At Home Artist’s Residency 2025

Today I am embarking on a new project. One that I intend to be my primary focus for the next 4 months. Why call it a "residency" when I am working from my home studio in much the same way that I always do? Well, it helps me to stay focused and to prioritize this work. It also helps to put a frame around it in time, space and theme.

I did an "at home artist's residency" in 2022 and I really enjoyed the challenge. As a member of the Surface Design Association I recently participated in an online meetup group around the topic of at home residencies. It was helpful to discuss the process of setting intentions, goals, looking at challenges and sharing ideas. In my 2022 residency I realized that I failed in sharing and communicating the process even though I finished the project as desired in the timeline I had set, I slacked at posting updates and completion here on my blog. Here is the first post on my 2022 residency which I titled LEAVE, WEAVE, DISCARD or DONATE.

And here is the completed project an 84 inch x 84 inch weaving titled WHEN? NOW

One reason for my downfall on posting on the project was that I initially started out posting daily updates. Well, that just isn't going to work for me. My intention for this new residency is weekly or bi-weekly updates which will be plenty! Here is a description of the parameters I've set for this residency:

Title: Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Plastics Will Surely Kill Me

Purpose:

I intend to focus on creating a body of work that explores the possibilities of weaving together foraged natural materials as well as salvaged plastics combined with my handspun or hand dyed art yarns. These are materials I have been working with individually for the past few years and I would like to dive deeper into the creative possibilities that combining them might offer. The work I plan to create will utilize both traditional tapestry weaving techniques and also sculptural basketry techniques.  

My goal is to create a dialogue around climate change awareness, the problems with plastics in our environment and the desire to reuse and reduce these materials in our world. I am also an avid gardener and intend to integrate my own garden as a source for foraged materials, increasing awareness around sustainability, carbon footprint and “gardening as political resistance”.

Goals:

Create 4 tapestries with a natural elements theme:  Earth, Air, Water, Fire. 

Create 4 woven sculptural pieces focused on the same 4 elements.

Timeframe: 

Begin April 15 and work until August 15th, 2025

So, there it is, my plan for the summer of 2025. I hope you follow along on my progress!