I’m a big believer that our past experiences inform our present life. Education is an obvious example of this, but there are other, not so obvious influences like friendship, learning skills like printmaking, collecting things and or cooking for friends.

In 2012 I went back to school yet again, this time to get a master’s degree in fine art at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The program was a low residency program. Each spring and fall I traveled to Provincetown, MA for three and a half weeks to complete my residency. When I wasn’t in residency, I worked with Master artists in Colorado and took online classes in Art History and other relevant course specific to field of Fine Art. It was an amazing experience, and I will be forever grateful to George Creamer, who was the department head, for excepting me into the program.

I have such fond memories of my time in Provincetown (Ptown) starting with my first residency when my friend Laurie flew out with me to help get me settled in. Together we explored Ptown before the residency got underway. There was a funny (well maybe not that funny when you think about my phobia of sharks) instance where we met up with my friend Peter Romanelli and he took us to Turo beach only to discover there had been a recent Shark sighting! There was a news article about a tourist, from Colorado no less, who was up close and personal with a shark… not a good way to start my first residency! That pretty much ensured that yours truly was never setting foot in the ocean during my time in P Town!

And indeed, I never did get in the ocean! We did however enjoy several beach bonfires with classmates. This is where I met my dear friend Lisa Daria Kennedy. Lisa was in the class before me and during the duration of the program we became good friends, and that friendship has continued over the years. Lisa has helped me a great deal in getting Palisade Posh off the ground, by helping design my business cards and labels for the Palisade Posh product lines, and by encouraging and advising me on getting this blog going among other things. I’ve enjoyed many an art conversation with Lisa over the years!

Lisa introduced me to sea glass and another classmate Diane Cionni, who also happened to be from Colorado, showed us one of the best places to go sea glass hunting in Ptown! I can’t tell you how many times I walked the beaches after I finished up at the studio looking for sea glass. The sound of the ocean and the hunt for these precious treasures brought me great joy and relaxation.

My time in Residency was wonderful… for three and a half weeks we worked every day and well into the evening in our studios. We would have guest artists lectures, and seminars, studio critiques and then more studio time. It was uninterrupted creativity, and it was glorious. We each had our own small apartments around Provincetown or stayed in guest houses or Bed and Breakfasts. Where I stayed was close to the Fine Arts Work Center which is where our residency was, so it was easy to walk home after a day in the studio.

My friend Peter, a former colleague from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, lived in Turro which was one town over so we would periodically get together, he’d have me over for dinner or we’d meet for a drink.

The education was a life changing experience and took my art practice to a whole new level while at the same time giving me an opportunity to have some wonderful and memorable life experiences… every week I’d seek out the best place to have a cheeseburger, meet up with classmates for drinks at my favorite bar called The Harbor, or work late into the night in the print shop at the Center learning all I could about printmaking which was a new medium for me.

Each residency we’d have a new studio mate which was a fellow classmate. My last residency my studio mate was Michelle Podgorski and we got along marvelously. She is one of the most talented nature artists I think I’ve ever met and great fun too! I have one fond memory where we picked up a bottle of wine and I had her over for Friday Night Pizza. Cooking is an adventure sometimes when it isn’t your own kitchen but as with many things we prevailed and enjoyed both the pizza and the wine.

Alas as with all things good our program came to an end with graduation. Although the sun has set for my time in Provincetown my memories and friendships from that time are strong and bright and always bring a smile to my face when I think back to that incredible educational and life experience.

Throwback Thursday: Provincetown, MA

Things That Bring Me Joy: Making Art

Things that Bring Me Joy: Biking + Picnicking