Chalk Hill Artist Residency

What started as a wild, wet and rain-soaked drive through farmland, ended in an incredible two weeks of focused painting at Chalk Hill Artist Residency, a special place in time that I'll never forget. As I mentally sift through some of the magic that transpired there, a few takeaways come to mind. Please feel free to grab hold of anything that provides inspiration for your own day-to-day, creative / life journey :)

BEGINNING THE DAY BY BEING STILL
Taking some time to be quiet (yet awake) in the morning is something I've struggled through and fought for, especially over the past ten years of motherhood. But I was reminded, no matter your role or season of life, it's completely worth the fight. Even during my time at residency, it took determination and intentionality to wake up and be still, rather than immediately start scrolling on my phone. For me, it helps to physically get out of bed and move to a new 'quiet time' location. If this is something you've struggled to maintain as well, keep trying! Starting things off by laying it all down is the best way I've found to move through the day with more peace, clarity and purpose.

THE POWER OF WONDER
There were so many moments of wonder during my time at Chalk Hill. Letting my mind wander and be curious, and waiting for the wonder to kicked in was so refreshing. Taking that space generated lots of new ideas and even different approaches to my painting technique. I've heard it said that artists need to take the time to stare off into space. Not only do I wholeheartedly agree, but I think it's true of all creatives. I also believe that we're all creative beings, with our creativity expressing itself in various forms. 

Two weeks away to focus on creating is a rare and unique gift, I understand. But what if we all gave ourselves a little bit of that gift more often. Could you set aside five minutes in a day, half an hour in your week, or one morning out of your month, to give yourself permission and see where your mind wanders off to?

VALUE IN GETTING WARMED UP
Rarely do I start my studio time off with a warm up. However, I was surprised that it took me a full week of 'warming up' at residency before I began to make some significant headway. It's like I had to settle in first and make a couple of paintings in order to arrive at some of my best work.

Admittedly, I put a lot of pressure on myself to only work on paintings that I plan to sell. But the painting that helped inspire the rest of my paintings at Chalk Hill was one I created because I wanted to, a painting of my boys that hangs in our home. My seven year old says he wants to buy it :) I told him I'll gladly give it to him when he grows up and moves out of the house.

Are you creating art that's just for you, even if you create art to sell? If not, maybe consider doing a little bit of both. Who knows, that piece that never sees the light of day could serve as a warm up for your most notable masterpiece :)

FEED THE CREATIVITY WITH GOOD FOOD
My final take away is rather basic – eat good food. Seems pretty simple, right? The farmhouse kitchen at Chalk Hill was very charming. Each morning, around 11am, I made it a point to prepare a delicious and filling 'brunch' to carry me through most of the day. I stepped away from whatever I was working on to prepare the food, then sat down and really savored each bite. We'll see how well I maintain this practice back in real life! But I see how the quality of my work improves when I get decent sleep and fuel my creativity with good nutrition. I want that for you too.

 

Mixing up my paint colors on my first full day at Chalk Hill

 

Testing out my premixed colors

 

Some of my first completed 'Spain Inspired' paintings up on the studio wall

 

The last 'Spain Inspired' painting I worked on during my final studio day

 

Photo credit: Doug Wilder, Studio 1529

 

Started each morning here, the perfect spot for quiet time reflections and coffee

 

Keeping warm in the studio with my jacket and space heaters

 

Cozy setup in the farmhouse on a rainy day

 

Afternoon in Sóller (Mallorca, Spain) / 16x20 inches / Acrylics and collage on wood

 

Made it a point to feed the creativity with delicious breakfast

 

Looking at the back of the farmhouse, with trees atop Chalk Hill to the right

 

Built three fires in the cozy fireplace (Thanks for the fire starters, Margo!)

 

Warnecke Ranch and Vineyard, such a special place

 

My family came to visit over the weekend. Time with them carried me through!

 

Out for a walk during a break in the rain

 

The house all lit up at night

 

Caught a beautiful sunset on the evening of my arrival

 

My interpretation of the above sunset, studio barn in the background

 

ARTIST FRIENDS...
Are you interested in applying to residency? Visit chalkhillresidency.com and click on 'apply' under 'artist residency'