Vermont Studio Center Art Residency

In September I arrived at the Vermont Studio Center with an open mind and no specific project planned beyond bringing my paints and lots of canvas. Within my first day I was feeling a swirl of reflections. The inspiration for my painting has come from a deeply rooted sense of place in the mountains of West Virginia where my studio is. For this residency I was away from my place, so “AWAY” became my theme.

Feeling connected to place is important to me. In the misty early mornings I would go exploring along the rivers taking photos that I used to inspire my painting. The town of Johnson is surrounded by mountains with rivers flowing through the town. Rivers and water emerged as my subject to explore.

At the Vermont Studio Center it was inspiring to be surrounded by focused creatives coming together as a community for artmaking and discussion. Having the reinforcement of outside voices enriched the experience of my focused studio time.  I came home with insights and new ideas that I hope to continue to explore in the coming months.