Week 2 - Azule!!

My residency so far has been both extremely eventful and incredibly restful, and the week has flown by while also feeling like it’s been a month.

I can’t quite put into words how beautiful this place is; the carpentry and wood working of the house is mindblowing. The surrounding land is in hibernation, but also gorgeous, and I can only imagine how magical this place is in the warmer months. The energy here is so pure and good, and even in the coldest week of the year I’ve been shown so much warmth from the people I’ve met here at Azule and at Appalachian State University while visiting earlier this week. I didn’t imagine I’d be taught a lesson in community during a mostly-solo residency, but the strength, humility, and connectedness I’ve seen over the past week has been truly impactful.

With Andrea’s class at App State!

Max and I drove to Boone on Tuesday to celebrate our friend Jillian’s birthday and visit Andrea Keys Connell. It was so sweet being able to visit the place that’s so special to Max, and I really loved the atmosphere of App. State. Meeting Andrea was awesome — she is so incredibly kind and welcoming, and she invited us to speak about our post-grad experiences to her advanced clay class, which made me feel way more important and qualified than I actually am.(!!) I was so honored to be included in that conversation.

I had so much fun making alongside Max this week- it was a gift to be able to share a space with one of my best friends. His resilience, care for his friends, and devotion to his practice is so inspiring to me. Top 10 coolest people ever, for sure.

Today, Azule held a potluck (they usually do so every month but this is the first one since September, because of the flood), and a ton of community members showed up. Everyone was so genuine and kind and I could feel an air of true, unconditional care and acceptance for one another, regardless of how close they were or any differences they had. From what I’ve seen, communities here are incredibly tight-knit, and the flood has really brought out the power in these bonds. The climate crisis has been at the forefront of my mind for the past couple months, and this past week I’ve experienced firsthand the true importance of a supportive community and the beauty within collaboration and mutual aid in recovering from devastating loss and destruction.

There was a moment during the potluck when everyone came downstairs to look at the studio, and they stood around to listen to me talk about my work. I’ve been reflecting on this experience for the past few hours and am so, so deeply grateful. I am emotional thinking about how younger me would feel showing my work to a room full of almost-strangers who saw me as an artist before anything else. Returning to painting has been really humbling, and I’m insecure about the work I’ve been making here. My self doubt tells me I’m not making real art, just an imitation or attempt at it. I feel like I’m not doing enough, despite doing everything I should be doing. But tonight not only affirmed me that the work I’m doing is enough but also reminded me what matters exponentially more than a couple more pieces for a portfolio. I can feel that this moment of connecting with new people through my art, outside of academia or a gallery space, is a transformative point in my journey.

that being said, painting kinda sucks compared to clay, lol.

Most of my hours have gone into sculpting these vessels because my brain and hands like it more.

Also, Max and I dug up some small wild clay samples from the creek that runs through Azule and a little down the road! I processed mine and plan to collect some more tomorrow- plus it’s been warming up, so the ground should be thawed by now. (:

Max left Friday night, so now it’s just me for the rest of my stay. I have a few things outside of the studio planned for this coming week, but am mostly looking forward to more uninterrupted solace and making time. For now, I’m basking in gratitude and am so happy to be here.