artist in residence

Bend’s Central Library recently opened and it’s a gorgeous new space with a very enticing selection of art and specifically, watercolor books. I checked one out several weeks ago and have been painting every morning1. My focus is on technique, because while I know the basics of wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, layering, color theory, etc. — knowing information intellectually versus muscle memory and actual practice are very different things. So, I’m practicing and I decided to “formalize” my practice with a self-directed artist residency.

As an artist and maker, I’m use to setting little goals and project for myself. I think it’s a very common approach to art and making, as evidenced by the many wonderful posts on Substack from artists about setting up their own residencies.

SUMMER RESIDENCY

My summer residency will be from June to the end of August, blocking time for 15 minutes of practice every morning and larger chunks of time on Fridays.

As June starts, so do my summer Fridays at work. Which means I have every Friday off from June through August. I feel fortunate to have this extra time, but also, I wish the US prioritized rest and well being over capital and we had paid summers off (1 month at least!!). Ok, I’ll get off my soap box and back to what I was saying.

Duration: 15 mins every morning and larger chunks on Fridays June through August.

ARTIST STATEMENT

i.e. What Will I Be Doing?2

These are the specific practices that will make up my residency:

• Watercolor technique - I want to have enough practice in watercolor techniques so I can sit down and make my own compositions with a sense of what rules I want to break, if any, and how I want to approach my own art making. I’ll refer to watercolor books, online courses, and artworks that I want to understand better through replicating. Speaking of …

• Repetition and studies - i.e. painting replicas of other artists’ work to understand brush work, color selection, layers and texture. Do it once and then do it again and again.

• Deeper dives - In the past couple of years I’ve been reading a lot more about artists and art history. I never formally studied art history outside of film (my undergrad degree). And I’m so glad to find my way to this through books like What Artists Wear, Ninth Street Women, and currently Georgie O’Keefe: A Life by Roxana Robinson and Funny Weather by Olivia Laing (another Bend Library find!).

• Pigment making - as ever, my studio is a bit of a mess with several projects concurrently in process (sewing a coat and sardines, writing an essay for publication, painting daily…). I have small piles of ochre sitting in lost corners of the room awaiting their debut to become pigment. Part of my residency this summer is to finally get to that, as I can mortar & pestle outside in the sun again (always wearing a mask for fine dust and particles). Maybe finally figuring out ratios for binder to fill half pans that don’t crumble once dry (really more an issue with lake pigments than ochre, so far).

PROCESS + DOCUMENTATION

Throughout my residency, I will be working in a watercolor sketchbook for my technique practice, as well as my journal and drawing sketchbook to document quotes, inspiration, and experimentation. I’ll also share some of my watercolor studies here on quiet mornings, as I share out about what other trips and travels or things I’ve been making.