Tender Little Things – An Art Retreat in Porto

This photo shows an old street sign and a rainbow in Porto.

Porto in Rain or Shine

Porto is a city of contrasts—sun one minute, pouring rain the next. The rain runs down narrow stone alleys, making the steep streets slick. Walking here is up and down trodden stone, along tiled walls. But the city is just the right size to wander.

Photo of house wall with graffiti and tiles in Porto.
Graffiti and tiles.

A Workshop Among Women

This retreat, Tender Little Things, wouldn’t have happened without three remarkable women: Alex Castro-Ferreira, Marina Grebenikova, and Orly Avineri.

Orly Avineri in the workshop room.
Orly Avineri in the workshop room.

We stayed at Menina Colina, a grand old townhouse with high marble staircases and à la carte breakfasts that felt like morning rituals. The workshop took place in a room usually used for Fado concerts; its walls lined with historical portraits of composers. It was difficult to get messy in there!

Orly Avineri—whose work I had followed for years—was the reason I came. Working with her felt like a dream made real. She is wise, intuitive, and so generous! She held the space for each one of us.

Alex, the heart of this retreat, grounded and radiant like an earth-mother goddess, carried us all, even through the difficult days. Marina, warm and exuberant, handled everything from the hotel to the dinner reservations, from airport taxis to unexpected detours—with joy and ease.

Photo of the group in a small fishing village.
The whole group in a small fishing village.

And then there were the women. From Canada, the U.S., Ireland, France, Australia—and me. My tribe. I felt safe, seen, and gently held. Time with them was nourishment, not just for the artist in me, but for the whole self. And yes, the food helped, too. (I tried oysters for the first time! I had three.)

Photo of oysters on ice in a market stall at a food market.
Oysters in a market stall at a food market.

 

Stitching the Past

Four full days of workshop. We turned old cereal boxes into book covers—mine came from my son’s frozen pizza packaging. We repurposed old books, scraps, and fragments. We wove, embroidered, stitched. Not to make something new from the old, but something meaningful. We looked for something hidden in the texture of the materials.

Photo of me weaving.
Weaving.

It reminded me of my grandmother in Berlin. She was a Putzmacherin—a milliner’s decorator, creating elaborate hat ornaments from fabric flowers, ribbons, feathers. A profession that barely exists anymore. She was incredibly talented. After the war, she sewed herself an ice-skating costume from an old curtain. It was so beautiful that everyone turned to look. She was tiny, so the fabric was just enough.

She made dress-up skirts for me. I still have a necklace of tiny blue beads she passed on. I remember a smocked white blouse with puffed sleeves and covered buttons. A pincushion that was the skirt of an old porcelain doll made from satin. I carry those fragments with me.

I’m usually too impatient for sewing. But here, in a circle of women, stitching (mostly uteri, naturally), I stayed with it longer than I ever have. There was something steadying about it.

Tender Little Things

We cut, glued, layered, patched. Built one large collage, only to slice it apart into little pieces—and sew it back together into something else entirely. I ended up with two small books. The hands did their work. The mind was quiet.

There was freedom in not evaluating. In not getting attached. In trusting the process—which sounds cliché until you actually try it. Orly prompted us to let our hands do what they wanted to.

Sticky fingers. Waxed thread. A stitch at a time.

Photo of a little book.
Book pages.

There was relief in moving from the big chaotic canvas to the small tender pages. Handling those little leaves of paper, surrounded by the group.

Photo of various little books made by the group.
Tender little things.

My overarching theme? Creating space for words and quotes. I might keep working on that.

What I Brought Home

Last year, I joined another retreat in Lisbon—also with Alex, Marina, and Orly. That time, I made two new friends who returned for this one too. I didn’t write about it back then because it felt separate from my work as a surface designer.

This retreat was no different in that regard. And yet—I soaked in so much beauty, history, and culture that it will inevitably seep into my creative work. I’ve already begun a series called Azulejos do Porto, inspired by the city’s tiles. I’ll share those in a future post.

Because everything that helps me grow as an artist eventually finds its way into what I make.

Fresh Spring Designs: New Fabrics & Cushions for Your Home“ 🌸✨

Four fabrics from my "Spring is here!" collection.

Spring is just around the corner! 🌿🌸 Discover my new designs at https://www.alles-fuer-selbermacher.de/ – perfect for fresh home accents and DIY projects. From decorative cushions to sew-your-own pillows and jersey fabrics, there’s plenty of inspiration for spring! ✨🧵

Dieses Mockup zeigt drei Dekokissen mit frühlingshaften Motiven zum Selbernähen.

Three diy pillows with spring inspired designs.Der Frühling steht vor der Tür! 🌿🌸 Entdecke meine neuen Designs bei https://www.alles-fuer-selbermacher.de/– perfekt für frische Wohnakzente und DIY-Projekte. Ob Dekokissen, Kissen zum Selbernähen oder Jersey-Stoffe – hier findest du Inspiration für den Frühling! ✨🧵

Mockup eines Kinder-T-Shirts mit meinem Herzblätter-im-Frühling-Muster.
Heart leaves in spring pattern.

DIY-Kissenpaneel "Spring Is Here".
DIY-Kissenpaneel „Spring Is Here“.

Dekokissen "Spring is here!"
Throw pillow „Spring is here!“

Guest Artist bei Susanne Marx

Chinesischer Drache-Mandala auf T-Shirt

Ich freue mich riesig, dass meine Mandalas bis zum 24.12. auf der Spreadshirt-Seite von Susanne Marx erhältlich sind!

Susanne hat drei meiner Mandalas ausgewählt und ich wurde als Guest Artist eingeladen, meine Designs dort zu präsentieren. Es ist eine wahre Ehre, mit ihr zusammenzuarbeiten und meine Kunst in einem so inspirierenden Kontext zu sehen.

Die Mandalas sind als T-Shirts, Taschen und Hoodies verfügbar – perfekt, um mit positiven, heilenden Symbolen den Alltag zu bereichern.

https://sana—produkte-mit-chi.myspreadshop.de/all

Ein riesiges Dankeschön an Susanne für das Vertrauen und die wunderbare Zusammenarbeit!

Rokoko-Mandala auf T-Shirt
Rokoko-Mandala auf T-Shirt

Guest Artist at Susanne Marx – Mandalas on Spreadshirt

I’m so excited to share that my mandalas are available until 12/24 on Susanne Marx’s Spreadshirt shop!

Susanne has selected three of my mandalas, and I’ve been honored to be invited as a Guest Artist to showcase my designs there. It’s a true privilege to collaborate with her and see my art in such an inspiring context.

The mandalas are available on T-shirts, bags, and hoodies – perfect for bringing positive, healing energy into everyday life.

https://sana—produkte-mit-chi.myspreadshop.de/all

A huge thank you to Susanne for the trust and the wonderful collaboration!

Mandala in Orange und Türkis auf T-Shirt
Mandala in Orange und Türkis auf T-Shirt

Kreativnachmittag im Café Kirche – Weihnachtsstimmung mit Wasserfarben

Am 29.11. durfte ich einen kreativen Nachmittag im Café Kirche gestalten und mit den Teilnehmern gemeinsam zwei Weihnachtsmotive mit Wasserfarben malen! 🎨✨

Es war eine wunderbare Gelegenheit, in entspannter Atmosphäre kreative Ideen auszutauschen und zu zeigen, wie man mit einfachen Techniken festliche Motive wie Weihnachtskugeln und Kränzchen malen kann. Die Teilnehmerinnen waren mit viel Begeisterung dabei, und es war faszinierend, wie jede ihre eigene „Handschrift“ hatte.

Ein großes Dankeschön an alle, die dabei waren!

Weihnachtskugeln und -kränzchen in Watercolor.
Weihnachtskugeln und -kränzchen in Watercolor.

On 11/29th, I had the pleasure of hosting a creative afternoon at Café Kirche, where I showed participants how to paint two Christmas motifs using watercolors.

It was a wonderful opportunity to share creative ideas in a relaxed atmosphere and teach simple techniques to bring festive designs like Christmas baubles and wreaths to life. The participants were so enthusiastic, and it was amazing to see each painting take on a personal touch.

A big thank you to everyone who joined!

Ein großer Schritt für meine Designs

Drei Kissen mit weihnachtlichen Motiven - Vorderseite.

Ich freue mich riesig, dass meine ersten lizenzierten Muster jetzt auf Weihnachtskissen und Nikolaussocken bei alles-fuer-selbermacher.de zu finden sind! Es ist ein besonderes Gefühl, meine Illustrationen in so einer Form realisiert zu sehen – und gerade zur festlichen Zeit passt das einfach perfekt.

Dieses Projekt eröffnet spannende neue Möglichkeiten, und ich bin gespannt, wohin die Reise noch geht. Vielen Dank an alle, die mich auf meinem Weg begleiten!

Nikolaussocken zum Selber nähen mit Igel-Motiv.
Nikolaussocken zum Selber nähen mit Igel-Motiv.
Nikolaussocken zum Selber nähen mit Funkenmuster.
Nikolaussocken zum Selber nähen mit Funkenmuster.

I’m so excited to share that my first licensed patterns are now featured on Christmas cushions and stockings at alles-fuer-selbermacher.de! Seeing my illustrations brought to life like this feels truly special—especially during the festive season.

This project opens up so many exciting new possibilities, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next. A big thank you to everyone who’s been supporting me along the way!

Drei Kissen mit weihnachtlichen Motiven - Rückseite.
Drei Kissen mit weihnachtlichen Motiven – Rückseite.
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