Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Last day at the OAC

Today was my last full day at the OAC. I look forward to returning to the OAC, which will be the summer of 2016 or perhaps sooner.



Today’s temperature and sunshine gave me ample opportunity to go outside and shoot. I feel a bit sad that I am leaving now. With the warm weather, I can tell spring is just around the corner and the entire property will transform again.


I am glad to have spent most of February here. Working intensely on your art is a great way to pass the time during the dreary winter months.




And even with my initial frustration of having animals ‘on set,’ I will really miss the dogs, which came along with me on my photo shoots. I will especially miss my pal Murphy. I wish I could take him home with me, but I know I cannot give him so much freedom to run around and also, the cats would never forgive me.




Tomorrow I will drive back and then Friday, I return to the museum for work.  I look forward to planning my next residency.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Day 13

I attempted 3 shoots today on account of the sunshine and warmer weather but the wind fought me so I made only 2 photographs. With it being warmer, I slipped all over the property on the muddy hiking paths. Still, I am glad to be at the OAC in the winter. I spent most of the day outside with Murphy by my side. I know I would not explore as much in warmer weather, largely because of ticks and poison ivy. There is also no bad time to photograph outdoors this time of year. The light is at an angle all day and it is so diffused, there is no ‘ugly’ light.






Tomorrow, I have on the agenda two more new photo shoots, plus packing and cleaning the house before I depart Thursday.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Day 11 & 12

Yesterday and today, I felt like I returned to the world, surfaced for some air. Yesterday, after photographing again in the cold, I had the pleasure of watching the Oscars with other folks at the OAC. Today we went into town to the art center to measure the space to make a floor plan for our video exhibit next summer. I realize I haven’t left the property since my arrival and my return home is looming. Now I feel like I’m running out of time.





I’m not terribly worried about it but I will have to think about how to keep up my artistic practice once I return to regular life. Mark, the OAC director, said that most artists don’t know how to manage an art/work/life balance after their first stay at a residency. I know for sure that I want to attend another residency after my experience here. But I also want to go home. All of my clothes are covered in mud or who knows what else. The hiking and photographing outside in the cold is exhausting. I’m glad I pushed myself, but I can’t say I’ve treated the residency like a relaxing vacation. It is still a cathartic and fulfilling experience. I need to make 4 photographs in 2 days. That is on my mind.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Day 9 & 10 at the OAC

Yesterday I forgot to write for the blog but for good reason. Tony, a member of the OAC board, arrived and prepared dinner for us last night. Now that he is here, and because we are sharing a kitchen, Tony has already cooked today’s breakfast, lunch, and will prepare another dinner tonight. It certainly makes things much more pleasant when the house smells of good homemade food and I get to eat more savory dishes instead of the depressing meals I throw together.

I worked outside for most of the day yesterday and today. Yesterday, I put together the ‘bouquet’ installation and photographed it.



Today was wonderful with it being 40 degrees. I took a few test shots around the property and worked in another creek bed where I painted with mud. Touching the soil felt wonderful-a much better experience than handling snow. At the end of the day, it became a little misty-a good thing for photographs. So I’m pretty pleased all in all.

and murphy is in the frame




Thursday, February 19, 2015

Day 8

I’m tired. I did what I set out to do today: three shoots at three different locations and two of them involved an installation. Hiking around the property at OAC has been good for me. But the cold, the uncooperative light, and a camera shutter that likes to stick in the cold made for a slightly more stressful day. I spent most of the time in the dream house, a small house on the property with the year, 1930, carved into the cement foundation.


After the 4 hours outdoors I came back to meet with Mark and a community member, Jan, who leads docent tours at the art center here. It was good to see my housemate’s work at the meeting. Rachel is a videographer and makes some beautiful work. I showed the group the beginnings of my projects. I yearn for that feeling of completion where I can say, ‘this is it, this is what I can do,’ but I’m not there yet. A potential show at the OAC art center will be plenty of motivation to complete my projects though.