Vermont Encaustic Retreats: 12 More Reasons to Join Us This Summer

The planning of my Vermont Encaustic Retreats started in 2017, but between Covid and other anomalies, the first Retreats were held in Summer, 2021. They quickly filled with long waitlists, participants itching to get out of their homes to commune creatively in nature with other like minded artists. I’m so thankful to the fabulous instructors I’ve co-taught with each year. I’m thrilled to say that now going on the 4th year, I have many returning retreat attendees as well as new participants. Over the years, I have answered many questions regarding these retreats and I’ve also made a few discoveries from my frequent visits to Lareau Farm Inn and Vermont in general, so I decided to compile them into this handy list of answers, secrets and revelations.

If you’re on the fence about registering for a retreat, hop on over that pesky thing and join us!

1. Experience Level
   The most asked question prospective participants ask is if their encaustic painting experience level is appropriate in order to attend the retreat. Although it is helpful to have had some experience with encaustic, it is not a requirement to participate. Participants range from beginners to advanced to professional. Because the content is so unique, everyone is learning something, even those who have worked professionally in encaustic for years. There is no judgement, no competition, no comparisons made. I always begin the first day by offering an optional basics demo for anyone who feels they need to brush up on their encaustic painting skills and knowledge. I usually tailor the demo to what the group needs to work on and offer individual attention to those who may need it. The basics demo puts everyone in the class on the same page and eases the anxiety some participants may be feeling especially on that first day.

2. Age
   The second most asked question I get from prospective participants is if they are too young or too old to participate in the outdoor exercises. The answer is NOOOOOO! We’ve had participants as young as teens and as old as 90+! We allow participants to do what they can and expect no more or less. If there is something you cannot do, for whatever reason, we create alternatives
   to every workshop learning activity.

3. Travel
   The third most asked question is which airport to fly into and whether you need a car during the week. The closest airport is Burlington Airport (BTV), the one I always recommend and is a quick 45 minute distance to the Inn. As far as needing a car during the week, it is really your preference. There have been many people who have not rented a car and got around just fine between an Uber to/from the airport and/or rides with the other retreat participants. During the workshop week, there is very little use for a car, other than dinners or a trip to the food store. The town of Waitsfield, food and commerce is less than a mile away. I have given rides to town for various reasons to plenty of participants and I don’t mind at all. If you like your independence and find you get antsy for a drive (like I do when traveling), by all means, rent a car, but it’s not necessary.

4. Expectations
   I always preface each retreat by explaining how a workshop differs from a retreat. As I wrote in my article, Workshop & Retreat Guide: Which One is for You, I describe retreats as, “A unique experience that may be offered as a once in a lifetime or as a rarity.” The retreat is more carefully considered by the participant than a workshop and is an investment organized to feed your mind, body and soul so that you leave rested and inspired. It’s for this reason, we have no expectations of you to spend all of your time in the studio, to make tons of work, to mingle or to do anything you don’t want to do or feel uncomfortable doing. You set the tone for your retreat and we will be there as much as you need us to assist in facilitating a fabulous experience for you.

5. Furries, Friends & Spouses
   Yes! Dogs, friends, spouses are all welcome at the Inn. Many participants have brought friends and spouses who accompany them but don’t necessarily participate in class. There is no extra charge for double occupancy and many rooms have multiple beds. If your travel partner would like to join us for breakfast or lunch, they are welcome, there is just a nominal charge paid to the Inn to do that. There are a ton of local activities for your partner to take part in while you’re in the studio or they can relax and read a book in many of the indoor/outdoor/porch nooks at the Inn. If you would like to bring your furry friend, please make sure to book one of the four designated pet-friendly rooms for a nominal extra charge paid to the Inn. There is also a huge meadow and lots of hiking trails for dogs to run and roam.

6. A Truly Unique Learning Experience
   With so many encaustic workshops, conferences and retreats available both online and in person, it seems that there is nothing new under the waxy sun. However, I can guarantee you that you won’t find the content presented in our retreats in any encaustic learning forum. All content is researched and developed by myself and 3 different instructors each year. All instructors are accomplished experts at what they do and I’m honored to co-teach with each of them. It’s a joy for me to present to you a learning experience that is like no other.

7. Studio Space
   Because our first retreat at the Inn happened in 2021 when Covid was alive and well, we decided to take the retreat from indoors at the Inn’s Art Barn to the outdoor Event Pavilion. It turned out to be the perfect space to hold encaustic classes and we have made it ours. The pavilion boasts plenty of workspace for each participant, fresh air ventilation for encaustic, sunshine and happy times with twinkle lights, too! The pavilion is also where one of the wood-fired ovens is housed and where the chef’s do their prep work for the Inn and restaurant. It’s wonderful to share a workspace with the wonderful sounds and smells of these accomplished food creatives. I’m happy to say that this year we’ve improved the space with high powered lights that you can see from the moon thanks to the research of the amazing Kelly Milukas.

8. Garden
   The Lareau Farm garden is one of the special places at the Inn that keeps me coming back-to stroll, think, photograph, sketch and learn. Each year, the garden grows larger with more bio-diverse plants and bio-dynamic sensitivity. The garden feeds the Inn and the American Flatbread Restaurant with lush fruits, vegetables and edible flowers prepared by accomplished chefs. It’s a hands-on community endeavor that at any time during the summer days has groups of volunteer students, garden professionals and environmentalists working diligently to make it a success. Being in the garden as often as I am, I decided to team up with pressed flower artist, Beth Murphy and design a retreat around it. We’ll be spending many hours soaking in the garden’s beauty while also learning how to incorporate it’s life into encaustic painting. It’s impossible not to step foot in the garden and feel it’s contagious magic. Read on about George and follow the links to see how it all began.

9. George
   The best kept secret at Lareau Inn is Proprietor, George Schenk. George is a true Renaissance man: chef, restauranteur, entrepreneur, community activist, artist, writer, bio-dynamic farmer, environmentalist, gardner, story teller, hippie, visionary, endlessly fascinating. You can normally find George toiling away in the huge garden at the Farm at Lareau Inn, but he’s never too busy to say hello and chat for awhile. It was during one of these impromptu chats while strolling in the garden that I got to know George and all of his gifts. A few participants and I stood in the rain for over an hour listening to his fabulous stories about the Inn, the garden and his plans for more. Despite being so accomplished, he is exceedingly humble, maybe even a little shy. He’s always thinking about how to benefit others, how to share and how to preserve nature while living off of it. I’m hoping he’ll make a visit to our July botanicals workshop with Beth Murphy to tell garden stories, but it’s difficult to tie him down to a date and time. My favorite thing about George is his watercolor diary series hanging throughout the Inn. Some small, some large, the watercolors depict Farm/Inn life with a penned story underneath. He also faithfully writes a short weekly diary page about the happenings on the Farm. This page is copied and given out to visitors at his adjoining restaurant, American Flatbread-he’s done this weekly for decades. I’m proud to say that our retreats were mentioned a few times in the weekly diary pages. Someday George plans to create a book of his watercolor diaries spanning over the years and I always tell him I’d be his first customer! You can read a lot more about George and the fascinating history of Lareau Farm.

10. Vermont Life
    There is so much to do in the Mad River Valley, you could spend the whole summer there and not do it all. At the same time, the people and the tone of the atmosphere is totally laid back and relaxing. Right on the Lareau Property are several walking trails, a mountain biking trail, and swimming hole. Just a short distance away are many places to kayak, fish, swim, climb and sit in the sun. During the week while we’re there in Waitsfield, there is a Farmers market on Saturday and Wednesday nights is a block party with music and food. The best thing about Waitsfield is that one of the top three Maple Creemee stands in the whole state of Vermont resides there, Canteen Creemee and I have the thighs to prove I’ve been there many a time! What? You’ve never had a maple creemee? You will when you visit and you’ll crave them for the rest of your life. Also, a visit to Mad Taco for dinner before your Creemee is a must. Here is a complete list of things to do in the Mad River Valley.

11. Artist Community
    For such a small town, Mad River Valley offers a thriving artist community and the Lareau Inn is a bit of a hub for creatives. The Lareau Inn’s Historic Dairy Barn is a huge venue for summer art shows. After working hard in the studio, its a wonderful pleasure to stroll through the galleries, sipping wine while perusing the work of local artists. Just down the street is Mad River Valley Arts as well as Barrie Fisher Photography & Gallery. Another unique and interesting place very close to the Inn is Bundy Gallery, which offers interesting art shows throughout the summer. We always book an afternoon at the Bundy for a private tour and talk for each retreat.

12. Healing & Bonding
    Many amazing things can happen on an artist retreat. I’ve traveled to Vermont every summer since 2018 and since the very moment I enter the boundaries of the state, my heart relaxes and I can breathe. The air, light and sky are so different from any place I’ve ever visited. You have to see it, feel it, to experience it. There is no place like it on earth and it unlocks the artist in me who wants to capture it all in paint. Friends who live there insist that there are fairies, forest gnomes and water spirits who inhabit the quiet nature and I can attest I have felt them. It’s the only place where I can go to a public walking trail and not see another soul for miles, if at all. Many retreat participants have come with trauma, either recent or in the distant past and between the Vermont calm and the creative retreat outlet, they are a little bit healed when they leave. One thing that can be relied upon is that bonding happens at every retreat I’ve offered at Lareau. On the first day, everyone is a stranger and by the end of it, we’re all family. Its a truly magical experience, I hope you’ll join us.