We recently spent a week at the Rockywald/Deephaven Camp on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. I was there to speak at the opening ceremony of the Squam Art Workshop, a retreat and gathering for creative types, and we had four days before anyone arrived to just hang out at the mostly-empty camp. The weather was cold (we managed one swim) and we spent a lot of time down on the dock and in front of the fire place. Between the four of us, we did a lot of writing, drawing, knitting, and playing down there.

Previous Inspiration
 

This blog is intended solely to share the things I come across that inspire me. If I have posted a copyrighted image, I have only done so to the extent necessary to comment upon or discuss it; I will always include a link to the original source of the image if that source is online or acknowledge the source if it is in print. If I have reproduced anything of yours here that is copyrighted and you want me to remove it, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will do so right away.

I'm honored to announce that I will be speaking at the opening of the Fall 2010 Squam Art Workshops at Squam Lake in New Hampshire. For those who may not have heard of it, the Squam Art Workshops are a retreat for artists and creative people started by Elizabeth Call of bluepoppy a few years ago, held at the beautiful and historical Rockywold-Deephaven Camps. Basically, a bunch of creative people---teachers and participants---from all over the world disconnect from the daily grind for a week in a beautiful place and connect with each other while sharing their strengths and trying out new disciplines. Some of the talented instructors for the Fall 2010 session include Beatrice Peltre, Christine Mason Miller, Flora Bowley, Jen Lee, Lizzie Skurnick, Marisa Haedike, Sarah Ahearn, Jenny Doh, and Jonatha Brooke.

Elizabeth sent me a book telling the history of the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps somehow knowing that I would love the photos of old New England families roughing it back at the turn of the 20th century, all of them wearing their modest Edwardian dresses and suits. Knowing I would be going to Squam this fall definitely inspired my recent old-school camping aesthetic.

Check out the bow tie on the boy on the left:

Or these two well-dressed fellows wearing shirts and ties on a rafting expedition. Are those bluckers?

This year, Elizabeth and some of the folks who lead the workshops put together a really lovely 120-page journal for folks who may not be able to attend the workshops, but are seeking some of the inspiration one finds at Squam Lake. It's a beautifully-packaged taste of the Squam experience useful to inspire and unwind when distracted by the complications of everyday life.

The book contains beautiful photos and several essays, and all proceeds go to making the Squam Workshops experience even better. You can order one here.

Previous Inspiration
 

This blog is intended solely to share the things I come across that inspire me. If I have posted a copyrighted image, I have only done so to the extent necessary to comment upon or discuss it; I will always include a link to the original source of the image if that source is online or acknowledge the source if it is in print. If I have reproduced anything of yours here that is copyrighted and you want me to remove it, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will do so right away.