Can Serrat 4

Today, being Sunday, our group of hungry artists struck out on an energetic walkabout in search of a good restaurant where we could while away the hours over good Spanish food.

The restaurant is about 45 minutes from Can Serrat over rocky ground and through brushy trails where we had to walk single file. It sure felt good to get outdoors.

This is all inside the National Park of the Mountain; Can Serrat included. That would explain the presence of so many birds, I believe.

Finally we arrive at the large restaurant which is located out in the middle of nowhere, El Bruc being a very tiny village of only 1800 population. So I was astonished to see so many people here but I'm sure they come from far away to spend the afternoon at this wonderful place: La Vinyanova. Markus, the Professor from Norway, was a room mate of the owner of this restaurant when they both lived in Oslo, coincidently, so we got a lot of personal attention. I'll introduce you to Markus in a moment. He is a tremendous human being.

We arrived at 2 pm and stayed until 6:30 pm. Everyone, it seems, takes the time to enjoy the exquisite food and wine. Children are welcome and really fun to watch.

There's an enormous fig tree in the courtyard of the restaurant and maybe later I'll tell you a little story about it. But for now just notice how old and strong it is. A beautiful specimen.

And here is our group of 13 souls, all contented and merry after hours of feasting on garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, good bread and Catalonian cuisine that included several types of meats, beans, potatoes, salads, tapas and more. Grappa and biscotti for dessert with fruit and coffee. Peasant food and so delicious.

Here are two of the loveliest people; Markus Brendmoe and my new friend Melissa who will be here in residence during my entire stay and beyond. Markus is the most amazing painter and teacher. You can read about him all over the web. He's soooo nice. I'll get Melissa's blog link for you later. She's from Toronto and has studied in Italy as well as here. She's staying 2 months this time and is interested in costume design for the film industry.

And now we're back from our outing and have returned to our tasks. Painting for them and reporting for me. 

While it's true I could have just come to Spain and stayed in a private room to paint I wouldn't have had the experience of meeting the good people I've met here or having the advantage of watching them work. They've urged me over and over to join them in painting on the big big canvases; so generous and inclusive that it makes my heart bend. So that's the thing about a residency. You broaden and make new friends. You learn about other cultures. You realize just how big the world is and how many choices you have in your one, precious, precious life.

Can Serrat 3

My head is spinning with the stimulation and expectations I have for myself. I paint, go through every emotion from disgust to mild acceptance, and then remind myself that this is supposed to be fun; not a race or competition. I remember and then I forget. My art training has made me stern.

All of us here are working hard I believe. From different backgrounds with different reasons for being here. Every age; it's tremendous.

I've completed 11 sketches so far. Spoke to my special friend here about how hard it's been to work and she kindly assures me that it's harder to work small than to work large. It's good of her to say that. All I know is that I'm exhausted at the end of each day.

Meanwhile the gatos show us how to live. Eat, nap, stretch, purr, repeat. Find the sun when it's cool and the shade when it's hot.

Another attendee says that she's deliberately working differently than she does at home and I nod in agreement. I want to break away; try everything I haven't tried before.

We had a spectacular thunderstorm yesterday that drove everybody into the print studio to paint. The thunder crashed like cannon percussions, echoing through the mountains and the lightening was nearby and very loud. Torrents of rain flooded our picnic area and we all stood at the windows, gleefully watching as mother nature showed us her stuff.

I woke at 2 am and could not sleep so I continued my reading of Virginia Woolf's The Waves. It's the perfect book for this place; poetic, snatches of sensual impressions, sketches of perception.

Last night we ate indoors because of the rain. It was pasta (vegetarian as well as a sauce with meatballs), a shredded carrot salad and a marvelous, rich quiche. We were quieter than usual. I think everyone is working so hard and doing their best to make the hours count.

The music plays throughout the courtyard all day long. Most of it is from artists I don't recognize and I love that. Everything is new, shiny and amazing.

         

Today it's Spanish guitar. 

Well, time to get back to my puttering in paint.

I have fish to fry. 

Something like that. Besos y besitos.

More Can Serrat

More images from the residency. This is looking toward the grape arbor where tables are set up and where we eat. Last night we had paella (swoon); salad, bread, lots of wine flowing. 

All the kitchen appliances are named. The dishwasher is named Maria and here we have the refrigerators for the guests; Cesare and Augusto. I smile every time I pass by.

I walked into the little village of El Bruc yesterday to pick up some olives and wine and captured this scene. 

Here we are. Avenue of the dilettantes. 

Looking down at the canvases spread out on the lawn. As far as I can tell the group of Norwegians are each working on 2 canvases simultaneously; probably will do more as they are very steady. They brought rolls and rolls of various weights of cotton and linen- I think to get the feel of the various materials and to compare primed and unprimed. They party hearty at night but when it's time to get to work they're all business. I'm impressed.

In the kitchen looking toward the sink and Maria.

Another view of the kitchen. The tap water comes from the hills around us (springs?) and it's delicious. Lots of hot water for showers too - what a luxury. One of the women I spoke to yesterday is here on her 5th trip and I heard another say it was number 8 for them. Heaven! 

And while I'm thinking about how advanced they are: single payer health insurance. They love it. They can't understand why we in the U.S., such a rich country, don't have it too. We discussed politics. Yup. We did.

Another view of the industrious Norwegians.

I took so many pictures for you but burnt out on editing them. Maybe later. Here however is one shot of the flora. Asparagus grows wild and lots of succulents and roses too. Everything's in bloom it seems; spring has really arrived.

This is our building from the entrance gate. We're looking at the south-facing wall.

More of the big big paintings. (4-5 feet in each direction I'd guess but they vary).

Plein air painting. Sorta.

There's a well equipped printmaking studio here too and this is the giant press. 

Last shot of the day; the roof of Can Serrat from a different angle. Now it's time to hit the work table. I've done 3 little paintings so far and will show them to you when I'm sure they're done. xo

Reporting From Can Serrat

So yes, indeed I have arrived and spent my first day here at the residency. I'm in heaven. I have the big, airy, south-facing room with wonderful light, chirping birds, blue skies, fluffy clouds and ample work tables. 

I lurked around with my camera this morning to take some shots for you of the shared studios too so you could see what they looked like. So this is not my work and I hope the artist will not mind as I think all pictures of paintings and paint are marvelous.

We said good-bye today to a man from New Zealand and a woman from Argentina so beside myself there remains a woman from Ontario, Canada and 10 new arrivals from Norway. We had a lovely feast tonight under the grape arbor with amazing food and wine and orange colored olives that were a new experience for me. Everything is so delightful and new. Just how I like it.

I really don't know how much posting I'll do now that I'm here and realize how fast a day goes. One has to be in the kitchen by 9 am for breakfast (for me that means after yoga and journal writing) and then one has to lay in the sun and read and then there's lunch again under the grape arbor in the warm sun and then there's the nap and voila! it's time for a beautiful meal, new friends to meet and libations to share. The Norwegians taught me a new word: "skol"! I like my new word.

This is my bedroom-slash-private studio. Please note the light, the space, the austere loveliness of it.

Looking in the opposite direction is my comfortable bed with fluffy white duvet. My room even has two libraries of books; I'm flush with back issues of Art in America and reference books and novels.

The stone farmhouse where we all stay is hundreds of years old so the bathrooms are shared but very private with locking doors and so on so that you feel at ease. 

This is a view of the bottom of the stairs leading from my room (upper floor) to the bath areas (lower level).

This is looking from the bath area back toward that rounded stone wall. Notice the wooden door on the left.

This is what that door looks like up close. Really beautiful, old, wabi-sabi.

These tiny weedlings were in my room when I got here. The place is full of art left behind by former residents. The bases are very light paper of some sort. I am surrounded by the beauty other artists have created and it makes me feel that a nurturing force abides in this place; a vibration that I hope to harmonize with and add to. In the distance I can hear the pealing laughter of the Norwegian ladies and it fills my heart to hear such happiness; like birdsong it is.

Thank you for stopping by. Create beauty where you're planted and I'll try to do the same wherever I go. Get out and see the world if you can. We don't really understand our own culture until we've experienced it at a distance. xo

Residency Dream Begins Now

It's been interesting to note that so many people I've spoken to about my residency don't really understand what I'll be doing there. For me, it's an opportunity to travel to an interesting place and work along side other artists. I won't be teaching. This is a time instead for filling the well, shutting out the world and working uninterrupted. 

I wanted to choose a residency where other artists would be in attendance and doing their own work. Alone in the studio all day, then meeting over a shared meal. I loved the interviews in the film, "Who Does She Think She Is" where artists spoke of their lives and how they realized their dreams. We're dreaming all the time according to Jung, creating every moment of our lives by what we believe. How can we all dream of a better world and how can we help create it. I love talking to other artists about this concept and so many other ideas about transforming our lives. This is what's on my mind as I envision my time there. 

I expect a lot of solitude at the residency too, which I love. I'm taking my big camera, my flip video and a laptop and expect that those things will keep me entertained. That along with painting and writing. I live in my colors and wordplay.

I'll be checking in with you guys too. I have my gear all packed now and spent the day quietly making last minute preparations. Tomorrow with only a few hours of sleep if I'm lucky I'll start out on my cross-country, cross-ocean 18 hour journey. My pockets will be full of all my loved ones, (that's you) right up near my heart. 

I am hopeful, excited, curious. I'll see you there.