Upstairs studio with my table in the corner.
For two weeks in October, I did my first artist residency at Can Serrat, an old farmhouse just below the village of El Bruc in Catalonia. There were 30 residents generally coming and going, split between visual artists and writers from Europe, South America, Turkey, Egypt, and the US. With a limited time - most stayed one to two months - my intention was to try and experience the area by physically walking and photographing it; I hoped to paint at least a couple of small canvases. So, every morning I went out walking and twice hiked over the mountains to the Monestero de Monserrat; once to the Ermita de Sant Joan. These were intense, rocky, uphill hikes through the National Park. I came back and started painting quick sketches with acrylic on paper. I became fascinated by the iconography of trail signage - the graphics for what was acceptable and what was not allowed. I also went to the SWAB art fair in Barcelona during my time there and did a sketch of some little projects I did with a booth from Helsinki. I completed a few small works on canvas done fairly quickly. What started out as a focus on the incredible mountains became an interest in the juxtaposition of the mountains and the variations in foiliage- from olive trees to oaks to shrubs, including rosemary bushes, and other plants. The colors and textures were incredible. My work is taking me in several new directions.
acrylic sketch on textured paper 4'“ x 6”
Random leaves and seeds picked up on the trail.
Day 2 quick sketch of the mountains.
Quick sketch on paper - 4” x 6” acrylic
5 minute pen drawing 4” x 6”
Acrylic sketch on paper of unknown bright fruit on trail to Monestero de Monserrat.
Quick acrylic painting on canvas, Olive grove on way to Colobato, 5” x 7”
Trail signs: Bird Sanctuary and Beware of falling rocks.
Quick painting, acrylic on canvas, 8” x 10”, Monserrat from below
