Postcards from the Lake: Art Camp 2015

Every summer my friend Kate and I venture north to the cottage and engage in what we call "Art Camp." This year was no exception -- and a remarkable time it was, filled with friendship, fun, good food, road trips, a power failure and yes, a little bit of art!

We were looking forward to fun in the sun. But our first day was spent in the dark -- or at the Gaylord McDonald's, which was one of the few places in town that didn't lose power during a storm that came so quickly across the lake and at such force that we were close to soaked in the 30 seconds it took us to get up from our seats and run inside!

Our screens held -- but the big tree down at Oak Grove didn't. Sad to see this 50-plus year tree on its side -- and grateful it hit none of the cars parked in its possible path!

 

Of course, the first couple of days were too cold and gloomy to work outside. But not too cold and gloomy to visit the elk farm!

 

It was quite the peaceable kingdom with everyone just laying about or hanging about being cute.

 

Yes, we hit them at feeding time and it was clear that most had far more interest in the hay mound than they did us!

 

Although, there were other dining sources. Some sweet kids offered us peanuts to feed a few who ventured close to the fence, while a sweet baby and friends found mom a handy source of nutrition!

 

We enjoyed some good dining, too -- both out (an early birthday celebration for me!) and when the sun came out, on the beach and the porch!

 

We also took a day to visit with our friend Maura who had moved north.

 

Our day involved a little bit of eating, a little shopping a little bit of play and a lot of fun! We suppose that had Kate bought this, she might be officially accepted into the order of the Gaylord Elk -- or else started a bit of a fight with one of those big fellows!

But yes, there was art accomplished. Not so much as either of us wished but enough to make the term "art camp" somewhat legitimate. Kate was working on her 2016 bird calendar...

...and on linocut printing. She taught me how to carve and we'll print my cat below sometime soon!

 
I taught her about plastering boxes, continued a few works in progress and got some tags started!

               

And I was rather happy with this very simple plastered piece. It's about 5x7 and just reminds me of the north and/or the sea.

So, it was indeed an art weekend, though possibly somewhat appropriate that -- as in many other art camp experiences -- we had so-so weather and other delightful activities slowed the artmaking. But then...

What occasion doesn't benefit from a little irony?

(For those of you following Rick, he's having a hard time posting on the bike blog and will probably catch up to that later. Check the right side of the page here for the most recent update!)