Hi, all. Wow, I'm blogging from the road again. Didn't know I travelled this much. I'm just north of Chicago at an artist's residency called Ragdale Foundation where I will enjoy solitude, work, good food, and new artist friends. Artist's residencies are really artist's resorts (but virtually free). If you like going on cruises where you can enjoy fun activities, be well fed, be in a new and unique environment, and meet interesting folks, then that would be akin to what I'm doing here.
A 19th. C. mansion on 50 acres of midwest prairie is the setting. The property was given over to a foundation by the original owners who loved art and wanted to find a way to support what artists do. So, for a hundred years or so, artists have been coming here for two weeks to a month to work and be treated like the Kings and Queens we are(!). All our needs are taken care of: wonderful meals prepared, linens changed, fabulous studios to work in, guaranteed solitude, and social times with new friends with shared interests. Here is a photo of my studio taken from my sleeping loft.
I'll blog more as the week progresses. I'll be here for two weeks. click on title of post if you would like to go to the official Ragdale site and poke around.
2 comments:
Scott,
How do you find out about these great places? I guess word gets around among artists. It sounds like a lovely retreat spot. Do you bring all your paint supplies with you or is it already provided there? How many pieces do you think you'll finish while you are there? Or how long do you usually spend on one piece, and do you work on only one at a time or several, going back and forth?
Whoa there, Melanie. One question at a time. It took a little research to find some of the art colonies. This one is more obscure than some, but I have a particular fondness for it because it was my first back in 1995. Since I flew, all my art supplies had to fit in my suitcase, so I'm working small and with a quick drying medium called gouache. I'm painting what I eat (my dinner), so I'm trying to paint one painting a day.
Post a Comment