I Became An Artist In Residence

This past weekend I started my first Artist Residency ever. I graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2015 where I studied painting and dabbled a bit in fiber arts. I Immediately went to Grad School where a Lesley University where I studied Art Therapy and kind of lost myself as an artist. I became very focused on how I could get Fiber Arts into the therapy world and that has been where I have been for about 4 years. The whole reason being was that I could not figure out what I would paint about. I had no one idea. I spent 4 years of college focusing on the same idea and it was over so I did not know what to do. I became very proficient in crocheting and weaving became my biggest passion. It was something I could do as a therapist but also for myself. 

Then it happened, a friend of mine began working at a co-working space and told me that they were looking for an artist in residence. She sent me the application, which I decided I would not fill out because I still did not have an idea. The day after the deadline for the application she texted me to tell me that they were holding it open if I wanted to apply. She knew that I was busy and that I might have not had time but that the application was still open. So I sat and I wracked my brain and I figured out my idea and what I would work on in the 13 weeks and applied for the residency. When I then received because they actually like my idea out of all the people who applied. Me and one other girl were chosen for this opportunity to work in the space at Industry Lab in Cambridge, MA. 

So what am I working on? I am making watercolor and gouache paintings on paper that will be small and detailed and placing in chronological order all 10 of my homes. There will be at least 1 exterior painting and 1 interior painting done for each home. A total of 20 paintings. Along with each painting will be a written piece of my life at the time of living in each of those homes. Some will be one page and some will be longer. I also plan to do some weaving that represent the interior textiles of the home that I remember. 

I have always had an extreme love of houses. The Wizard Of OZ has always been my favorite film and I have always loved how the story wraps around the home. I actually have Dorothy’s house tattooed on the back of my right arm. I also have a love for the movie A Ghost Story which talks about how your soul forever lives in your home until at least you have some closure. The main reason I chose to focus on the homes in this residency is that I don’t have closure from most of the homes that I have moved from. Almost all of them, it was not my choice to leave, and give the option I would have chosen to stay and had everyone else leave. There have been so many tears, so much loss that I have felt about these homes and I am hopeful that my “going back into” will provide me with the closure. 

I will be providing updates on the residency as frequently as possible. Stay tuned.