

HHC, I would love to get to meet some of my USA AFA friends. I went to the AFA meet in the Land Down Under a few years back. New Zealand sure is a beautiful place! I met Mouseit at that meet and her and her husband came to visit me this summer! They stayed for eight days before they went on to Hawaii. We had a wonderful time. So AFA is not just an impersonal online art group. Many friendships have been forged through this awesome site!

I'll get back to the group late next week and let you know for sure if I'm coming to the Seattle meet. If I do go I'll be taking the Victoria Clipper and I'll make sure I book my hotel reservations asap!

[CynthiaSillitoe]

I've got my room booked. The woman I spoke to was very friendly and efficient. Yay!

[HHC]

So... how's everyone doing?

[mlydon]

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving! And then Christmas will be here before we know it. I hope the time between New Year's and March flies by just as quickly..

[HHC]

Wishing you all USA folks a very happy Thanksgiving! I'm so very grateful for all my AFA friends!

[Empress_Dragon]

This aligned with a Saturday work day for me again - BUT I was able to get it off. This time I will be there the whole weekend. Maybe, I'll get in the group photo this time. The other two times, I missed it. Can't wait to see all of you.