Artist-in-Residence: Table Rock State Park

Table Rock State Park is in the upstate of South Carolina, only about an hour northwest of where I live, but it’s another world out there - the tall mountains and windy roads, the pitch black sky at night, the never ending hiking trails - there’s no shortage of inspiration.

I recently spent a week as Artist-in-Residence at Table Rock State Park, my 6th residency with the South Carolina State Parks Program. Each time I participate in a residency, the experience changes me. Sometimes in major ways, like becoming confident hiking alone, and sometimes it’s little things, like learning the difference between various woodpecker calls. I explore and create all week, and it fills my soul. Part of me wishes I could do this every day, but then it probably wouldn’t be so special. I get to slow down and sit still if I choose, but most of the time I get out and see as much as possible. The residency is a true gift!

This particular residency included over 25 miles hiked (both inside and outside of the park), it included 27 needle felted pieces, 1 painting, 6 towns visited, 2 nights out in the cold watching the meteor shower, and several exciting creatures sightings including an armadillo, wild turkeys, and a huge black bear on my very last hike of the week.

I hope you enjoy this short recap video that shares a little more about what I did, what I saw, and how it inspired me. It’s so hard to condense a week, which felt like a month (in a good way) into a few minutes of footage!

All of the pieces shown in the video (plus more) are available for purchase on my website. If you see something you like but would prefer a different size or frame, please message me, I’m happy to recreate any of these.

Shop the collection!

Artist-in-Residence: Wildacres

I've been away from the studio for the past week for a good reason. I had the privilege of being one of the artists-in-residence at Wildacres Retreat in Little Switzerland, NC and I enjoyed every minute of my time away. Here's a look at what I did, where I went, and of course, what I made. 

Unlike with past residencies, I had a project plan this time, and it helped me get into the swing of things right away. I knew in advance there were certain trails I wanted to hike, views I wanted to seek out, and even a few specific pieces I wanted to make. However, I was unprepared for the inspiration that found me during my week of exploration and reflection. Even though I created 25 pieces in 6 days, I ran out of time for all of the ideas that flooded my mind. It was exactly what I needed, I’d been feeling very stuck with my work lately, like I’m making the same things over and over (because that’s what sells, not because that’s what I want to make). This time alone, in a new surrounding, opened up my eyes.

I truly enjoyed staying in the remote cabin, surrounded by mountain laurel and pine trees (and deafening cicadas at night!). No AC, no TV, not much internet connection, and I even used a pot holder to block the clock on the stove all week, because I didn’t want to know what time of day it was. I ate when I was hungry, slept when I was tired, hiked all morning, created all afternoon, and went joy riding every evening. Time flew by, but it also stood still.

Wildacres Retreat is a magical place, if you ever have the opportunity to visit (either with a group to the conference center or on your own as an artist-in-residence). The location is off the Blueridge Parkway in Little Switzerland, NC and it’s hidden in the woods, with a beautiful mountain view and a friendly atmosphere that encourages creativity and the betterment of humanity.

In addition to thoroughly exploring the Wildacres property, which boasts miles and miles of trails, I also ventured out each day in a different direction to see what I could see. I checked out nearby towns including Spruce Pine, Little Switzerland, Marion, Old Fort, and Chimney Rock. I hiked multiple trails each day (outside of the Wildacres property) and those took me to mountain tops, dense forests, and waterfalls. Some of my favorite spots include the top of Hawksbill Mountain (pictured above) where I was completely alone at the top of the world, letting the wind whirl around me. I loved my hike to Yellow Fork Falls (pictured below), racing the radar one morning, where I not only got there in record time because I was moving so darn fast to beat the rain, I also managed to not get my Mini Cooper stuck on what was very much an off-roading experience that in hindsight was probably a bad idea. We made it out alive!

Other favorite moments:

• Driving all the way to the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, only to be surrounded by dense fog (or were they clouds?) and not minding one bit. I’m sure the view is great on a clear day, but I loved that somber moody feel and plan to felt a piece inspired by what I saw / what I didn’t see.

• Getting rained in one afternoon. The remnants of Storm Debby made their way to the North Carolina Highlands midweek and pounded the cabin roof for hours. I loved it. It gave me an excuse to take a break from hiking, take a nap, and do a little painting, something I never seem to make time for.

• Cruising the ever-curving Blueridge Parkway and happily breaking for more fully grown bucks than I’ve ever seen in my life alive, not mounted on a wall, and at least 30 wild turkeys, including a swarm of baby “turklets,” as I like to call them. Everybody saw bears except me.

• Having the last dinner on campus with the other two artist-in-residence Emma van Halsema, a talented plein air painter who works in animation, and Kathy Schwille, author of What Luck, This Life. We shared a bottle of wine, we shared about how impactful the week had been, and it was just wonderful connecting with these two women, even though we had mostly spent the week in solitude.

• Watching the sun set every night from a different overlook on the parkway. The sky never looks the same. The mountains never look the same.

Artist residencies have become a big part of my life. To date I’ve been honored to do 8 residencies, and each time, that gift of space to explore and create changes me. Sometimes it’s a mental change - I learn to relax, I dream again, I get inspired. Sometimes it’s a skill change - I get really good at felting gradients, or I attempt to paint something way more detailed that I would normally attempt. And sometimes it’s a physical change - I take on a hike that’s probably beyond my abilities, but I enjoy it, even the soreness the next day, because I earned it. I never know what’s in store as artist-in-residence, or who I’ll meet, but I arrive with an open mind, a need for time away from my design job, my commission list, my never-ending to-do’s around the house. I’m so grateful to Wildacres Retreat for this gift of time and space. I will never forget the experience.

I hope you will enjoy this video recap of my week in the woods, and enjoy browsing the full Blueridge collection on my website.

Artist-In-Residence: Dreher Island State Park

My 5th Artist-in-Residence opportunity with South Carolina State Parks brought me to Dreher Island State Park this October, just outside of Columbia, SC. I spent the week hiking, exploring, observing, and creating art. The spacious lake-side villa gave me an opportunity to watch the sunset every single day of my stay and also a peaceful place to create fiber art & paintings surrounded by nature.

I only left the park for a few hours one day to hike the Firebreak Trail in Harbison State Forrest, but other than that, all of my hikes and explorations were inside the park. There’s enough trails and flat walkable roads that you can see almost all of the park on foot, if you like. It’s a large park but most of it is lake, so although I didn’t have a boat, I can see why so many people visit just for the fishing. The park is on a series of islands in Lake Murray and so there’s an enormous amount of shoreline, countless coves and plenty of peninsulas.

During my time at Dreher Island I created eleven needle felted landscapes, one mixed media fiber art landscape, two small paintings, and two series of painted pendants, all inspired by the natural beauty around the lake and forest. I loved the way the color of the lake depended on the sky, and one of my favorite color observations was the shock of orange at the shore where the water meets the red clay.

A huge thank you to South Carolina State Parks for selecting me for this program - it’s an honor! And thank you to Dreher Island State Park for hosting me for the week - I really enjoyed it! South Carolina really is a beautiful state and we are lucky to have so many parks to visit. I can easily find inspiration in all of them!

I hope you enjoy this short recap video of my week and all pieces are now available at www.onceagainsam.com

Artist in Residence: Poinsett State Park

Earlier this month, I was honored to have the chance to be the Artist in Residence at Poinsett State Park. I spent a week in the woods, soaking up inspiration and creating art inspired by it. This was my first time doing anything like this and it was such a good experience.

I stayed in Cabin #2, which was built in 1937 and had been updated with modern conveniences, but still felt rustic. Each morning I’d wake up to the sound of birds, eat breakfast on the sun porch, and hit the trails for a few hours.

There’s miles and miles of trails in the park, and my favorite ones were the Cowasee, Scout Loop, and of course the trail alongside Mill Pond, which is just about as scenic as it gets. I'm not originally from the south so the sight of Spanish moss is still a bit surreal to me. It looks like a movie set!

After a few hours in the woods, I’d come back to the cabin and spend the hottest hours of the day painting, needle felting, and sketching. There was no shortage of inspiration in the park. Ideas would come to me while sitting by the fire pit after sunset or canoeing through the lily pads listening to choir of frogs on the shore.

I definitely lost track of time, and had no idea what day it was for most of the week. I can’t tell you the last time I disconnected like that, and really focused on my work without any interruption. It was so good for my soul!

I created nearly 20 pieces during my residency and have another 20 in the works that will be ready for my upcoming exhibit “Art in the Wild” which runs June 14-16th at Art & Light Gallery in Greenville, SC.

A big thank you to the South Carolina Parks Department for this amazing opportunity! If you’re interested in applying for next year, check the SC Parks website in the fall for more info: https://southcarolinaparks.com/

Check out this short video documentary that shows my week as Artist in Residence in a nutshell. Hard to believe 6 nights, several miles of hiking, hours of working, and a lot of fun in between, can be condensed into 3 1/2 minutes, but here it is! 

It was such a privilege to be the artist in residence at Poinsett State Park last week. I spent 6 days soaking up inspiration and creating work inspired by my beautiful surroundings. This quick video shows some of my favorite places in the park and works in progress (mostly needle felted fiber art).