Kathy Hemker, venue hostess

LANDSCAPING IN THE GARDEN IS MY ARTISTIC MENTAL ESCAPE: THAT PLACE WHERE MY MIND NATURALLY DRIFTS WHEN MY THOUGHTS ARE FREE TO WANDER AT WILL. For over 30 years I pursued my passion in residential landscape architecture, design and art. During this same time, I raised three very active children and created this garden, nurturing the beauty which was here long before any of us. I love creating loose order in the landscape and cooperating with nature, intentionally creating an artistic escape which looks as if it naturally grew back here -- with only light guidance from me.

INTITIALLY I IMAGINED OUR ISLAND GARDEN
AS AN ESCAPE TO HELP OUR FAMILY
BETTER ENJOY THIS VERY LIMITED
NORTHERN OUTDOOR SEASON.
In 2001 I realized we never enjoyed the Island.
What could I create to help us
want to go down there?
And how could we then share it with our family
and our friends, too?
I imagined a large fairy-tale-like simple gazebo
smothered beneath a climbing vine canopy
and surrounded by continuously blooming
flowerbeds under which our entire family
could relax while enjoying the lake view
and escape from the hot summer sun.

The small gazebo was a gift to my husband
for our 25th Wedding Anniversary;
we located it where the pines and
lake would serve as its backdrop,
where we could enjoy amazing late afternoon sunsets,
winding down our busy summer evenings.

Eventually I thought of sharing our
hidden away dream escape with others for weddings.
It took an entire decade,
with thousands of dollars and hard working hours,
to grow lush enough,
before I could say, "Now it's ready!"

"My Garden Is My Most Beautiful Masterpiece"

-- Claude Monet
I have spent my entire life creating art
of one form or another.
With this venue, I have found my ministry
and purpose in life
-- now I artistically create season-long backdrops
for one the best days of your life,
worthy of the highest photographic expectations
to live on into each family's future generations.

After a lifetime of pursuit,
this venue has been my "10 years of silence":
http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/find-hidden-creative-genius/997351/
and: https://jamesclear.com/deliberate-practice

Why the name 'artistreEscapes' ?
(pronounced 'artistry' Escapes)
I have been trained in all areas of horticulture
and landscape architecture,
sharing an immense love and respect
for artistic design and plant material.
Combined together, it occured to me
that this Island's development
has been my quarter-of-a-century-long venture
of artistically enhancing my unique escape,
complimentary to this gorgeous property
I have been blessed to have been entrusted,
honing my skills while waiting for plantings
to mature to their full beauty.

The "tree" in the center of the name tributes
our property's many majestic giants.
artis'tree' escapes best describes
my satisfaction enjoying this exceptional property.