A bit of quiet and solitude away from home go a long way to helping an artist focus. Last summer a number of poets, writers, and visual artists from the Comox Valley and farther afield were able to spend a week or two at the Gardens. At the end of their visit we asked them to submit a brief report.

Cindy Monahan, Jeweller wrote:

I am writing to say a huge thank you for my residency here at McLoughlin Gardens! It has been an amazing week. This place is so special and I am grateful to have been able to spend this time here.

I split my time between creating new pieces and working on a website. I loved being able to do both these activities, without interruptions, and having this quiet and beauty around me. I know that I would never have been able to focus and go to a deeper level with my art and business without this opportunity...there are way too many distractions and challenges at home!

I also allowed myself to “create” from a different place, I let the day inspire me in whatever way it showed up to do that, as opposed to working from an idea in my head. It was great, and again much harder to do at home!