What an AMAZING opportunity! 

 

I had the wonderful pleasure of being an artist in residence at Olive Stack Gallery in Listowel, Ireland for the month of February 2022, and I absolutely loved every minute of the experience. I am fortunate to have visited Ireland twice before this residency (on vacation), but this dedicated month was truly special and unique for the gift of time and peace to create.

 

It was such an honor to be given the time to explore, experience, and experiment. This residency gave me the gift of patience and enthusiasm to create new works, and reinvigorated my appreciation of living in the moment. I’m walking away from this experience having grown more as an artist, and with a new vein of artwork style and technique that I’m truly excited about continuing. Having always been interested in Irish symbology, mythology, folklore, cryptids, and legends, it was wonderful to delve deeper into the lore of this region and incorporate the theme of illustrative storytelling with fabric collages in this new body of work. I was inspired by the intricate plasterwork and stained glass around town, as well as the beautiful landscapes, and incorporated them into my new artworks. I’m excited about the work that I will make next, thanks to this opportunity. 

 

Ireland is a magical place - the landscapes are made of dreams. The friendly people of Listowel greeted me with kind words, open hearts, and interesting stories (and the occasional friendly pint), and this town has captured my heart. Even though the weather was unpredictable (it was February, after all), I enjoyed the rainy days in the studio and reveled in the sunshine on walks around town or on short trips out of town. It was lovely to meet people who visited the gallery while we were working. I felt like I was let in on a special secret while taking walks around and hanging out in the pubs in Listowel - the depth of beauty and community that this place provides is awesome!

 

Olive is a wonderful host, this time was so special to me, and I can’t wait to return to Listowel.