Wine with Everything 24x24" oil/cold wax on panel ©Janice Mason Steeves 2011 Each year for the past two years, I've organized a home retreat for myself. Alyson Stanfield of artbizcoach.com , interviewed me a couple of weeks ago, for her online group called The Artist's Conspiracy about my home retreats. She was interested in how I go about planning them, and what I get out of them. Even though I live in the country, I still get caught up in the busyness of life; spending too much time on the computer; doing the business part of my art; keeping up with friends; spending time with family; doing volunteer jobs, appointments. The regular demands of life. I used to have a cottage that had no hydro, and no phone, where I'd spend a week or two at a time by myself painting and writing poetry. I found this to be an extremely creative time. I decided to create that same retreat space at home. I prepare for it as though I am going on a vacation. I book t