Residency Fundraiser

I have been accepted for an Art Residency in Neopoli, Italy. An Art Residency is an opportunity for an artist experience cultural exchange and provides time for reflection, research, presentation and production. In this residency I will be spending time in a mountain top village in southern Italy. Neopoli is a small rural farm community, much like the place I grew up in. It will be an interesting to compare and contrast the difference of a small farming community from Italy with my home in Williston, North Dakota.

The Residency is call Palazzo Rinaldi. Here is the link to their website: http://www.palazzorinaldi.com/Palazzo_Rinaldi.html.

Here is a section of my proposal that I sent to the Residency in the application process:

“My current work is abstract paintings and prints derived from sketches of environments and objects around me.  The drawings are about shape interaction in the visual space of the canvas.  As an artist, I am constantly searching for ways to adapt my aesthetic and enhance my artistic statement through playful imagery and language.  I know this residency in Palazzo Rinaldi will be an enriching environment for me to create and reflect upon my work.

In Palazzo Rinaldi, I will create a series of watercolors, drawings, and mixed media work pieces layering visual imagery inspired by this unique location.  My watercolors will be done outside amongst the community and historic buildings.  The vast landscape, architecture of the buildings and unique layout of the town will be my inspiration.  I will then build from these works, using the general shapes and mark-making to create abstract, larger format images that showcase my interpretation of the new environment around me.  The paintings will be segmented by the unique shapes inspired by this environment and layered with intuitive reaction.

General shapes that I witness in person, will be at play and become adapted intuitively through this abstraction process. I will create an imaginary visual space inspired by a more meaningful actual space.  I will use watercolor or ink washes to enhance these drawings into finished pieces.  These finished pieces would also inspire larger paintings when I return to my home studio.  I have one more year of graduate school and this residency would help develop my thesis work.”