The year unfolded predictably, yet the acceleration towards the end has surprised me, as it always does. Sadly, it signals the end of my residency at Bloedel Reserve. I was granted full access since last December and was witness to the slow and steady turning of the seasons; starting with the barrenness of winter, the magical burst of spring, the long days of summer followed by the fading beauty and contraction of Autumn.

My initial intentions for the residency was gathering knowledge and on site experience in the rich and varied botanical world that Bloedel provided. I began a sketchbook that included one ink drawing of each plant and a more abstracted sketchbook entry. I realized there was so much I was missing so I began to photograph plants and their context finishing with over 300 to complete my catalog and provide a rich resource for future paintings, including an important series I will be beginning in 2025.

The secondary plan, unexpectedly, provided the perfect set up for a joyful focused observation of nature. I was challenged to find a way to apply my visual language to traditional plein air painting. Oh, there absolutely were some disasters, but I also experienced incremental and major breakthroughs, which resulted in a growing fluidity with each painting. I completed 15 sessions, each lasting 2 ½ to 3 hours on site and then another 2 hours in the studio to finish. I learned to translate the landscape to my own visual language; marked by saturated color, skewed perspective and blocks of color with little regard for value or tone. In the end, I am always interested in the feeling of the thing, while I am standing in the presence of the magical essence of nature, rather than the thing itself.

I am so incredibly grateful to Bloedel Reserve for this opportunity as a Community Creative. I entered this experience with a small idea of what I wanted to accomplish and I came away with that and so much more. I do residencies, not only for the amazing experience, but to push and expand my own practice. In teacher terms, its my professional development training. With this residency I was so fortunate to embed myself in this lushness and richness of Pacific Northwest habitat and observe, learn and apply in my own way. I look forward to see how the work that I have done will embed its way into my future work.