Philly field trip

I went to Philadelphia in October for 36 hours.

I could get delighted by spending a day shut in a closet… so I’m a little overwhelmed as I attempt to package this trip up into something that does it justice. It was totally sumptuous.

The summary: I explored solo, saw old and wonderful friends, ate like a queen, and attended a retreat for mother-artists.

I took an early and cheap flight from Boston.

Being alone with a simple mission explore, draw, and enjoy felt amazing, but also extremely foreign. So, I started by working really hard at drawing and documenting. Here’s the airport Starbucks line.

I started by working really hard at drawing and documenting.

The first thing I did when I got off the plane was Uber to Sam’s Morning Glory Diner. I was too immersed in my food to draw it. But I did document it… and I’m still thinking about it.

Okay, I’m not going to belabor my comments on food, but note it is probably a good 50% of my memory and joy from the trip.

I’ll definitely go back to Philly just to eat.

Philly has some serious art. One of the places that was recommended to me by three separate sources was Isaiah Zagar’s Magic Gardens. It is a hand constructed mosaic environment. He called it a home for his dreams and imagination. Stairs and corridors and terraces and nooks and crannies of mosaics are assembled together in the Magic Gardens. It is pretty difficult to describe so to give you a sense, I’ll share this janky video snippet:

Stairs and corridors and terraces and nooks and crannies of mosaics are assembled together in the Magic Gardens.

I taped a postcard of the joint in my sketchbook - a lazy but important addition. I continued to wander along alone. I stumbled upon a great vintage shop in the Italian market where I tried on wool sweaters, bought cheap earrings, and sorted through vintage postcards to send my mom. I taped the bag the cashier gave me into my sketchbook and tucked one last postcard inside.

I stumbled upon a great vintage shop in the Italian market

While meandering toward a lunch destination where I would meet up with old friends, I was almost run-over by a Philadelphia pedestrian. It made me laugh out loud because I’m all too familiar with aggressive pedestrian activities in downtown Boston. Turns out, Steven Dittman, was a former Bostonian, taking a break from a historical lecture. We were both in search of a cup of coffee, so we decided to get one together around the block. His exuberance for the city and love for art was seeping out of him.

A volunteer tour guide and a latte! Funny. Awesome. (thanks Steven!)

I was almost run-over by a Philadelphia pedestrian

Okay… I’m gonna skip ahead a little bit… because at this point I met up with old friends and had the most luxurious tour of Center City on foot. (THANK YOU EMILY!!) And I feasted. We gaped at art and cats in record store windows, we ate old-timey ice cream, and peeped at ancient streets with secret gardens…and we ate some more and talked and talked.

I went to bed late after lots of laughing.

…

I got up and jogged along the river a just to explore alone a tiny bit more (again, EMILY, perfect recommendations!). I snagged Federal Donuts , said a too soon goodbye to friends and went to a retreat, at this gorgeous basilica:

I went to a retreat, at a gorgeous basilica.

The group was comprised of mothers and makers (writers, musicians, and artists of many kinds) and a few littlier companions. I felt like I was going out on a limb, joining all these women. But I got comfortable quickly, because instead of icebreakers and discussion groups, were were encouraged to make things with a huge and beautiful array of materials.

I made watercolor washes on paper and sewed little things to them. These scraps of antique fabric reminded me so strongly of my grandmother who quilted. Her fabric had a very distinct and grandmotherly smell… It felt poignant to be thinking of her around all these mothers and makers because she was a talented and industrious craftswoman and a mother of nine.

All the cut pieces were like slivers of time or focus.
Lee Nowell-Wilson and Catherine Rickets shared work and perspective - stuff so beautiful that I cried a little bit. I was prompted to think about what it meant to be creative in the presence of children. Tediousness, and the smallest intervals of focused time - hiccuped and punctuated a million times in the day - is how rearing my kids feels. But it is also this intensive training in focusing on the present. Art making requires that same kind of focus.
I don’t know what this thing I made is… but I realized that it was a sort of meditation. All the cut pieces were like slivers of time or focus. The end product didn’t really matter.

We spent a little time exploring the neighborhood. The architecture and weather were stunning. We used view finders and talked about focusing… but I just kinda soaked it in. I took a photo and sketched it with watercolor that afternoon.

I left the retreat (after dinner and drinks and conversation) and went straight to the airport.

I’ll be savoring that trip for a long time. It was a really dense and delicious experience.

I am reminded that the investments to step out of routine can be large, but the rewards (and food!) can be so very worth it. I’ll take the memories and imagination, thank you very much Philadelphia.

And thanks to you for coming along.

…

Stacey MacDonald took gorgeous photographs throughout the retreat. She’s allowed me to share them - Thank you so much Stacey! A few more are added below, if you want to see what I look like when I’m in the wild. And see more of Stacey’s wonderful work at: https://www.staceymcdonaldphoto.com/ .

And lastly, a huge thank you to my dear friends, Sarah, Molly, and Karen for such a good time and to Jessica Sweeny of Commonplace Living for making this retreat and community a reality.