Held at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, the view from my room was spectacular.
We were "wined and dined" literally, and enjoyed all the perks of our environment.
Meetings took up a lot of time, but were balanced by lectures, classes and expo fun!
I studied first with Mats Carlsson from Sweden. We worked on a pompeii technique applied to Michelangelo's Creation from the Sistine Chapel.
I was fortunate to be in the first class Steve Shriver taught at IDAL! This class covered how to paint trompe l'oeil style of egg and dart ornament. (Sign up early next year people, he will be a sellout!)
The energy level at this conference was intense! The casino action seemed to feed the frenzy of all the decorative artists gathering in one place. At Expo, I worked the IDAL booth, attended the painted apparel fashion show, watched the speed painting, talked shop with many vendors and other artists and enjoyed some wine and cheese.
Speaking of other artists, I met Peggy Hunt during the Expo opening. She claimed to be an avid reader of my blog (blush) and brought me a very unique gift.
Hmmm.....what could it be???
So you see, attending the IDAL conference is really about connecting....with old friends, and new ones. The classes teach you new techniques and deepen your portfolio but the connections you make cannot be compared to any social media on the internet. If at all possible, make Indianapolis (Oct 8-12) your destination for some incredible energy, life lessons and long term friendships in 2013! I will be there waiting for you.
