Vermont Studio Center- Monotypes Part 1

These five monotypes are part a series of monotypes created at an Artist Residency at Vermont Studio Center which explores reaching your limits, exploring your edge, seeing the light both physically and metaphysically, and appreciating the wonder, joy and gifts of life, especially in the afternoon of life. The entire series can be seen on my website in the gallery As We Are Reaching.

They are from the top: By Gravity Alone 1, By Gravity Alone 2, Balanced for Now, Time Swept Up 1 and Time Swept Up 2.

Vermont Studio Center- The Object of My Affection

Now you know! The reason I was so happy and so directed for 2 weeks in Vermont at the Artist Residency- yes!! I was in love. and there is a picture of the object of my affection- the press that I had virtually to myself just a few feet away from my personal studio. I did all my printing on that press. And, as it turned out, even with more printers than presses, I never had to wait!! The timing was always perfect.

The amount of work I got done in 2 weeks of consistent creating and printing with no distractions, no chores or regular life responsibilities like laundry or meal preparation, no TV, Twitter or Facebook was comparable to 4 to 6 months of work at home. Of course, I would not be willing to give up everything I like to do for a very extended period of time- no social media, no TV (I do have shows I DVR after all) as well as friends and family I missed.

But going to an Artist Residency is something I want to do on an annual basis so I know I can focus for 2-4 weeks on my art and get a lot done in a short, saturated fabulous time in the mountains of Vermont with the object of my affection once again.

Vermont Studio Center-Barbara White Print Studio

Having a print studio available 24/6 (I observe the Sabbath and do not print on Saturdays) was a dream set-up! The Barbara White Studio on Main Street has a large print studio that accommodated the 4 printers scheduled for July very well, especially since Sage Dawson was preparing her collograph plates the whole time I was there and rarely used the press. Deborah Sosower did a lot of hand printing because she made some very large woodcuts. She and I collaborated on a short series of smaller woodcuts with chine colle as well. Mariana Smith, the fourth printmaker, combined various printmaking techniques and drawing into her prints, including burning which she did in the sculpture building.

As you can see from the photographs, taken by Sage Dawson, the print studio is comprised of 2 rooms and has two presses. There is a lot of room for preparing the plates and for cleaning up after. The pictures show the space for all of us. Each artist also has a private studio. In the next post, I will show more of the smaller print studio that was next to my private studio where I printed most of my work.

Vermont Studio Center- Fellow Artists

The joy of an Artist Residency is having studio space and the focus of undiluted time to spend on your work times the community of like-minded people around you who are also artists with the same passion and commitment to their work. It is a pleasure to be in such an environment and interact with artists of different media and styles, but who all love what they do.

Pictured above are some of the people I enjoyed meeting: Top photo shows Sage Dawson and Masako Miki both fellow printmakers.

The next photo is my dream Vermonter (who actually lived in Connecticut) but put here to be sure you are paying attention!!

Steve Locke is the Visiting Artist from Boston who lectured and then spent time with those of us who signed up for a critique. He was so generous with his time and insights.

The bottom photo is Lenore Shapiro, a writer, who roomed across the hall from me and was returning for her 6th visit to Vermont Studio Center to finishing editing a young adult novel on the Holocaust. She is 80 years old, a lively and intelligent person to pal around with and have late night conversation with.

There were so many others whose pictures I did not get. Unfortunately I rarely had my camera with me.

Vermont Studio Center- Here I Am!

It took over 5 hours to get to Providence, Rhode Island to stay at my sister's overnight and then another over 5 hour trip from there to Johnson, Vermont to get to the Vermont Studio Center so when I hit Vermont Route 15 (top photo), I was thrilled not only but the scenery but glad to know I was on the last leg of a very long journey. I turned right onto Pearl Street, expecting to go far and found the Red Barn (photos above) right there!! What a treat! I was in center city Johnson, not in the suburbs. The Vermont Studio Center is in 31 buildings all over town. The Gihon River runs right through the town, next to the Red Barn, a major building of the Center. As buildings became available, they were bought and rehabbed. The photos above show various buildings used as studios or dorms.In later posts, I will show you my actual studio. My dorm was Diney House the third photo from the top.

Preparing for New Options in Vermont!

Beside taking all the familiar supplies I have become used to having in my possession as I have described before, I am also taking new materials to experiment with while I am away. I have purchased canvas board to see if I can print on canvas and collage on it. Instead of doing works on paper, I will try my hand at making an image with ink on canvas. I have also bought varnish and matte medium so I can seal the work. Then I will not put glass over it. It is an experiment and I will see if I like how it looks.

I also bought colored 3-in-1 pencils called "Woodies" at Dick Blick online. They are like watercolors, colored pencils and wax crayons all in one. Several painters I know use them and like them and I like the effects they get. I am willing to try them and see what happens when I use them in my mixed media work. Art is an adventure and I am willing to take a journey to new and unknown places and see what happens. I have an open mind. If I like it, you will see the results. If I do not like it, you will not get to see the results. The art will stay in the back of my closet.

Meanwhile, I am beginning to get my things in order for the trip on June 30. I will be in Rhode Island for the weekend and then go to Vermont Studio Center for my 2 week Artist Residency on July 3.

Packing for Vermont Artist Residency- How Much Is Too Much?

I have been fortunate enough to have done a considerable amount of traveling in the last 12 years and each time I go, I travel lighter and lighter. I hardly bring any clothes with me. I wear the same things and wash them out. After all, who is going to see me if I am moving along the itinerary?? Also, who wants to carry the heavy load? My poor husband calls himself the "camel!" Another trick we have recently adopted, is not to check luggage unless absolutely necessary. We pare down to bare necessities.

We also need to leave space for purchases along the way. On the trip to Paris in Fall 2010, I had only a carry-on for a week stay. I did buy quite a bit and found I had to leave a weathered pair of sneakers and an old, but oh! so comfortable, pair of shoes to make room for the new purchases.

For this trip to Vermont, the clothes are not an issue- a few T shirts, pants, a Shabbas outfit, enough underwear and nightgowns not to do laundry and I will be fine.

BUT, I am wanting to take everything in my studio! I have overbought supplies like crazy, my rationale being "What happens if I run out of things and I am stuck in the middle of Vermont? So I bought 100 sheets of BFK Rives, my favorite printing paper. Or what if I want to collage a lot of things and I run out of the kind of non-toxic archival glue I prefer? So I bought out the store and got all 48 large tubes of it as well as fixative and more matte medium. I overloaded on printers' ink just to be sure and bought tons of fabulous hand-made and designer papers for collage. I will have a carful of supplies, enough to last a lot more than 2 weeks, I expect I'll run out of toothpaste before I run out of art supplies.