54 Watercolor artist | JUNE 2020
After reading an article on self-directed artist residencies, I was inspired to create my own plan.
I presented it to Yellowstone National Park, which didn’t have an artist-in-residence program at the
time. I’ve been creating my own self-directed residency plans every year since—experiences that
have been essential to my development as an artist.Refresh, Renew and Recharge
As a studio artist, the primary focus of my art-making is the documentation of the places that I see
and experience. Th ere’s just something about connecting with a place and capturing that feeling in
a sketchbook that fascinates me. Th is is especially true for me when visiting our national parks and
monuments. I think the intrigue might stem from the many family vacations to national parks whenI painted Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain
National Park, June 2013 (ink and watercolor)
in a Strathmore watercolor sketchbook, while
sitting on a rock, under a bush with one foot in
shallow water. Flooding occurred in the area
later that year, and the spot where I was sitting
to complete this sketch is now gone. You can
still see the Alluvial Fan today, but the rock and
shrubbery were washed away, which has given
the page an extra poignancy. The image at
right shows the view and sketch inked and
ready for watercolor in my sketchbook.