The First-Ever, In-Person
Oct. 3 - 5, 2024 | Only 12 slots!
Pack your sketchbook and get ready for an adventure with Emily Mills in the heart of the Pacific Northwest!
Over 3 full days, you'll enjoy an intimate experience where you'll learn in workshops, eat delicious food, take in the beautiful scenery, and make new art friends: Every experience becomes a page in your sketchbook!
Let the Sketch Academy Retreat be your inspiration to grow in your sketching skills or begin your drawing journey!
5+ workshop sessions to help improve your drawing skills and growth as an artist (details below!)
4 nights/4 days accommodations in the Old Mill district of Bend, OR, right along the Deschutes River (pronounced "deh-SHOOTS")
All meals, plus snacks & non-alcoholic drinks. (Any alcohol purchase is on your own)
Transportation on field trip day
Time to yourself to rest, explore, and discover the area. Optional activities.
EPIC swag, supplies, and goodies!
Photos to relive the experience
Pre-retreat virtual calls to meet other attendees and learn how to prepare for the experience ahead
Develop your skills as an artist/sketcher. Try new things and improve your skills. Ask any question of workshop teachers! Full access to Emily Mills for 3 days.
Find friendship and camaraderie with others like you! If you nerd out over pens, sketchbooks, and drawing, these are your people!
This retreat is a safe place to experiment and explore without judgement or criticism. Find your groove and style! Try something new outside your comfort zone. Create for YOU.
Why bother having a retreat at all if it isn't going to be any fun?! Enjoy workshops, activities, adventures, and other people in a beautiful setting.
ARRIVAL DAY
Arrive in Bend sometime today!
If you're here, join us from 5-7pm for an informal gathering at Bend's only tiki bar, Rapa Nui. We'll get the apps but alcohol is on your own. (If you get in later in the evening, don't sweat it!)
Retreat Opening + Breakfast
Workshop: Large-scale Graphic Recording
Lunch
Workshop: Character Drawing
Dinner
Breakfast
Workshop: Nature Journaling
Attendee-led Mini Workshops
Lunch
Gallery Visit + Artist Talk
Optional: Sauna + Cold Plunge
Dinner
Breakfast to go
Field Trip to Smith Rock State Park + Nature Journaling
Lunch at Worthy Brewing
Stop by the last Blockbuster in the USA!
Free time
Fall Fest in Downtown Bend + Urban Sketching
Farewell Dinner
DEPARTURE DAY
Travel day: Depart Bend sometime today. If you're sticking around town...
7-8:30am: Join for an informal gathering at Sisters Coffee in Old Mill
9-10:30am: Anyone is welcome to join me for some sermon sketching at my church!
Your host
Graphic Recording
Nature Journaling
Emily Mills is an illustrator based in Bend, OR. She specializes in live event illustration (aka "sketchnotes" or "graphic recording"), infographics, and illustrations for books and articles. She's also the author of "The Art of Visual Notetaking."
Emily is passionate about helping people become great visual communicators. She runs SketchAcademy.com, an online community and school for sketchnoters and artists.
Character Design
Jolly is a character designer, illustrator and children's book author living in Bend, OR. He has 10+ years of experience working on motion graphics, animation, and children's book projects. He also sells original art, books and gifts through his shop, Jolly Good Gang.
Jolly has worked on projects for Google, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, Nest, LinkedIn, Vooks, and The Portland Trail Blazers.
Marketing Yourself as an Artist
Lindsay is an artist living and working in Bend, Oregon. She fell in love with drawing and painting at a young age and feels most alive when she's in the process of creating. Lindsay paints original works on canvas and also makes print reproductions to accommodate most budgets. Lindsay is passionate about art being beautiful and accessible, which is why she loves offering prints as well as originals.
The haven coworking space
We will be in "The Library" room of The Haven coworking space for all workshops.
The Haven sits on a cliff overlooking the Deschutes River and is just a half-mile/12-minute walk from the hotel. You can get there via sidewalks or river trail/stairs.
The Haven has free parking, free wifi, and free drinks (coffee, tea, kombucha, beer, wine). Restrooms are gender-neutral. There are gender-separated restrooms one floor below if you prefer.
Smith rock state park
We'll start the morning early with a quick breakfast and head up to Smith Rock State Park to do some hiking and nature journaling
Lunch in Bend at Worthy Brewing
Stop at the last Blockbuster in the USA for some quick nostalgia and pics!
After some free time, we'll head to downtown Bend to walk around Fall Fest and do some urban sketching before...
Our farewell dinner in downtown Bend
HAMPTON INN & SUITES BEND
Stay in a room by yourself or share with a roommate for a discount!
Free parking
Free WiFi
Indoor pool, hot tub, & fitness center
Walking distance from the Old Mill District, outdoor recreation along the Deschutes River, and Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Free daily hot breakfast (We'll feed you breakfast at the retreat but feel free to pregame!) ;)
Book your own
Try to stay within the area on the pictured map. If you stay farther out you'll have to walk a lot more unless you bring a car. Note the 2 pedestrian bridges giving access across the river.
Want to join our team of sponsors? Reach out to emily@sketchacademy.com
Bend [population 106,800] is located at the base of the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Historically a logging town, Bend sits along the Deschutes River at 3,623 feet in elevation and is in a high desert climate.
Fly into the Redmond airport, or RDM. The only airlines that fly into Redmond are Alaska, American, Avelo, Delta, and United.*
When you arrive, you'll need to schedule transportation to Bend, which is a 30-minute drive. Uber/Lyft are NOT RELIABLE here! I beg you to not rely on these services. Instead, please book with Enviroshuttle. They're the best and that's who locals use. The trip will be about $50 each way. Note: Others may be traveling at the same time as you! We can share attendee arrival and departure info so people can share rides to/from RDM when possible.
You shouldn't need to rent a car for in-town travel. The venue and hotel are .5 miles away from each other, and I have transportation arranged on Field Trip Day. Renting a car would be a good option if you don't want to walk or want to go off on an adventure during free time.
*You can also fly into Eugene or Portland, but know that you'll need to rent a car and drive over a mountain pass to get to Bend. (Drive is 2.5 hours from Eugene and 3.25 hours from Portland)
*You can also fly "split itinerary" which means booking non-partner airlines to get here. Example: Kyle flies on Southwest from Dallas to Seattle, then flies Delta from Seattle to Redmond. There are some risks, but contact Emily if you want to know more!
If you live within driving distance to Bend, both the coworking space and the hotel have complimentary parking on-site. Plug in the address and your GPS/phone maps app will give you the best route:
Hampton Inn & Suites: 730 SW Columbia St, Bend, OR 97702
The Haven Coworking: 1001 SW Disk Dr Ste 250, Bend, OR 97702
***There are 12 total spots available for the retreat.***
The deposit amount is the same for all ticket types. Once you make your deposit payment, you will have access to an online course with further information and instructions to help you prep for the retreat.
$2800
This ticket is for one person to attend the retreat. We will book their lodging for them at the Hampton Inn & Suites. They will get a queen bed in a hotel room by themselves– NO roommate.
$2300
This ticket is for one person to attend the retreat. We will book their lodging for them at the Hampton Inn & Suites. They will get a queen bed in a hotel room with 2 queen beds, and they will share a room with another person of the same gender.*
*If there isn't a roommate available, you will have to pay the difference on the entire room or you can book your own lodging. We will help coordinate roommates if needed!
$1800
This ticket is for one person to attend the retreat. They will be responsible for booking their own lodging in Bend and getting to/from any pickup/drop-off points.
$50 - $600
Residents of Deschutes County can purchase tickets to workshops a la carte. This ticket is limited to workshops only. If you'd like the full retreat experience, please book "Retreat Ticket Only." ($1800)
***HEY!*** You need to read the terms and conditions on the retreat waiver BEFORE paying your deposit.
Once you pay your deposit, you will be taken to an online course with further instructions and information.
(e.g. return the signed waiver, sign the code of conduct, info survey, packing list, etc.)
The deposit payment is non-refundable but is
transferrable to another person.
Feeling on the fence about the retreat and if it will be worth it? Let me convince you...
"This is a big investment for me! Will it be worth the price?"
I can confidently say yes. Have you ever thought about offering sketchnoting services professionally?
I think the minimum anyone should charge for a sketchnote is $200, so you could pay for your retreat ticket with 9 sketchnote clients.
If that sounds like a lot, consider graphic recording. The industry standard for graphic recording during a half-day event is around $2000. You could pay for the ticket with a single half-day client!
Even if you never want to be a professional sketchnoter, the skills you learn are valuable to you as a person, allowing you to express your creativity, have fun, and even teach others what you learn! You can't put a price on that.
"I'm not good enough to attend."
If you're worried you're not good enough to come to a sketching retreat, let me let you in on a secret... this is the best place you could be!
I don't know about you, but I notice my growth skyrockets when I have lots of time to practice, encouraging people around me, and coaches/teachers to help me improve. This is 3 solid days of just that!
Bet on yourself and come! I bet you'll jumpstart your growth and find your confidence. You might surprise yourself!
Join these registered attendees at the Sketch Academy Retreat!
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Buffalo, NY, USA
Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
Bend, OR, USA
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.
This retreat is for adults 18 and up who are interested in growing their sketching skills, whether in a sketchbook, on an iPad, or on a giant board!
We have 4 goals for this retreat:
Find Community: a place for attendees to find friendship and camaraderie with others like them.
Learn & Grow: Develop your skills as an artist/sketcher. Try new things and improve your skills.
Express Creativity: This is a safe place to experiment and explore without judgement or criticism. Find your groove and style!
Have Fun! If we aren't doing this, why bother having a retreat at all?!
Included:
5+ workshop sessions
4 nights/4 days accommodations (if you select the hotel ticket)
All meals plus snacks & non-alcoholic drinks
Transportation on field trip day
Time to yourself to rest, explore, and discover the area
EPIC swag, supplies, and goodies
Photos of the retreat
Pre-retreat virtual calls to meet other attendees
Hotel and workshop venues have free parking on site.
Not included:
Optional activities (e.g. Sauna/cold plunge)
Alcoholic drinks
Activities you do in your free time
Souvenirs, any food/drinks you want outside of scheduled meal times
No. This retreat is exclusively in-person. You'll have to come join us if you want to take all the workshops! They won't ever be recorded or posted online.
I recommend you book everything you can ASAP because this is a busy tourism week/weekend in Bend with Fall Festival and Brew Fest happening concurrently.
Here's a helpful article about booking flights and timing.
Yes! There are always risks with events.
This is Sketch Academy's first retreat! Since this is my first in-person event since 2019, things might be bumpy: I might misjudge how long a workshop or activity will take, we might have to move the schedule around, etc. Hopefully you're okay with minor adjustments like this as we figure things out. I'll definitely take any feedback at any point! I want this to be a great experience for you from sales page to follow-up survey.
Non-refundable deposits. It takes a lot of money upfront to plan and book a retreat. I have to book venues and vendors, reserve services and rooms, and pay deposits. I am one person planning this retreat by myself! I cannot process refunds because it takes so much time and energy to plan it all. I'm happy to help you transfer your deposit in the event you can't make it. Please see the retreat waiver for all info.
Smoke: Central Oregon has "smoke season" due to wildfires. It happens every summer into the early fall. It cannot be predicted or prevented. Air direction and quality can change at the snap of a finger. If the smoke AQI is above 100, it is not safe to do outdoor activities and we will find alternate indoor activities instead.
Force Majeure: In the event of an "act of God" out of my control, like a wildfire or another pandemic lockdown order (please no!), I'll have to postpone or cancel the event. Please see the retreat waiver for all info.
Inherent Risks for Activities: There are inherent risks from simple stuff like dehydration to more serious things like falling while hiking. Please see the retreat waiver for all info about risks.
Most of our transportation throughout the week will be our feet, so bring comfy shoes! You are responsible getting to the hotel and retreat venue.
The hotel is .5 miles from the workshop venue, .2 miles from Old Mill (gallery visit and restaurants), and 1.4 miles to downtown Bend. If walking is difficult for you, please reach out to emily@sketchacademy.com so we can see if/how we can accommodate you!
We have arranged transportation for the entire Field Trip day on Saturday, Oct. 5th.
This retreat is meant to be friendly to artists who consider themselves beginners or intermediate.
You are definitely welcome to come if you're a novice (i.e. not comfortable using a pen and drawing in a sketchbook), but PLEASE use the next few months to prepare and practice so the retreat doesn't feel like drinking from a firehose! Reach out if you'd like direction on how to do this.
Advanced artists and professionals are welcome as well, but may not find as much new information in the content. Still, the practice time should be helpful (and FUN!).
You'll need to be able to:
Hike 5 miles (Smith Rock State Park)
Walk .5 miles at a time (from hotel to workshop venue)
The hike we will do at Smith Rock State Park is about 5 miles. There are some steep parts, but rest assured: we will take our time! I (Emily Mills) have exercise-induced asthma and I can't go fast AT ALL. We'll be going at a social pace (meaning you can talk and walk without much issue). We'll also be taking breaks to do nature journaling. We won't leave anyone behind. If the group decides something is too hard, we will find an alternate path together. If you're worried about the hike, this video is a fantastic overview about what to expect.
We are aiming to have a mix of catered, healthy, whole-food meals in addition to a few restaurant outings, so you'll have options to choose from! I (Emily Mills) am GF myself and I understand the frustration of "salad" being the only option sometimes.
We will do our very best to accommodate all food allergies and restrictions but may not be able to accommodate extreme or exhaustive cases. If you have any questions about this before securing your spot and paying a deposit, please reach out to emily@sketchacademy.com! I'm happy to chat with you about it.
All registered attendees will be sent a survey to gather this kind of information.
We will provide an exhaustive packing list to those who register.
You will receive the packing list well in advance so you can buy anything you need/want to before the retreat (e.g. maybe you get new hiking shoes and want time to break them in!)
Hopefully you read the terms and conditions in our retreat waiver before making a deposit like the website says to! Please download and review for the full answer to this question.
Short answer:
Deposits are non-refundable but are transferrable to another person
If we postpone or cancel the retreat, we will give you the option to transfer your ticket to the new dates or we will give you a full refund minus fees.
Please review the Retreat Waiver for details about cancellations.
I'd love to answer any questions or address any concerns you have. Please reach out to me, Emily Mills, directly at emily@sketchacademy.com.