Make Your Own Happy Retreat from Artists Rising at the Connecticut River Valley Inn

Artists Rising Art Retreat at the

Connecticut River Valley Inn

August 2025

What a GOOD FOR THE SOUL week!

This past week, I was the leading artist at a 5-day art retreat in Connecticut.
We arrived as strangers and we left as friends!  

We created so much art, ate, laughed and even went roller skating!!

Look at the beautiful venue - a gorgeous, lush garden, and the accommodations were extraordinary.

We started off doing a leaf casting project and then made our own sketchbooks and learned bookbinding.

We painted color wheels in watercolor, colorful sunflowers and birds in acrylics!

And our evenings were just as much fun!!

One night, everyone helped me check off a bucket list item of Roller Skating!  We went to "Adult Skate Night" at Ron A Roll!! 

That was after visiting the Farmer's Market and dinner (and PacMan)!

And even a garden party!!

And our leaf casting reveals...and finishing!!

And super heartfelt "see you later" because we all want to do this again!

Because more than the art, we created friendships!

I just love this excerpt that I read about the Ripple Effect of Joy:

"Just as a pebble dropped into a pond creates ripples that extend far beyond its initial point of impact, your joy can spread in ways you might not even realize. The ripple effect of joy is a powerful phenomenon where your positive emotions and actions influence others, who then pass on that joy, creating a chain reaction of positivity."

I just had an AMAZING time and can't wait for the next one!!