VCCA - Virginia Center for the Creative Arts - AKA Paradise.

Just back from an astounding three week writing residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) in Amherst, VA.  Working on the biography of composer, pianist and pedagogue, Louise Talma (1906-1996), who did some composing there. Got some great work done. 

So grateful to have had this opportunity to focus.  So unusual...now readjusting to the Real World. It is not bad, actually - I do like my life (what a relief)!! 

Here are a bunch of photos so I can remember...my amazingly cute studio, the gorgeous setting (rolling hills) and an assortment of creatures.  I met some wonderful, creative folk who will continue to inspire me after connecting at this place, which is truly a treasure!

Thank you to all the people who made this possible - you know who you are!

Enjoy!

Namaste,

Sarah (who actually managed to keep the number of photos posted to a minimum this time)

Here is my sweet little studio known as the Corn Crib.  It was paradise!

at night

My second day there it snowed! 

I was utterly delighted, of course!

too many photos...

(yes, it is a theme of mine)

And my cute studio in the snow...

Emma, created right outside my studio (not by me)

OK, enough with the snow, how about VCCA creatures (non-human)?

The famous cherub with the gazebo (more on gazebo later)

Horsies (triangle)

from afar

up close

eating

cows from afar...

lying down

So many gorgeous, singing birds - cardinals, blue jays, blue birds (oh, the colors!) and those miraculous imitators, the mockingbirds (and lots more...I'm not a birder like some of my fellow fellows) - such a delightful soundtrack! Photos, not so many.

But who could forget the ever present...

Back to the gazebo. It grabbed my gaze on the walks back and forth between the residence and the studio...

by day

and by night

And that amazingly craggy tree outside the barn

With the promise of spring approaching (in spite of all the snow and ice), the same bunch of daffies went from this

to this!

If you've made it this far, you've had a taste of paradise.

OK, now back to...