Trip to the North Shore

Early in February, we traveled up to Grand Marais, MN, to attend a two-day art workshop at the Art Colony. It turned into an eventful trip with a heavy snowstorm starting in Two Harbors and continuing all the way into Grand Marais, but it was a beautiful drive with huge snowflakes covering the trees and woods along scenic Highway 61. It’s always an inspiring sight to come over the hill on the south end of Grand Marais and see the panoramic view out across the beautiful waters of Lake Superior. At the time, the lake was completely open with no trace of ice even along the shoreline!

And traveling with our dog, Maddie, is always an adventure; it can be a formidable challenge to find hotels that allow pets. We are thankful that on our trips to the North Shore, we’ve found two that provide pet-friendly accommodations – the Voyageur Motel at Two Harbors and the Aspen Inn in Grand Marais.

Day One of the art workshop focused on helping us move our art practice from a hobby level to a business perspective. Through discussion and hands-on exercises, the facilitator challenged us to begin the process of self assessment and setting achievable goals. This initial step involved defining our individual strengths and the barriers (we may perceive) to accomplishing our goals, determining a vision of what’s possible, and then developing tangible goals for achieving one’s dreams. Day Two focused on cataloging art, learning how to price your work, and creating a viable marketing plan.

This week, my painting is called Quiet Cove – 11”x17” Watercolor and reflects some of the incredible beauty and rugged landscape of the North Shore of Lake Superior.