I just completed a weeks artist residency in the lovely and peaceful courtyard area of Clearwater Gallery and the Open Door restaurant in Sisters, Oregon. The cozy studios in the courtyard were built by artist/owner Dan Rickards with a vision of bringing artists from all over to enjoy painting where they vacation—in Sisters!
For me, going to Sisters is only a short drive, since I live in Bend, but it was still a break from my normal busy life. I found that working in the studio, surrounded by lovely flowers, hummingbirds and the gentle background hum of people enjoying their meals, was quite relaxing and helped me focus on ideas in a different way. It was the perfect respite for me and I even got a few small paintings completed!
