A Week at Jewel Vinsota

I’m recently back from a week-long self-made writer’s residency. I found this wonderful airbnb, Jewel Vinsota, just outside of Smithsburg, MD. The owners are artists and historical preservationists. Their artwork is everywhere, and I mean everywhere, on the property. Everyday, I discovered something new! They had art supplies on hand that guests could use and musical instruments (guitars, musical spoons, a keyboard, a steel tongue drum, a three-string dulcimer). I’ve done do-it-yourself residencies before, but this B&B was by far the most creative and restorative environment I’ve encountered. Here are a few pictures.

Windows looking out onto a forest with lights overhead, a short table and stool in front.
The sunroom. This is where I spent most of my time.
A desk in the foreground, with windows looking out onto a forest in the background.
The work desk (I spent a lot of time here, too).
A modern art outdoor sculpture with a woman's body painted blue with white circular lines, a deer's head, a cape made out of metal, and something that looks like a bow and arrow.
One of the sculptures from the trail that’s in back of the property. It’s approximately 1.8 miles with a few additional spurs and loops. A little rugged in places (bring good shoes), but well worth the effort.
A horizontal tree trunk with metal sheaths embedded on top to look like dragon scales.
Also from the sculpture trail.
Close up of a mushroom.
Aside from the sculptures, the trail was nice just as a place to be outdoors and get a little exercise. Here’s a closeup of some fungus (don’t ask me what kind). I find it quite beautiful and other worldly.