Fall Watercolor
Weekend
All the fall basics, an art supply smorgasbord, and three days made for the way your body and brain actually work.
Save my spot
A long fall weekend, made for actually making art.
PA in October is the good stuff. The leaves go red and gold, the mornings get crisp enough for a sweatshirt, and the whole Schuylkill River Valley turns into that slow, woodsmoke-and-coffee kind of place you wish you could climb inside. Apple picking, pumpkins, all the local farm goodness fall brings. That's where I want to spend a long weekend with you.
We're doing it in Phoenixville, a little river town that used to be all iron and steel and then got quietly rebuilt by artists. Murals, indie shops, small businesses run by people who make things with their hands. My kind of place, and I think yours too.
Three days of painting together, a town built by makers, and a sketchbook you'll fill from cover to cover. You go home with the whole weekend in a book.
Real art, real people, no performance.
We're creating for us. Not for the algorithm.
No hair and makeup, no expensive supplies, no luxury expenses, no pressure to be "good at it." Sleepover, chill, hanging-out-and-making-art-together energy. We're painting for our own health, our own lives, our own joy.
Your sketchbook is your takeaway. By the time you go home, it'll be full of three days of color, mess, happy mistakes, and the women you made them with.
Sample Schedule
This is a sample to give you the vibe. A few details will shift, and the final version is coming soon.
Arrival + Kickoff
Ease in, no rush
Arrive into the Philadelphia area whenever your travel allows. Get settled, breathe. Transportation and lodging options are below.
5:00 PM, happy hour + kickoff community painting at Katie's house. A drink, a snack, a brush in your hand, and a low-key first painting together so you've already made something before dinner.
Dinner at Sedona Taphouse in downtown Phoenixville. We provide transportation from my place, so no parking or driving to think about.
Then we retire early. You head back to your room with a watercolor gift kit and a little wind-down ritual, in whatever lodging you've chosen.
Town Day
Fill the well
We warm up at my house in the morning. Easy, mindful Peaceful Painting, no pressure. Then we head into downtown Phoenixville to gather inspiration and practice mindful urban sketching in this colorful, vibrant town.
We'll make special stops at spots like Silly Little Art Shop, Here and Now Crafts, Studio 323, and the other independently owned art, gift, and bookshops that make this town what it is, plus a mini tour of the downtown murals. The whole walking area stays inside about four small city blocks, with plenty of benches and little park spots to rest whenever you need to. I'll need them too (POTS life).
Lunch at The Foodery. Casual, counter-order, build-your-own sandwiches, big snack and drink selection, outdoor seating. Good about gluten-free and other needs, and easy on the budget.
Afternoon, rest and relax. Head back to your room, nap, read, do nothing. Saturday night is the main event and I want you to have energy.
Saturday night, The Art Supply & Sketchbook Smorgasbord. The nostalgic girls-night-art-date heart of the weekend. My entire kitchen becomes a buffet of art supplies laid out like a smorgasbord: a wild variety of papers, paints, mediums, and tools to sample and experiment with. A few gentle prompts, good conversation, plus a group sound healing in the flow time with Stephanie (sound healer and reiki master) to melt us into the softest wind-down. We'll end the night with a tarot card activity.
Out Into the Color, Then One Last Class
Trees, then a treat
Weather permitting (we'll have an indoor backup if not), we start the day soaking up the fall sights and sounds at Valley Forge National Park. We'll drive or Uber over together, find a spot in the rolling meadows, and just be there. Take photos, sit, sketch, watercolor if you feel like it, or simply look at the trees.
Then we head back to my house for a special guest watercolor class from a local Pennsylvania artist (we'll announce who soon, and it's going to be a treat).
We wrap by 5:00 to 6:00 PM, full sketchbooks and tons of memories. Dinner Sunday is on your own. You can head out Sunday evening if you live close, or stay the night and travel home Monday, relaxed.
Travel home, no rush
A soft landing
There's no programming Monday. I made this a long weekend on purpose so you've got an easy travel day: sleep in, grab coffee in town, and head home whenever your flight, train, or drive makes sense. Stay Sunday night and leave Monday, or head out Sunday evening if home is close. Whatever your body and budget want.
Built for real bodies and real budgets.
Come as you are. Really.
No fancy clothes, hair, makeup, or supplies. Cozy, comfortable, whatever-feels-good clothes and zero pressure to perform. All supplies included. Bring your own if you like, but it's not required.
Accessibility-first.
Walking stays within about four blocks with lots of places to sit, and we've built in rest. Tell us what your body needs and we'll figure it out together.
You've got lodging options.
Choose the hotel or Airbnb that fits your budget (recommendations below). Once sign-ups fill, we'll share options for rooming up with other attendees if you'd like a built-in sleepover roomie.
Sound healing, reiki, tarot.
Beyond the Saturday group session, Stephanie will be available for private sessions over the weekend if you'd like one.
You'll meet my crew.
My husband Kevin will be around (he genuinely loves people), and there's a dog named Dexter who weighs all of 14 pounds. Both friendly, both part of the cozy vibe. :)
Your sketchbook is the souvenir.
Three days, one full book. That's the memory you take home.
“This is the community we've built, together, in one room for a weekend, making real art for ourselves. I cannot wait.”
— Katie
For this event, you're only paying a registration fee.
That fee supports Katie, Stephanie, and our guest artist, and covers art supplies plus the snacks and drinks for Happy Hour. Keeping it to a registration fee lets us keep costs way down and gives you the freedom to make lodging and food decisions that make sense for you and your health. Your HQ for the weekend, besides your lodging, is Katie's home.
What's included
- Art supplies. Just bring your own sketchbook (sample paper available too).
- Friday night. Watercolor session plus Happy Hour snacks and non-alcoholic drinks at Katie's, with snacks and drinks Saturday and Sunday too.
- Transportation to dinner. From Katie's home to downtown Phoenixville (cost of dinner not included).
- Saturday sessions. Morning and evening watercolor, plus sound healing, tarot, and reiki group sessions with Katie and Stephanie.
- Transportation to town. For exploring, urban sketching, and lunch at The Foodery (cost of lunch not included).
- Sunday sessions. Guest watercolor class and wrap-up with Katie.
- Transportation to Valley Forge. To and from Katie's home.
What's not included
- Meals, except the snacks and drinks at Friday Happy Hour. For group-billed restaurant meals (like Sedona), Katie will send Venmo or PayPal requests for reimbursement.
- Individual transportation costs, except the group trips to downtown Phoenixville and Valley Forge, which Katie covers.
- Lodging. We recommend the Phoenixville, Malvern, or King of Prussia areas. Expect roughly $150 to $300 per night. A room-share call will go out.
Approximate trip cost
You'll have the option of booking a private reiki / tarot / sound experience with our guest energy healer.
Use code EARLY10 for 10% off (ends June 14, 2026) · Registration closes June 30, 2026 · Capped at 20 spots
Phoenixville, PA
Right on the Schuylkill River, about an hour outside Philadelphia in Chester County. It started as an iron and steel town, and when the steel left in the 1980s, the people who stayed rebuilt it into a walkable downtown full of murals, indie shops, cafes, galleries, breweries, and small businesses run by makers.
In June 2025, Travel + Leisure named it the #1 best small town to live in the United States, pointing to its arts and culture, green space, affordable housing, and community feel. On the first Friday of every month, Bridge Street closes to cars and turns into a block party with live music and art vendors. It's the kind of place that got knocked down and decided to come back as art.
Valley Forge National Park
Just minutes from Phoenixville, about 3,500 acres of rolling meadows, woodlands, and monuments managed by the National Park Service. It's where George Washington and the Continental Army camped through the hard winter of 1777–78, and today it's open year-round with no entrance fee.
Roughly 35 miles of trails, a 10-mile scenic driving loop, reconstructed log huts, and wide-open fields that light up with color in October. We're going for the easy version: drive in, find a pretty spot, and sketch, photograph, or simply sit in the trees. No agenda, and no hike required.
A few easy ways in.
Once everyone submits travel plans, we can look at a few group pickups if several folks arrive around the same time. Not guaranteed, but we'll make every effort to reduce Uber costs for you.
Drive
If you're on the East Coast, just drive. It'll be scenic.
Amtrak
To Paoli, PA (preferred, about 20 minutes away) or to Philadelphia (about 50 minutes away), then a short Uber to Phoenixville.
Fly
Into Philadelphia International. From there: rent a car, Uber (around $100), or take the train (Amtrak or SEPTA) to Paoli, then Uber to Phoenixville.
Other airports
Allentown and Lancaster work too if you'll rent a car or do a train/Uber combo.
Hotels
Hampton Inn & Suites is a solid base. We also recommend the Phoenixville, Malvern, or King of Prussia areas.
Rides on the ground
We'll use Katie, Kevin, and Steph for transportation as much as possible to cut down on Uber and other costs.
The honest answers.
What if my energy fluctuates and I have to cancel a piece of the day?
That's built in. Rest is part of the schedule, not a reward for getting through the hard stuff. The walking stays within about four blocks with benches everywhere, Saturday afternoon is wide-open rest time, and you can skip anything your body says no to. I live with POTS, so I'll be sitting down right next to you.
I'm not really "an artist." Do I need to be good at this?
Nope. We're painting process over product. No skill required, no right or wrong, lots of happy mistakes. The sketchbook is for you, not for Instagram and not to be "good at it."
Do I need to buy supplies?
All supplies are included. Just bring your own sketchbook (we'll have sample paper too). You can bring your own materials if you want, but it isn't required.
What does the $497 actually cover?
It's a registration fee that covers three days of classes and activities with Katie plus two guests, all the group sound healing, reiki, and tarot, your art supplies, and the snacks and drinks for Happy Hour. It also covers group transportation to dinner, into town, and to Valley Forge. Lodging and most meals are separate, which keeps the price low and lets you choose what fits your budget and your body.
Where do I stay, and how much should I budget?
You choose your own hotel or Airbnb (recommendations are on this page). Expect roughly $150 to $300 per night. Once sign-ups fill, we'll share options for rooming up with other attendees if you'd like to split costs and have a built-in sleepover roomie. I'm happy to help with planning and lodging selection.
There's a dog?
Yes. Katie has a 14-pound dog named Dexter, so there's dog hair. Please don't come if you're allergic. :)
How many people will be there?
Small on purpose. We need a minimum of 10 registrations to run the event, and we cap it at 20.
When do I need to sign up by?
Registration closes June 30, 2026, or whenever we hit the 20-spot cap, whichever comes first. Use code EARLY10 for 10% off through June 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
What if you don't get 10 registrants?
We need a minimum of 10 to run the weekend. If we don't hit it, we'll issue full refunds in late July. The retreat will be finalized by July 15, 2026, so you'll have plenty of time to plan travel either way.
Could the locations change?
A few stops might shift based on the activities. For example, the guest class may be held at a local artist's studio. The cozy, low-pressure vibe stays exactly the same. Also worth knowing: some spots have stairs and no elevator, including Katie's home. Tell us what you need at [email protected] and we'll plan with you.
Three days. One full sketchbook. Women who get it.
Come as you are. Make real art for yourself, next to other regular people doing the same. Then take the whole weekend home in a book you filled.
Save my spotCode EARLY10 for 10% off (ends June 14) · registration closes June 30, 2026 · capped at 20 spots