In a last-day flurry of activity at the retreat in Virginia, I churned out a bunch of earrings.

I rarely work quickly to produce a bunch. As I looked around the workroom, it appeared that everyone was enjoying a last-minute burst of creativity. I’m calling these my Me and Matisse earrings.

The drive to “get her done” is often one of the best motivators and a good reason to join your own gathering of artists.