A huge gap in postings, I know.
In April, I received an email that would bring me bountiful gifts and change me in myriad good ways. It was from two glass artists, Steve Klein and Richard Parrish, inviting me to apply for an artists' residency.
I had taken lots of glass classes, but had never had a residency, and certainly had never been invited to apply for anything like that. I knew the work of both Steve and Richard, and had actually attended a show they had in Los Angeles a few years ago. Therefore... I seriously wondered if this was a spam email, because it certainly couldn't have been addressed to me personally.
Well, long story short, it was - one of the most astounding things that has even happened to me. Suffice it to say that I accepted the invitation to apply, applied, and was taken into the fold with 11 other artists by these two art-souls who would guide us through what would be one of the most incredible and indescribable experiences of our collective lives.
painting with watercolor (a first for me) at Plaza Blanca
my stab-at-watercolor in situ (see above, I don't do watercolor)
The residency had stated goals, articulated by the organizers, aka Steve and Richard:
We will spend our first six nights in residence at Ghost Ranch near
Abiquiu and finish the residency staying in Santa Fe. The time at Ghost Ranch will be spent
exploring the magnificent and dramatic area in and around Abiquiu, Santa Fe and
Taos, photographing, drawing, and in group discussions, focusing on the experience
of this particular place. We’ll explore and appreciate the built environment as
well as the natural environment. The intent is to gather knowledge,
understanding and ideas that will inform kiln glass work. The kiln glass work will begin in the facilities
at the Bullseye Resource Center in Santa Fe.
The intent is not to make finished work but to
explore ideas through drawing, model making, sampling, testing, and
critique. The residency will include
daily meetings to assess, share, review, and comment on all of the projects as
a group. We believe that through an
intense and personally directed work schedule in the beautiful, rugged and
inspiring environment of the high desert of New Mexico, along with individual
and group critiques, all participants can grow as artists and add thought and
maturity to their work.
The residency program is not a traditional
workshop or class. It is an opportunity for immersion into one's own work. The
focus of the residency is idea driven work, not technique driven work. In this
sense, no particular technique is taught. Conversely, all members of the group
are quite knowledgeable about kiln glass and support each other's quest for new
ways of thinking and making. All participants actively contribute to the group
while working on self directed projects.
I am a pretty introverted sort (unless I am delivering a classroom lecture), so this would be a stretch for me. To top that off, I was going to have to room with someone I had never met before. Zounds. A big positive was that Bullseye Glass Co. was partially underwriting the residency, and the kid-in-candy-store image of having all that glass to play with was simply irresistible...
...to be continued...
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