A Winter Update From HMH Founder Kate Poole

The early days of my posts for Hunter Moon Homestead were focused on the restoration work we were doing here, and our daily routines. Many of our visitors since have asked me if we knew from the beginning what the outcome would look like. My answer is mostly yes. We have let the dictates of our resources, the land itself, and the evolution of our ideas, lead to what we have today. I am sure as long as we are here, there will be a continuing evolution to what's in place. Every year we add more gardens and plant more trees—in spite of the moose and the deer taking a toll on them. We would love to add a sauna to go with the outdoor tubs we installed for guests last spring.

The property was planted with ancient apple and plum trees that yield heavy harvests in the fall

The inside of the house appears mostly done—though we have a million little things that are on a list of to-dos to make the interior complete. Last summer we began initial restoration of the big barn that was sinking into the ground. The huge 10 x 10 inch beams holding up the upper story, had twisted as she was sinking. Inch by inch, letting her say how far to push the unwinding, she has been almost righted to her original placement. Our goal at this point, is  to salvage her to avoid complete collapse. Maybe a windfall of some miraculous nature will allow us to do a complete restoration, at least now she is saved from falling into ruin. I have visions of a large open space in the upper story, perfect for larger gatherings. With floor to ceiling windows and views of Moscow Mountain to the northwest. In the lower level, a big open and organized shop space for Rick to work and create. At 71 years young, he deserves a shop to practice his craft!

View of the Bee House studio, greenhouse and the old barn

Our focus has shifted from long hours of restoration work to be able to spend more time in our studio spaces and create for our own pleasure. I decided to open my studio one Sunday a month to encourage connection with the very large creative community in our area. There is so much amazing creative talent in here in the Palouse, it is quite extraordinary!

Each Sunday I am deeply touched by the lovely work each artist brings to share. I know that we are all lifted up by the uniqueness of our individual expressions and being part of a collective creative community.

Artists create in the Bee House Studio

Community Over Competition

I was reminded by a friend and mentor of mine just recently when I asked her for help getting the word out to a larger art community, of which she is well renowned:

“Hey, we need each other, right? We have to have people in our lives that will share our offerings. In the past people would naturally share, it was like a party and people were so excited, everyone was sharing everywhere! People shared with each other freely. Because we all now have more access to beauty; beauty in online classes, beauty in free content, beauty in downloads… It has numbed us to how easy beauty is to come by, and people forget to share.”

So, I am asking you with total humility, we have worked so hard to make a lovely and healing place for artists to come and be lavishly loved on. We need your help to fill these our art retreats for 2025.

2025 Art Retreats

We have three renown teachers coming to create with you in The Bee House Studio.

Nature In Bloom, our July workshop welcomes Elaine Speirs, who attended Edinburgh College of Art between 1989 and 1993, and completed her MA at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1995. She lives and works in Edinburgh with her three daughters. A regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Scotland, Mall Galleries in London and represented by the And gallery in Edinburgh. Her awards include, Caron Keating Memorial Award, John Purcell Drawing Award. She was shortlisted for the National Open Art Competition, The Threadneedle Prize, W Gordon Smith Award and selected for the BP Portrait Award. In 2021 she was elected as Professional Member for Visual Arts Scotland. Her works are included in private collections worldwide.

In September we will welcome Hannah Woodman, teaching Landscape & Memory. She is a UK-based contemporary landscape painter. Her work occupies the space between abstraction and realism and explores the light, atmosphere and physicality of her surroundings in the South West of England. She studied at Exeter College of Art and Design and the Courtauld Institute of Art, London University, before training to teach at the London Institute of Education, where she later took an MA in Museums and Galleries in Education.

Hannah is a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours and has exhibited extensively, including alongside prestigious British names such as Rose Hilton, Jean Cooke and Howard Hodgkin. She has featured across a range of media including the Sunday Telegraph, Country Life magazine and BBC2’s Rick Stein’s Cornwall series. Her work is now held in private and public collections worldwide.

And in October we welcome Nebraska-based artist, Beth Cole for her The Gentle Landscape retreat. Beth creates contemporary landscape paintings in oil. Her work centers on fields, trees, streams and buildings, and the effects of atmosphere and light upon them. She has studied with many generous and accomplished painters including Jay Moore, Dave Santillanes, and Scott Christensen.

Prior to painting, her degree in Human Services Administration allowed her to work with people in a variety of ways including twenty years as a small business owner serving clients in her web/graphic design company. Her background in small business influenced her development as a full time painter. Beth has exhibited widely in her home state including Museum of Nebraska Art events and the Nebraska Biennial Exhibition hosted by Omaha’s Gallery 1516. Additional group shows include Colorado, Texas, and Wisconsin.

If you have wanted to come but haven’t, now is the time! If you haven’t shared us with your artist friends, please do so. We are so looking forward to making new friends and sharing our hearts will all of you.

Happiest New Year blessings to all of you.

-Kate