Arte Studio Ginestrelle in Assisi, Italy

In July 2024, my partner, Sam Teeter, and I traveled to Assisi, Italy as artist-and-writer in residence at Arte Studio Ginestrelle, founded by Marina Merli. We spent the week creating work and exploring this sacred village and its many winding cobblestone paths, forts, cathedrals, and the Roman and Etruscan archaeological sites below. As St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and nature, this hillside village was overflowing with greenery, with olive groves and grapevines abounding over stone walkways. There were many adorable cats to be found, taken care of by the lady next door to us. We hiked the Bosco di San Francesco, a forest path and nature preserve connected to St. Francis Basilica. It led to the adjoining grounds of the Benedictine chapel, Chiesa Santa Croce. Here the land was turned into olive groves and orchards as a sanctuary for travelers.

My monotypes were heavily influenced by these sights, especially the lushness of the olive trees and the everpresent layering of history found in the landscape. Our residency was even built with stone previously used for Roman buildings. In the work I made here, I responded to the local environment and drew on my collected research from my recent travels through Rome, Florence, and Siena. I studied the Tuscan landscape and the ways it was portrayed in Renaissance paintings to create a series of landscape-inspired gel-plate monotypes and drawings that capture the emotion and energy of my experiences within these places, particularly Assisi  In my work, I also used gold ink to evoke the ever-present gold-leaf found in the Byzantine and early Renaissance paintings found in the many cathedrals.

On our last night, Sam and I encountered a group of musical therapy students playing music in the square outside San Rufino Cathedral. Despite the language barrier, I communicated that he plays the fiddle, and immediately one of the musicians handed him her instrument. They delighted in his playing and many joined in while others invited me to dance. We ended the evening enjoying cookies brought out to us by nuns and sharing our stories in broken English and Italian. I cherish our adventures here and hope we shall return.

Texas Emerging: Volume IV at Foltz Fine Art, Houston, TX

Texas Emerging: Volume IV, Foltz Fine Art, Houston, TX,  Sept. 9 – Oct 28, 2023

Beginning on September 9, 2023, Foltz Fine Art will present Texas Emerging: Volume IV, the fourth iteration of an annual exhibition featuring emerging visual artists across disciplines from the state of Texas, co-curated by Jonathan Paul Jackson.

In Volume Four, Foltz Fine Art is proud to showcase six extraordinary, up-and-coming artists around the state, linked by their process-driven studio practices: Colleen Blackard (Austin/Brooklyn, painter/printmaker), Rachel Comminos (Harlingen, fiber artist), Brendan Flores (Houston, sculptor), Adrian Landon Brooks (Austin/Wimberley, painter/muralist), Kate Mulholland (Houston, painter/mixed media), and Patrick Renner (Houston, sculptor).

Through these essentially six “mini-solo” exhibitions, the gallery will offer viewers an introduction to each artist’s work. Texas Emerging: Volume IV will be on view for seven weeks at Foltz Fine Art starting on September 9th, with opportunities to meet the artists during the opening reception as well as the artist panel discussion on the afternoon of October 15th.

Atelierhaus Hilmsen Artist Residency, Germany

Atelierhaus Hilmsen, Germany, July 2023

During this month-long residency at Atelierhaus Hilmsen, I am using my time to create work inspired by my recent adventures in Scandinavian woodlands, fjords, and islands. The resulting monotypes are also influenced by the folklore and myths of the region I have been reading during my travels, from Norse mythology to the Norwegian folktales and legends collected by Peter Christen Asbørnsen and Jorgensen Moe.

About Atelierhaus Hilmsen Artist Residency 

Frauen Kunst at Mönchskirche Gallery in Salzwedel, Germany

“Women’s Art”

Exhibition of contemporary women artists

is an inspiring exhibition that exclusively presents works by female artists. The exhibition includes media such as painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video. Each work of art reflects the individual experiences and perspectives of the artists. This exhibition offers visitors a chance to discover the diversity and richness of works of art created by women.

“Frauenkunst“
Ausstellung zeitgenössischer Künstlerinnen

ist eine inspirierende Ausstellung, die ausschließlich Werke von Künstlerinnen präsentiert. Die Ausstellung umfasst Medien wie Malerei, Skulptur, Installation, Fotografie und Video. Jedes Kunstwerk reflektiert die individuellen Erfahrungen und Perspektiven der Künstlerinnen. Diese Ausstellung bietet den Besuchern eine Chance, die Vielfalt und den Reichtum der Kunstwerke, von Frauen geschaffen, zu entdecken

PLAYA at Summer Lake Artist Residency

With Laurie Jo Brain and fellow residents Mark Adams, Eleanor K Ray, and Alan Contreras

From October 28th-November 8th, I was an artist in residence at PLAYA Summer Lake, Oregon. I was fascinated by how the wild weather coming in over Winter Ridge would cause rainbows and dust devils out on the playa below magnificent cloud formations. I could never tell how the weather would turn and I got caught out in 50 mph winds and rain during a couple painting adventures. On our last days, the rain became snow and sleet, blanketing the mountain peaks above.

My studio at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon