August in Residence: Creativity, Travel, and Finding Space to Create

August in Residence, 6 years in

August in Residence (AIR)
During the pandemic, I had been preparing for an artist residency in the Bahamas. It was an experience I was incredibly excited about and digging into the research, but like so many things in 2020, it was canceled due to COVID.

Instead of letting that creative time disappear, I decided to create my own residency experience: August in Residence (AIR). What started as a response to a canceled opportunity became a yearly tradition—a dedicated time to step away from the usual pace of life, focus on my studio practice, and give myself permission to experiment, explore, and make. AIR has become a reminder that sometimes we have to create the space we need rather than wait for it to appear. It is a time for curiosity, deep dives into ideas, and embracing the slower rhythms that allow new work to emerge. It has become a gift I give myself each year. Can’t give yourself an entire month, start small with a day or weekend. It will give you something to look forward to when the daily slog is getting to you!

Looking Ahead: Italy This Fall

This fall, I’m excited to return to Italy for an art-filled adventure with my friend and fellow artist Wendy Baugh. Travel has always been an important part of my creative practice—seeing new places, experiencing different cultures, visiting museums, and collecting the visual details that eventually find their way into my work.
I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with fellow artists and travelers as we explore, create, and gather inspiration together.  Follow this link to see all of the magnificent details.​ ​If you are interested in joining us, please just let us know!

Kenya Retreat coming in 2028

Our Kenya art trip has been moved to 2028 as we got some helpful feedback that people would like a bit of time to save up for this once in a lifetime trip. We are now looking ahead to 2028 for this adventure, and I’m excited about the opportunity to continue dreaming, planning, and creating a truly meaningful journey. More information to come soon. 

Where to find my work

I’m honored to have work included in SUPERIMPOSED: A Juried Exhibition of Collage at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, Maryland. The exhibition brings together artists from across the country whose work explores the many possibilities of collage through layering, printmaking, papermaking, and mixed-media approaches. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, there’s still time—the exhibition remains on view through August 9. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll stop by and experience this inspiring collection of contemporary collage. Here is a link to Pyramid Atlantics Current Exhibition page.  
Want to read more about the exhibit? 
​Here is a link to a wonderful article about the exhibition in Kolaj Magazine.

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Experiments, Challenges, and New Adventures

Like many artists, I’m always trying new things—some ideas take off immediately, while others are more of an experiment.
Recently, I’ve been exploring Art Storefronts as a way to expand how I share and sell my work online. The world of art marketing is constantly changing, and I’m enjoying learning new tools and finding ways to connect my artwork with people beyond the gallery walls. Here is a link if you want to take a look.  It is currently prints but I plan to expand into offering originals as well. But for now, those are still handled the old fashioned way, in person and via email.

I’m also tackling what may be my most ambitious creative project yet: getting my studio under control!
Anyone who has a creative practice knows that studios have a way of becoming their own ecosystems. Over time, materials accumulate, ideas pile up, and treasures find their way into every corner. Someone popped by my studio today and compared my space to the library of Alexandria that contains little bits of magic. And I have to tell you that just made my heart sing!  It has been months since I have been able to get into the studio for any amount of time because life has been really lifin’ lately. And so, today I chose helping me over helping others. I was literally on my way somewhere else and was like “Nope!  Me first today!” And so I made a u-turn and headed for the studio. And that little interaction of talking about my space genuinely filled my heart with joy. 
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My goal is to create a space that supports the work I want to make now. It is, without question, a Herculean task—but I’m embracing the process. Clearing space physically often creates room mentally, and I’m curious to see what emerges when my studio becomes a little more organized magic. Image has been included to keep me honest about progress :)

A Season of Possibility

This season feels like a balancing act between honoring where I’ve been and making room for what comes next. There are new adventures ahead, unfinished projects waiting to be rediscovered, and plenty of opportunities to follow curiosity.
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Thank you for continuing to follow along on this creative journey. I’m grateful to have such a wonderful community of artists, students, collectors, and friends who share in the process.
Here’s to new places, new ideas, and making space for creativity.

Warmest,
Racquel
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