photography | Erin Bartels

The WFWA Writers Retreat 2016 (Or, The Enchanted Hotel)

Posted on September 27, 2016September 27, 2016 by Erin Bartels

A lot of conferences are held in fairly personalityless hotels that drain your energy by their very sameness to every other hotel out there.

Not so a retreat.

A retreat is meant to help you relax, rejuvenate, reconnect.

It’s not overscheduled.

It’s not attended by people you feel pressured to impress.

It’s a time to grow.

It’s about great food…

…great conversation…

…great views.

A time to nurture the friendships you already have…

…and a time to make new ones.

If you’re lucky, it is held in a place with admirable weather…

…attention to detail…

…and a sense of history.

For two years now, the WFWA Writing Retreat has been held at the marvelous Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town.

For four days I’ve lived outside — most of my meals and all of my writing time has been spent under sunny blue skies, with the occasional 2-minute sprinkling of rain, followed by soaring rainbows. But the inside’s gorgeous too.

The party may be over for 2016, but I’m not too sad.

Because I know that in one short year I will be back.

Some Mornings Are Pure Magic

Posted on September 16, 2016September 16, 2016 by Erin Bartels

Summer Was Made for Nights Like This

Posted on August 5, 2016July 29, 2016 by Erin Bartels

Going…

going…

…gone.

Camp Lake Louise 2016

Posted on August 2, 2016August 1, 2016 by Erin Bartels

The weather was hot and perfect for waterfront activities.

The kids were engaged, generally nice to each other, and most had pretty good attitudes.

The campfires were fun (I was the “fire guy” for the week, building the fire each night).

The evenings were sweet and silent and when the sun was fully down the sky was riddled with stars.

This truly is one of my favorite places on earth.

Here’s the video CLL staff put together for our week. You can spot me in a teal hoodie at the campfire near the 0:38 mark. I’m pointing at something, but I have no idea what.

The video from a couple years back was even better because the tech guy on staff had a drone (which was super creepy and borderline sentient) and there was a lot more use of the GoPro camera:

Either way, I’m sure you can see why I love spending time at Lake Louise.

Because it snowed 10 inches the other day, and I need this…

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Erin Bartels

A Light Exists in Spring
by Emily Dickinson

A light exists in spring
Not present on the year
At any other period.
When March is scarcely here

A color stands abroad
On solitary hills
That science cannot overtake,
But human nature feels.

It waits upon the lawn;
It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
It almost speaks to me.

Then, as horizons step,
Or noons report away,
Without the formula of sound,
It passes, and we stay:

A quality of loss
Affecting our content,
As trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a sacrament.

A Self Portrait Photo Reference

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Erin Bartels

When thinking rather halfheartedly about the new year I mentioned in this space that I might try to paint a self portrait in 2016. To that end I thought I ought to take a reference photo to guide me (looking in the mirror and moving all around doesn’t seem wise for a beginner like me — come to think of it, the whole thing may be a disaster). I think I have one I like…

I have only now to decide whether I might like to make this even more interesting by trying out oil paints for the first time rather than watercolors. The dark background would certainly be easier in oils, though the skin would be easier in watercolor. Maybe I’ll start with a watercolor study and then do one in oils.

But don’t expect too much of me. It’s Ash Wednesday and today of all days I am more keenly aware of my limitations and all the ways I fall short. I’ve had some success in the distant past drawing human beings, but never painting them. I haven’t decided yet whether to show you the results of my efforts if they turn out catastrophically bad…

A January Mood

Posted on January 10, 2016January 10, 2016 by Erin Bartels

I’m getting back into the mood to paint. I’m thinking this photo from my afternoon stroll at Fenner may be my first subject of 2016.

Can We Still Call It Indian Summer?

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Erin Bartels

Yes, the days are hot and humid of late. But the mornings are like this.

Worth it.

Welcome, August…Wait. It’s August? Are you frickin’ kidding me???

Posted on August 1, 2015August 1, 2015 by Erin Bartels

Between last night and today, I’ve spent seven hours of intensive labor weeding, trimming, deadheading, and tidying up in the yard in the August heat. Good gracious. I had to take a nap this evening just to function enough to write this piddly little post. But when July is lost to swarms of mosquitoes and a week out of town, there sure is a lot to do when you finally get out there.

What I Was Up to Last Week

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Erin Bartels

Saturday afternoon we returned to sticky Lower Michigan after a perfect weather week Up North at Camp Lake Louise.

As always, we were up there during the 7th and 8th grade week, with my husband serving as camp pastor (copastor, actually, with one of his former campers who is now a pastor and attending seminary). We also brought with us a new friend and recent transplant from Zimbabwe.

My responsibilities amounted this year to being the Fire Guy — building and lighting the campfires each night — and the occasional odd job that needed doing.

The rest of the week, the boy and I were free to enjoy participating in the games, the morning and evening sessions of worship and teaching, and various lakeside activities, such as sandcastle building, kayaking, collecting rocks, taking photos, sunbathing, and speedboat riding.

We were blessed with incredible weather, sunny and breezy and absolutely gorgeous.

The lake was so high with all the snow and rain from the last year that in order to get to my secret rock harvesting spot we had to wade most of the way there. And the peninsula I normally spend some time on in order to get more varied angles of the lake and surrounding woods was practically submerged. Trees and bushes that had been tiny in years past are beginning to block views.

Besides the fun outdoor activities, I found time to revise a manuscript on our cabin’s deck while listening to the wind in the trees and the sounds of (mostly) happy kids running around. And I got the happy news that this very manuscript has reached the final round of judging in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s Rising Star contest.

Now we’re back home, sorting laundry, buying groceries, and facing the reality of getting back to work. But in a couple weeks I’ll be back up there again with the boy for his first time as an actual camper. It may be hard to adjust to not just doing whatever we want while we’re up there.

But I think we’ll manage.