Within hours of the total eclipse (which was all that we’d hoped for and more!), my husband left on his merry way for a much-anticipated 10-day mountain bike adventure with buddies. About a nanosecond after the door closed behind him, I got out my day planner/journal to brainstorm for an extended stay-at-home “art residency”. When have I ever had such an impressive, relatively chore and commitment-free span of uninterrupted time to spend totally immersed in my practice – not to mention giving myself permission to ignore pretty much everything else?
Exactly never.
©2024 Elizabeth Fram, exploratory sketch
It’s been a wonderful 10 days!
I’ve made serious progress on a new “Full Bloom” piece, worked daily in my sketchbook – including life drawing sessions on Emma Carlisle’s Patreon – and have made a point to write every morning à la Julia Cameron (if you only knew how many years I’ve been meaning to try that).
©2024 Elizabeth Fram, first layers
I finally tackled Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act, visited 4 exhibitions, and had some lovely one-on-one time with several friends. I was able to take a serious bite out of my much-needed website update and began the initial experiments for a couple of new projects that I’ve been mulling over for weeks.
Our Girl ©2024 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor, 9 x 9
In the evening, I watched art documentaries: The Woodmans, Georgia O’Keeffe: By Myself, and several Waldemar Januszczak episodes on the Renaissance. My 4-legged studio assistant kept me on the straight and narrow by making sure I got out for two walks every day, rain or shine. And there has been time to just think!
Trixie ©2024 Elizabeth Fram, Pencil and Brush Pen, 8 x 5 inches @theblushingmodel
It’s been a very sweet experience with the huge gift of a wiped-clean schedule that gave me the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted, for as long as I wanted. It’s crazy how liberating that can be.
Glorious Clutter
Even so, I doubt I could keep up this pace forever and it will be so nice to have my husband home again tomorrow. But if you can swing it, I can’t recommend this experience enough. The benefits of a traditional art residency are many and I totally get that often, for many, the only way to achieve this kind of time and space is to leave home – which admittedly also carries the stimulation of being in a new and different space. But if the circumstances allow – even if for just a weekend, I would definitely encourage you to consider setting up a “residency” for yourself at home some time. You’ll love it.
❖
Here are several things worth sharing that crossed my path this week:
- Maine Calling’s podcast episode on The Role of Art in Community. Be sure to check out Pamela Moulton and Peter Bruun’s websites to see their work.
- We lost a shining star last Saturday when Faith Ringgold died at 93. Having only known of her painted art quilts, I was amazed to learn of her powerful early-career work. Holland Cotter’s April 15th NYTimes article “Faith Ringgold Perfectly Captured the Pitch of America’s Madness” highlights what a titan Ringgold was. This is a gift link so you should be able to access the article without encountering a paywall.
- And finally, the two exhibits I’ve been part of: “Up & Down, In & Out: Embroidery and its Kin” and “Visions of Totality” are closing this weekend at Studio Place Arts and the Highland Center for the Arts, respectively. If you haven’t have a chance to visit in person, the following reviews will give you a nice flavor of both.
Seven Days, by Pamela Polston, April 10, 2024
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus, by Mary Gow, April 6, 2024
Thanks so much for gifting the Faith Ringgold article. We saw a show of her works in Phoenix, AZ several decades ago. As I recall, most of the works on display were fiber art.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article and am envious of you getting to see that exhibit! She was impressive.
Bravo for you to do that!
Query – is that moi?
You have sharp eyes because I used your photos, but obviously it isn’t an accurate rendering. The painting still has a long way to go and I can already see it is veering away from your likeness.
I know what you mean about an at-home retreat! I’m always shocked when people ask me what I’ll do while he’s away, so I usually respond (a bit sassily) that ‘I’ll Cry all day long’. In truth, I always approach the time thinking “Now I can do exactly what I want all day.” And I do just that, as you did. But the instructive part is that in doing so, I am reminded how many days of my normal life are filled with doing exactly what I want anyways.. It’s always great to be reminded how lucky I am to have this opportunity every day at this time of my life.
You are so right Roz – what a privilege!