Artist Residency Opportunity - My Experience

My experience at the Chalk Hill Artist Residency was exactly as described: “a space for creative minds”. This is a residency that offers solitude in the beautiful vineyards of Warnecke Ranch.

During my time at Chalk Hill, I took many photographs that I have begun to create intaglio prints (as above) from. These photos are a wealth of images and ideas that I have only just started to realize post residency. On rainy days, I shot pinhole photos of myself creating movement in the farm house residence and the studio. In the third week of my residency, I created a site specific performance as part of my international dance anywhere® project with three guest artists. The only difficulty I had with the performance was choosing from the many inspiring locations on the ranch. After much exploration, I chose the vineyard and a pond covered in algae.
 

Because I have an eclectic approach and an interdisciplinary art practice the ranch offered many new possibilities and unexpected insights into my practice. Leaving behind the urban area where I live and immersing myself in the visual quietness of the landscape allowed me to respond and interact with the environment and create new work both outside and in the studio.

The studio was basically a large empty space (it does have table and easels) which drew me in with its emptiness, allowing me to install my work “around again”. These thirty-six mono-types are printed on both sides (one side ranges from black to white, while the other side is red to white) and were created with the intention to install it in a variety ways as a response to its location. The movement through the work was a new development that I had not considered before.

There are many different types of residencies; some provide a community of artists. Chalk Hill is a residency that offers concentrated time to work on your own. The solitary nature of this solo residency at Chalk Hill allowed me an internal stillness to be creative and productive in a contemplative, focused, and receptive way.  

All images and video are copyrighted: ©bethfein 2016

Visit Beth's site: bethfein.com

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