When I was in the 6th grade, I was given the chance to go to horse camp for the summer. I went with my best friend but I do remember being homesick and what I was told was: give it a week. Now, 6th graders being who they are and the fact I went with a broken arm I wasn’t banking on much. It did work out and after a week, I was having fun. They did put me on the most dead broke horse they had because they thought my cast would put me off balance and if I had a broken arm, how good of a rider could I be?
Here I am, 2 and a half weeks into the residency and “give it a week” still holds true. I have met wonderful people, created already lovely art (which a few pieces have found new homes, thank you very much for the support) and discovered that even simple artistic messages resonate. I do feel a bit like a fish out of water at times but that is good for me. I think I am a bit like a wisteria plant and I do well with a bit of adversity. I have tried new things, attended lectures about involved art concepts that I haven’t tried to grasp in over 30 years, was part of a group “Silent Critique” which wasn’t critical about one person’s work but more a way to experience the whole group through a different lens. It also showcased how being silent can be a very effective interrogation technique. While the critique silently looked on at an artist’s studio, we couldn’t help but fill the silence with any explanation about our work. I will say, the pastels haven’t lost their charm on the observers as they come by and look at everything laid out. I do need to clean some of them and they will get to see the messy process of me reclaiming chips today.
The fall colors here in upstate NY have filled my eyes and my phone’s memory and I have developed a crick in my neck from my head swiveling as I drive on the roads. Please don’t worry, most of the time I haven’t been driving. The deer are running around the place here and in the morning I can see them browsing the grass are seeking the windfall apples from the optimistic tree in the turnaround out front. Meanwhile, my oil paints have arrived and I am finally ready to tackle a reference from over 8 years ago. I am going to keep working on pastels at the same time because oil needs time to dry between layers and it has been fun creating things without the day to day distractions that I enjoy at home. I can’t help being kept away from my studio in the house by my garden, the laundry, the gallery, my clubs, the housework, lunch, and my favorites; friends and family.
Perhaps 2 months was extensive; only the time here will tell. Already I have lost out on a few important events at home but as I have said before; life is what happens when you are busy. I will talk to my friends and keep slipping away here to call my husband because; well, it’s Pat and I do miss him. Now I am also going to miss the friends that I have made here that are already having to leave. New people will be arriving next week, and I will be excited to meet them too. Talk to you all soon!