Artist in Residence Adventure ~ The Artwork…
This post is intended to record all of the artwork I produced during the actual Residency from 1 – 30 November, 2022 during my Artist Residency at Bandelier National Monument. I have categorized all of the artwork produced into three categories, Recording what I saw, Responding to what I saw & experienced, and Integrating what I saw, experienced, and learned. Beyond the completed Art Journal entries, the thank you portrait of “Tina” the terrier for my Base Camp hosts, the three process demo sheets, and the Artist in Residence “study” left in the casita, NONE of the artwork is considered complete… All are still works in progress!
I set self-imposed goals during the preparations this Summer for the Plein Air pieces to be considered 90% complete after the live painting session. Likewise, I’ve declared the pieces I produced during the live painting sessions on the trail (5 public sessions and 1 personal) to be 90% complete. That means I will allow myself to “tweak” that last 10% in the studio, most likely with a time limit applied to keep it direct and not “picked at”.
The three watercolor pieces I started week one based on wildlife reference photos I took myself are also at varying stages of completion. I think, like the Plein Air pieces, I’ll declare them 90% finished and allow for that 10% tweaking in the studio. The Abert squirrel is the most resolved (~ 95%), the Raven is next at ~ 90% (and also has developed into the Integration category), and the Mule Deer is at about ~80%. The nine acrylic “starts” on the 300lb watercolor paper are also at varying levels of completion ranging from the one under-painting with intent (~10% complete) to the rest with clear blocking in of the intended subjects and designs (~25% – 30% complete.)
Art-wise, I also need to include all of the handmade papers and stamps I created in this “November 2022” residency artwork inventory! In addition, I have already prepared several sheets for additional dyptic and tryptic ideas but they are literally only the paper at this time, too immature to share at this point but I mention them to acknowledge the flow of ideas that transpired.
Initial takeaways art-making during this Residency?
- As I “show & tell” the work I accomplished, I realize I’m still a “BINGE” painter and own it!
- What I’m excited about is my growth in my attitude… it has moved towards the FLOW vs. production focus… even if I still work in focused “spurts”!
- What is the best lesson learned? AUTHENTIC production occurs from a place/attitude of FLOW (which I’m defining as peace and joy in the moment and the experience; being present and aware; taking in, processing, responding…) vs. producing an assembly line product.
Artist Journal:
I consider all entries in my Residency Art Journal to fall into the “Record” category. Here are MOST of the journal pages created during the Residency. A few additional refinements and new drawings yet to be toned with color were added to the journal but not photographed. So the journal itself is still a work in progress as I plan to add additional entries to reflect the entire Residency and New Mexico adventures!
Paintings:
From 1 – 30 November I started 26 individual paintings which are still works in progress. I finished 2 additional small paintings to leave behind in New Mexico, 3 process demo sheets, 25 handmade paper sheets, and 4 newly carved stamps. I will share each piece with a brief summary of category, subject or title, size, medium, and substrate… For the Record…
Live Paint Outs “On the Trail”:
Record – Public Paint Out #1a – Tyounyi Ruins and Cottonwoods – 5″ x 7″ Gouache on paper
Record – Public Paint Out #1b – Frijoles Canyon (Looking up towards Los Alamos) – 7.5″ x 11″ Gouache on paper
Record – Public Paint Out #2a – North Canyon Wall Cavates (above Visitors Center) – 11″ x 7.5″ Acrylic on paper
Record – Public Paint Out #2b – North Canyon Wall (above Visitors Center) – 7.5″ x 11″ Acrylic on paper
Record – Public Paint Out #3a – Frijoles Creek (Near Visitors Center parking) – 5″ x 7″ Gouache on panel
Record – Public Paint Out #3b – Frijoles Creek (Near Visitors Center parking) – 6″ x 6″ Gouache on panel
Record – Personal Paint Out – Ponderosa Pine on Cliff (on Frey Trail) – 10″ x 8″ Acrylic on panel
Record – Public Paint Out #4a – North Canyon Wall Crevices (above bench before Tyounyi Pueblo Village) – 12″ x 9″ Acrylic on panel
Record – Public Paint Out #4b – Favorite Out-croppping onNorth Canyon Wall Crevices (at start of Long House) – 6″ x 6″ Acrylic on panel
Record – Public Paint Out #5a – Long House Wall (Looking toward Visitors Center) – 9″ x 12″ Gouache on panel
Record – Public Paint Out #5b – Canyon View below Long House (Looking toward Visitors Center) – 6″ x 12″ Gouache on panel
In the Studio ~ Handmade Papers & Stamps:
Twenty Sheets Handmade Collage Papers (Stained Tissue)
Five Carved Stamps & Stamped Papers (Snake on backside of Staff & Shield stamp)
Demo Process Sheets & Public Demo Paintings:
Demo #1 – Backlit Cottonwoods Process Sheet and Demo – 15″ x 15″ Watercolor on paper
Demo #2a – Tallus House Process Sheet and Cavate Interior Demo – 11″ x 15″ Collage on paper
Demo #2b – North Rim Formations Process Sheet and Long House Demo – 15″ x 11″ Acrylic Layers on paper
In the Studio – Record:
Record #2 – Abert Squirrel – 15″ x 15″ Watercolor on paper
Record #3 – Mule Deer – 11″ x 15″ Watercolor on paper
In the Studio – Response:
Response #1 – Coyote/Valles Caldera Sighting – 15″ x 22″ Acrylic on paper
Response #2 – Mule Deer/Mesa – 15″ x 22″ Acrylic on paper
Response #3 – Bobcat/Riparian – 22″ x 15″ Acrylic on paper
Response #4 – Elk/Mixed Conifer – 22″ x 15″ Acrylic on paper
Response #5 – Frey Trail Glow – 15″ x 15″ Acrylic on paper
Response #6 – East Branch of Jemez River at Valles Caldera – 22″ x 30″ Acrylic on paper
Response #7 – Canyon Brush in Shadow – under painting only – 15″ x 15″ Acrylic on paper
In the Studio – Integration:
Record #3 / Integration #1 – Raven – Canyon Watcher – 11″ x 15″ Watercolor on paper
Integration #2 – North Wall & Cavates – 30″ x 22″ Acrylic Mixed Media Collage on paper
Integration #3 – North Rim with Pueblo Ruins, Watcher, and Sign – 30″ x 22″ Acrylic on paper
Additional Paintings – Remaining in New Mexico:
Artist in Residence Sketch (Left in Casita) – 4″ x 12″ Watercolor & Ink on paper
Tina Portrait (Thank You Gift to my “Base Camp” family) – 5″ x 7″ Acrylic on panel
If you’re interested in the other Bandelier Artist in Residence ~ Adventure posts, here are the links so you can enjoy the full story!
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 1: Travel & Acclimation…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 2: Arrival at My New Home…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 3: Explore & Initial Game Plan…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 4: Field Trip to Valles Caldera…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 5: Studio Days & Exploration…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 6: Wider Explorations…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 7: Seeds of Inspiration & Ideas to Pursue…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 8: Focus for Final Push…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ The Artwork…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 9: Wrap it Up…”
- “Artist in Residence Adventure ~ Stage 10: Decompression Begins…”