It’s been almost a week since I returned home from EncaustiCamp and I am still processing all that went on there. It is hard to put the experience into words, so I will tell you a little story.
Walking to my classroom on the morning of my first workshop, I noticed a hummingbird flitting about right outside the classroom door. As I was setting up the class and melting all the wax, I exchanged a few quick emails on my phone with Jenny Learner about the current show we’re in back in Chicago, and I told her about the hummingbird. She emailed me back and said that in certain Native American traditions, that the appearance of the hummingbird in life and in dreams denotes joy. It was a good way to start the day and to start the next three days of teaching my workshop “A Book of Images and Wax”.
On the very last day of my workshop, I was starting to teach and we all heard this bumping and buzzing sound by the windows. It was a hummingbird who had found its way into the classroom and didn’t know how to leave! Jess Greene quickly took charge and was able to catch the hummingbird in her hands and brought it outside. It sat peacefully in her cupped hands for a few minutes, resting, gathering up its strength and then flew off. We all marvelled at this magical moment before we began the last day of painting.
Joy.
Ok, ok, for some people that may just mean that the hummingbird liked the plants outside the classroom and got lost…but I have always been open to signs or dreams that cross my path. And it seemed so fitting for the experience that I had teaching at EncaustiCamp and connecting with all the people there. I am so grateful to Trish, who dreamt this whole thing up and then made it happen and brought myself, Crystal Neubauer, Judy Wise, and Michelle Belto together for this inaugural event.
There were people there who were old hands at encaustic and those where this was their first step in working in the medium. I was so happy to be able to be part of their learning and experimentation with a medium that I love to work with. If you want to see some of the work that people did, go to my flickr site, or view through this nifty slideshow.
This has got to be my all time favorite photo of the week though:
“The Don Moment”, photo taken by Stephanie Green
Hey Bri. I can feel the joy in your words. Congrats on having such a wonderful teaching experience. The work in the slideshow is exceptional.
that last image has joy written all over it! what an amazing opportunity to share and to learn. look forward to checking out the noyes st. show this week : )
Beautiful post… how perfect.
I loved the slideshow. The art everyone did was wonderful, I wish I could have been there.
The hummingbird was a gift. It inspired us all.
Oh Bridgette, what you have done for me, and for all of us is wondrous. I am still filled with this energy that I cannot even explain. I wake up in the night thinking of ideas to try on my encaustic pieces, and dream “art’ dreams. I hope you are having a wonderful week! And I look forward to taking another class from you someday, (maybe next year?) roxanne
The hummingbird is so cute. Also, it’s very obvious that everyone on the photo give a nice smile.
Cassy from Acoustic Guitar Lessons
what a great story, and I didn’t realise it’s such a small bird.
and the last image!!!!!!!!!
Wow, sounds like an incredible experience! Wish I could’ve been there. Beautiful encaustic books!
Thanks for the slideshow, I was looking for inspiration today and think I found it!