We Painted Hummingbirds (and you can too)
Your first look inside The Creativity Studio, plus the video and supply list to paint along at home.
Gatherings in The Hummingbird Nest always begin with an arrival practice. Before you continue, I invite you to press play and join us.
Guest Creative Session Arrival Practice
You’re welcome to close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Imagine you’re stepping through a doorway.
Behind you is everything that filled your week. Ahead of you is this hour we’ve created together.
Take a slow breath in. And a gentle breath out.
As you cross that threshold, allow yourself to be fully present.
How The Hummingbird Nest Found Its Name
The Hummingbird Nest grew out of research into hummingbirds themselves. They are in constant motion, beating their wings dozens of times per second, yet they still need rest, nourishment, and shelter to survive. That truth became the heart of this work.
Like the hummingbird, we are not meant to live on motion alone. We need places of rest. Moments of nourishment. Spaces where we can pause long enough to hear ourselves again.
The nest image followed naturally. A nest is small, tended, and built with care. It is not a destination you stay in forever, but a place you return to when you need rest. For those of us who have spent years caring for others, in our families, in our careers, in our communities, and who have often forgotten ourselves along the way, it feels like a beautiful place to return to. A space to land, to breathe, and to be nourished, before we take flight again.
The hummingbird also carries personal weight for me. Hummingbirds are often seen as messengers of joy, playfulness, and living life to the fullest, and I have always felt that connection. Two hummingbirds are carved into my wedding band, so the symbol was already woven into my story before it became the name of this retreat center. Using it as the logo connects my own history with the larger purpose, creating something that feels both deeply personal and easy to recognize.
Together, the name and the image carry the whole message. Rest is not the opposite of motion. It is what makes motion sustainable.
About the Guest Creative Series
Once a month, I open the doors of The Creativity Studio and invite a guest artist, maker, or creative practitioner to share with us. A skill to learn. A demo to watch. Something to make together.
Think of it less as a class and more as an afternoon in someone’s studio, where you are welcome to pull up a chair and try.
Some sessions will be live on Zoom, where we gather in real time. Others will arrive as a recorded video you can return to whenever the moment is right. Either way, the studio is open, and something is always being made.
For the creatives who join us, it is also an opportunity to share their work with a warm and growing community of women who appreciate handmade, thoughtful, and beautiful things.
If you are a maker, an artist, a teacher of something creative, and you would love to be a guest in the Studio, I would love to hear from you. Reply below and tell me a little about what you do.
June: We Painted Hummingbirds
This was the very first Guest Creative session at The Hummingbird Nest. And it felt right that we begin with this.
We painted a hummingbird.
Artist and watercolor coach Chris Vabre guided us through a 45-minute watercolor session. We began with the arrival practice, and then I shared the hummingbird story before we picked up our brushes.
Chris has a gift for helping students who don’t think they’re very good become confident painters. She believes your uniqueness is your superpower. And in that room, with brushes in hand and hummingbirds taking shape on the page, that felt entirely true.
Voices from the Studio
“You found an excellent teacher, Kathy. Learning techniques is great, but encouragement goes a long way. As soon as my little hummer dried, I cut it out and put it on one of the 12” flowers I’ve been creating for the walls of my new bedroom. I’m looking forward to your next event.”
“I loved the class. It was the perfect length, and I learned so much about painting with watercolors. It was relaxing and gave me the time and encouragement to tap into my creativity.”
“It was relaxed, casual, and there was no pressure. Chris was positive and encouraging.”
“You only need to see our faces to get a feel for the lovely warm vibe you created.”
Watch the Session
Guest Creative Sessions will eventually be part of The Hummingbird Nest membership. For now, you're warmly welcome to join as our guest.
The recording is available below. Come paint with us at your own pace.
What You’ll Need
Gather these simple supplies before you press play, and you’ll be ready to paint right along with Chris.
Watercolor paints
Watercolor paper. Chris uses a 5x7 sketchbook, which works beautifully. Any size works, though very small sizes can be tricky for beginners. Look for 140 lb / 300 g paper if you can.
A medium round watercolor brush. About three-quarter-inch bristles is a good guide.
Pencil and eraser. A polymer or kneaded eraser is ideal as it won’t leave marks on your paper.
One or two cups or jars of water for rinsing your brush.
Paper towels or a rag to wipe your brush between colors.
Gather a few friends, make a pot of coffee or tea, and paint a hummingbird together. It’s a beautiful way to connect. You might even serve a slice of Rhubarb & Orange Coffee Cake (recipe below).
If this session has sparked something in you and you’d like to explore watercolor painting further, Chris has a wonderful online community called The Watercolor Journey where you can continue at your own pace. You can find more of her work at octopusconnection.com.
Coming in July: Lise-Lotte Loomer
Our July Guest Creative is Lise-Lotte Loomer, a woman who has built her life around helping women find connection through creativity.
She lives with her family on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, on an urban flower farm where she grows specialty flowers for people to show their kindness in the world. She is the founder of Lise-Lotte Design and GEMs (Gathering Experiences that are Meaningful), an online community membership for women who want to be more creative and more connected in their everyday lives. She is the author of the book Greenhouse Hygge and creator of many courses, including her most recent, Creative Again. She also facilitates workshops and makes cyanotypes, a form of sun-printed art that came to her, as she says, Out of the Blue.
She is someone who tends things quietly and beautifully, flowers and women alike. I cannot wait to welcome her into the Studio.
Date and details will be announced soon.
It’s Rhubarb Season Where I Live
My creativity will take me to the kitchen this week; that is just as soon as I find someone willing to gift me some of their rhubarb.
Rhubarb & Orange Coffee Cake
A tender, fragrant coffee cake that turns a neighbor’s garden gift into a reason to gather. Perfect for a Kitchen Table morning.
Servings 8
Ingredients
1/4 cup brown sugar (topping)
1 tablespoon orange peel, grated (topping)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (topping)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup orange juice
1.5 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
Steps
1 Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8” x 8” baking pan.
2 Make the topping: Stir together brown sugar, orange peel, grated, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3 Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4 Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine egg, beaten, vanilla extract, melted, and 1 cup orange juice. Stir to combine.
5 Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Do not overmix.
6 Layer the cake: Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter fresh rhubarb, chopped evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the rhubarb layer. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface.
7 Bake: Bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8 Cool before serving: Let the cake cool in the pan before slicing. Lovely served slightly warm with tea or coffee. You’ll love adding a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
The orange zest is the quiet secret here. It lifts the tartness of the rhubarb beautifully. Frozen rhubarb works well too. Thaw and pat dry before using. This cake keeps well at room temperature for two days, covered, and is actually better the next morning.
I hope you enjoyed this peek inside The Creativity Studio. See you next month.
Warmly,
Kathy
A little about me
Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.
For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.
There’s a place at the table with your name on it.
Thanks so much for restacking my post @Astrid Lumen I hope you’ll join along and paint a hummingbird.