Time set aside to let your creative self relax and find new ideas is critical for any artist. It is also critical for any human in my opinion. We’re all creative beings and there is nothing more rejuvenating than spending some quiet time exploring a landscape and your own ideas. An artist residency is a great way to do that. At the end of this post I’m going to talk about an artist residency called Fortnight that I run in southwestern Colorado. But first I want to share some about the artist residencies I’ve been lucky enough to make time for.
Spark your creativity this summer with Summer of Tapestry 2025
Spark your creativity this summer.
In this live multi-week workshop I encourage you to go on your own adventures and document them through small, informal tapestries.
Weaving from my surroundings has taught me to pay attention and enjoy the process of experiencing something real and making art about it. I always take a notebook and loom with me as I spend time outside in the summer.
Inspiration from deep desert colors: A week in northern New Mexico
Earlier this month I had the good fortune of spending five days in Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Hondo. These are villages just north of Taos, New Mexico. Arroyo Seco is home to Taos Wools and I was teaching a three-day workshop on color gradation for them.
I made a video of the trip which includes more images from the workshop as well as some scenery and thoughts from my drive home through El Rito and Abiquiu, NM. I took a hike up Chimney Rock at Ghost Ranch intending to do some drawing at the top, but it was snowing! Check out the video for the whole adventure.
Let's consider the evidence: a mini-dachshund puppy and her prize fleece
Let’s consider the evidence, shall we?
Can you imagine what I said when presented with this spinning fiber by one very proud 12-pound dog?
I was teaching a workshop in Taos all day and when I got back to the AirBnB, I got a report from the human who witnessed it that one very excited mini-dachshund had found a bag of fleece.
Hot air ballooning: flight among the red rocks
During the holidays I was able to return to my hometown of Gallup, New Mexico to watch my favorite balloon festival, the Red Rock Balloon Rally. This small invitational rally is full of skilled pilots and beautiful balloons. They fly among the red rock canyons of Red Rock State Park. I find the flight of these balloons through the canyons and against the brilliant blue sky inspiring.
A trip to Taos and a great retreat
I headed to Taos, NM again in November to teach another tapestry retreat at Mabel Dodge Luhan House. This time around I’ve made a video of that trip showing you some of my adventures in search of Mabel Dodge Luhan herself and the fun we had in the workshop.
You can watch the video below or if you get the blog via email, you can watch it on YouTube HERE.
A fiber fiesta in Santa Fe, NM
On that event-packed trip to Taos in October where I taught, went to the Taos Wools Festival, and saw the Horizons show in Santa Fe, I also had a couple hours to visit the Mountain and Valley Wool Association show at the fairgrounds in Santa Fe. This is the show that used to be Taos Wool Festival. It moved to Santa Fe some years ago now and I hadn’t been able to visit since their move.
MAVWA in Santa Fe is very different than the one that happened for decades in Taos, but I found it interesting to see the new Taos Wools festival and MAVWA to visit back to back.