In Portugal

In October, 2022, I was in residence for three weeks at Foundation Obras near Estremoz, Portugal. The residency is located in an arid region of marble quarries, cork trees, and a savannah-like landscape with rocky outcroppings. My time there was productive and stimulating; I met not only other visual artists but musicians and writers who were also in residence. I worked on paper and explored combinations of water-based media including ink, gouache, acrylic, and drawing materials, with an interest in shapes and marks that were isolated on unpainted backgrounds. The first paintings I did resembled torsos, abstracted self-portraits reflecting my initial experiences in the landscape surrounding the foundation. They were followed by many small paintings in further response to the landscape and the marble quarries of the region, along with aspects of pure abstraction. When I returned home, my experiences continued to impact my paintings in cold wax and oil.