About a month ago, I discovered I had left out a huge part of my art practice when I developed my home artist residency plan. Two things happened to make me realize this. The first was a post from a fellow member of the Wild Thread Collective. I wrote about it on Substack . I revisited some of the work I had made for the Weird Voices Art series. The second was a quick flip-through of my older art journals and photos on my phone. As I looked through both, I realized that I had not created a piece from the Weird Voices series in almost a year and a half. I felt shocked and maybe the tiniest bit ashamed. My focus for the past year had been our move from the UAE to Albania. I didn’t think I would have the time or energy to focus on large pieces or deep work. Instead, I chose simple projects that could be quickly completed in my sketchbooks or that were portable. I also immersed myself in research and planning for the Recipe for Identity Home Artists residency. Much of my planned work was textile-based and a bit more time-intensive. I don’t regret my decisions, but I do regret not finding a way to make the work in the Weird Voices Series more accessible and also for not working it into my residency.
Rather than beat myself up, I chose to reassess my plan for the home artist residency program. The plan includes concepts divided into various phases. Much of the proposed work is textile and fiber-based. It neglects much of my painting practice. I have updated the plan to include a phase featuring dreams, intuition, and the subconscious. I now have a goal to create at least one painting for the weird voices series per month.
I also promised myself that I would only apply to projects and exhibitions that could be easily integrated into the Art Residency plan. I chose to apply to the Wild Thread Collective because I felt I could align most of the work done there within my current practice. I am excited that it has been a way to push myself and also to work on projects that have been on my to-make list. The first project is a zine. It was born out of our discussions of dreams and the subconscious. I have always wanted to make a zine but never gotten around to it. Joining this project gave me the accountability and inspiration to do so. I was also able to enhance my current residency plan based on the work within the group. You will find the Dreams zine on the Wild Thread Collective Substack.
I completed ( or should I say I finished) a new piece for the Weird Voices Art Series. The Voice Inside was a piece that I had started in my journal about 1-2 years ago. I don’t know why I didn’t finish it before. Maybe the painting knew something I didn’t and wanted me to wait until I found the right place for it to exist. I think it’s a perfect piece for the Dreams zine. You can view the original artwork and the process video in my portfolio.
Painting is a large part of my practice( or used to be). I might make more than one painting a month. I felt that committing to at least one sounds doable and also allows me the flexibility to pivot towards other projects and to follow my creative intuition. I am looking forward to more projects with the Wild Thread Collective and to making more zines.