Australia 2016: Post 1

About one month ago I returned home from an adventure in Australia. I am fortunate to be part of the Art is You family, with which I spent one month traveling and teaching Down Under. Wanted it share this experience with you all. Here is post #1...

It is hard to put into words the experience of being able to travel that long with a group of such extraordinary artists and good friends, exploring the continent from east coast to west coast, and spending my days in rooms filled with creative people - so I will let the pictures do the talking.

Kecia Deveney and I traveled together from Newark Airport to Sydney, two plane rides, 20+ hours of flying, but nothing like the 52 hour trip we took in 2014.

We started in Sydney, for a few days of R&R and to acclimate to the 12 hour time difference from NYC. Notice the hats.

Michael deMeng and I at our place on Manly Beach in Sydney (yes -- that is actually the name)

Kecia and John Creighton Peterson warming up and waking up with coffee.

Wouldn't be a trip to Sydney without a ferry ride on the Harbour.

Stunning views everywhere we looked.

Time to get to work, but not until after a six hour flight from Sydney to Perth.

Our first retreat was at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra, Western Australia. About an hour outside of Perth, this rustic venue was like being in summer camp - except that is was freezing.  

First time I had a view like this from a workshop venue.

Such a wonderful group of people joining me in my workshops.

Vivian Paans was the morning motivator (here pictured by a Kecia assemblage). Such a pleasure to have met her in person after having done an art collaboration way back in 2010.

Some art-filled moments to remember.

Not sure what was happening here with Kecia and John -- but it seemed like a moment to capture.

We had a chance to visit Chittering Acres, a 700 hundred acre farm and home to Gina Sanderson and Andrew Graham. I called this place Jurassic Park and was mesmerized by the beauty of the setting.

Not to mention Gina's incredible studio.

Andrew's mother cares for rescued joeys (baby kangaroos) until they are old enough to be put back into the wild. A highlight for me was definitely feeding time.

Seeing the Indian Ocean for the first time was also a highlight, as you can tell by the happy faces of Linda Lucas, myself, Andrea Matus deMeng and John the photo bomber.

But all good things must come to an end...and we were ready to leave Western Australia to fly back to Sydney for the second leg of the roadshow. Which means...

packing yet again.

and being driven by our wonderful leader Sallianne McClelland - the brains and beauty behind Art is You.

Next: Our time back in Sydney and some run-ins with a few wild animals...