Welcome to my own art retreat. I am retreating a few hundred feet from my house, into my cabin. Where it smells good, there are no dishes to wash, and it is quiet. The kids are at camp, and I have a rare 5-hour stretch of time alone.
![](https://i0.wp.com/raheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_6033.jpg?resize=840%2C695&ssl=1)
The first day I spent working on this piece which I call, eh, well, I don’t have a name yet. It keeps changing. Tree Witches is what I call it most often.
![](https://i0.wp.com/raheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_6037.jpg?resize=840%2C840&ssl=1)
I can pick away at the tree branches here and there — in little scraps of time — but I couldn’t envision the larger piece or the next steps while watching kids roast hot dogs or waiting for the water to boil. In those moments, I can do the simple stitching, but not the creative work. In those moments I need the simple stitching, so I can give my brain a rest and find some calm. Today I have calm and silence and a clear desk, all to myself. And so now my brain is ready to open and my thoughts are ready to play. Such a treat.
![](https://i0.wp.com/raheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_6036-e1565103224644-768x1024.jpg?resize=384%2C512&ssl=1)