Vermont
Making art in the Arctic
I’ve been very quiet on Substack lately, and for that I apologize. I have a reason though- hopefully a good one. I’ve been busy writing and illustrating a book. I’ve never done that before so I don’t know when it will be done, but I plan to have a finished product within the year.
My book is about stuff. It’s about the accumulation of stuff and the process of decluttering stuff. It’s about hoarding and the Lower East Side and empty nesting and it’s a guide with tips on how to get rid of stuff. Something I do well.
That’s all I can say for now.
I will tell you that I recently returned from a 3 week long art residency program at the Vermont Studio Center where I was busy working on this book. I was in the visual arts program so I was 100% focused on illustration, not writing. There were 30 participants. 20 visual artists and 10 writers. Even though I was there to illustrate, I did learn some writing things from the writing fellows. I’m no longer allowed to say “I’m not a writer” even though I still think it.
In my 20 years living in New Haven, I’ve spent lots of time in Vermont. As a family, we’ve camped and hiked and skied in Vermont. I hiked for a few days solo on the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States- a trail that runs from the Massachusetts-Vermont border to Canada. I have a few very special friends who live in Burlington, a fun and funky city. I like Vermont’s charming combination of rustic and liberal and sophisticated and back-to-landish. It’s a nice, pretty state where I feel comfortable being myself.
If I had to give Vermont some notes, they would be these:
Too cold in the winter. It can be ridiculously freezing.
A tad too much focus on maple syrup.
Plaid is great. I love plaid, but in moderation.
My experience at the Vermont Studio Center wasn’t super Vermonty though. It took place in Vermont and Vermont winter weather was showing off, but it was more of an internal journey than a ski vacation. I spent most of my time thinking about my book and coming up with clever ways to illustrate those thoughts. I socialized a little bit over meals, but mostly I was in my head and my studio.
My life at the Vermont Studio Center was delightfully simple.
I ate my meals with the group. The food was very good and wholesome, although a bit reminiscent of the Moosewood Cookbook at times. For those who don’t remember or are young, the Moosewood Cookbook was a classic vegetarian cookbook from Ithaca NY- where you can still find the Moosewood restaurant. It was my first cookbook and always involved a lot of vegetable chopping. But since I no longer like to cook, I appreciate anyone who cooks for me, Moosewood or not.
Then I walked as much as I could in the frigid temps. In general, I need to walk to keep my body and mind functioning. I probably walked an hour a day, I would have walked more but it was too cold and snowy. I ate a scone every day after my walk at the local coffee shop/ bakery. Vermonters bake great scones.
Then I painted in my studio for the rest of the day. I got so so so many illustrations done and was able to really access new and unusual ideas. Not sure all of my weirder concepts will make it into the book, but the brilliant visiting artist, Sharon Norwood told me I had to go there anyway. It was very solid advice that I needed to hear. I needed permission to paint strange and dark visions from an authority figure.
I will definitely do another art residency. It’s hard to get art done at home sometimes. The pull of the mundane is powerful. Home logistics are sisyphean. I love the simplicity of only thinking about eating, walking and art. Next time though, I’m going to the desert.
