A straight shot, no stops, get-me-home drive up Hwy 5. A few rolling twisting turns through Pacheco Pass and a heavy strand of grey fog welcomed me into the home stretch. Something about the golden yellow hills and oak trees... Feels like home.
3965 miles.
17 paintings.
1 (first) Artist in Residence.
I'm certain as time goes by I'll reflect on this experience, this gift of focus, this pause from the hectic pace of my real world and understand its impact.
My work grew; earlier paintings are thinner, smoother. By the end of the trip there is a looser and thicker more confident brush quality. Throughout my compositions are strong and I can see the observations and interpretations I've made on form, line, mass and design. These are all strong and consistent.
The final paintings where I take these strengths and add more brushwork, show more depth in the environment but keep my heightened colors... These are the best. I feel them.
I'd always wanted to be an Artist in Resident, an A.I.R, and the Starry Night Residency in New Mexico was a great introduction to the work that is required, the focus and commitment, the communal arrangements as well as saturating oneself with an unknown environment and landscape. I'm well suited to this Residency thing!!
I'm now looking forward to future Residencies and how they will balance my day to day work life, my day to day studio life and my weekend warrior Plein Air life.
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