Artist-in-Residence: The Reserve at Lake Keowee
I’m just getting back from a fantastic stay at the Reserve at Lake Keowee as Artist-in-Residence. The community was so welcoming, the scenery beautiful, and it was so easy to find inspiration. Not only did I create art on-site, but I also did a workshop, artist's talk, and live plein air demo. I always get so much out of exploring new places, and Lake Keowee had so much to offer!
Each morning I got up to watch the sunrise and enjoy a walk before the day got too toasty. The Reserve has many walking trails and hiking paths, some in the hilly pine forests, some along the emerald lake. I saw creatures almost every I ventured out, including my first-ever bear sighting in the wild. While distracted by a very busy armadillo who didn’t seem to mind our presence, we followed him down the trail, and suddenly realized there was an adult black bear about 40 yards away. I got one blurry photo and turned around. My husband and I didn’t finish our hike that day!
FAVORITE THINGS:
SIGHTS: Pink sunrises and that glorious color fade from the red clay earth to the emerald green water along the shoreline.
SMELLS: Pine needles in the sun.
SOUNDS: Crows laughing at me and gossiping high up in the trees.
TASTE: The grouper special at the clubhouse the first night of the residency. So so good!
MOMENT: Armadillo/bear sighting on a hike and doing the plein air demo at the pagodas while chatting with a wonderful group of ladies.
Every day had something to look forward to, whether it was a meal with members of the community, teaching a sold-out workshop full of extremely talented ladies, exhibiting my work and speaking about why I work in so many mediums, or paddling around in a kayak for a few hours. I always made time to work, but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to stay inside all day and create, as I’ve done on past residencies (and regretted). This was a wonderful balance of scheduled events, adventuring, and creative time.
Once Again Sam’s Nature Report:
Woodpeckers
Turkeys
Bunnies
Deer
Herons
Squirrels & chipmunks
American crows
Groundhogs
Black swallowtail & eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies
Geese
Lizards
Snake
Armadillo
BLACK BEAR!!!!!
Laurel Pond Pines (13x13): SOLD
Part of the deal with most residency programs is that the artist donates a pieces from the collection inspired by or made during the residency. This piece below is the largest one I made of the Reserve and it was the one I chose to donate to the Community Foundation because it features one of the best views there, in my opinion. This is the view of Pinnacle Mountain from the top of the hill in front of the clubhouse and it looks breathtaking any time of day, even in the rain.
The View from the Clubhouse (14x20): DONATED
I can’t say enough good things about The Reserve. It was an honor to be chosen to be the Aritst-in-Residence for 2021 and it was such a great experience on every level! Enjoy this short video recap of my week and be sure to check www.oneagainsam.com for all available fiber art pieces made during the residency. Many of the pieces found forever-homes with residents which I was still at The Reserve, which is exactly what I had hoped would happen, but several other pieces are up for grabs!