Travel
Some Artworks from my Residency
While at Chateau Orquevaux, I was plucked not only from my everyday life, but my well-equipped sculpture studio. The clay I purchased in Paris was extremely difficult to work with, so I turned to other materials, including aluminum foil and plaster. I let myself play, try new things, and respond to this place in unexpected ways. These sculptures are a response to my environment, the materials available to me, and my own imagination.
Read MoreLast Week at the Residency
Dispatches from Château d’Orquevaux
As we round out the last week of being here, I reflect on what the time has been like. It is hard to put into words all that this place is and means to me. I do not know how to properly express what I learned and how much rest it was for my soul. So, I will leave you, dear reader, with some beautiful images of this fairytale château.
Read MoreThe Source as a Metaphor for Spiritual Growth
I remember being a young person, caught up in the spiritual fever of charismatic Christianity. There was a nervous anticipation in each sacred gathering of being caught up by the Spirit. We waved our hands, spoke in tongues and prayed fervent prayers. Water that runs over rocks splashes and makes a lot of noise.
Read MoreA Rainy Day Helps Creativity Bloom
As I walked down the hill from that château to the studios in the stables, I snapped this picture of L’église Saint-André in the distance. The rain today highlights the patina of the church and the verdancy of the spring grass. The château is quiet today, artists all behind their studio doors working hard on painting, writing, film editing, and sculpting.
Read MoreLetters from France
I am writing to you today from Chateau d’Orquevaux in rural northeast France. The chateau sits atop a hill overlooking a pond filled by crystal clear water from a canal that runs along the edge of the little village of Orquevaux. There are perhaps only 80 people in the village, plus the 20 or so artists that come every month to the chateau to work.
It is ridiculously beautiful.
Read MoreMemories of Sandwiches and the Seine
I wrote this after returning from my first visit to Paris in 2018. I had dreamt about the City of Light since I was a child. I finally booked airfare for my 40th Birthday, but was derailed by a cancer diagnosis, surgery, and chemotherapy. As soon as I got clearance from my doctor, my family jetted off to Paris. In 2023, I’m packing my bags to head over there a second time for an artists residency. Here are my memories of that first day.
Read MoreHow I Turned My Regrets into Action
No one lives a life truly without regret. Regretting that we made that unkind remark or regretting our choice in which college we attended. Regret is a useful emotion. “Non, je ne regrette rien…”
Read MoreBecoming Parisian
I stopped at the local bakery and purchased a loaf of sourdough and a croissant. I thought to myself, “What if I attempted to live like a Parisian, right here in Frederick?”
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