Art residency

Inspiration and Context

A focused period of inquiry
In April 2026, I spent two weeks in residence at Mini Gallery Studio in Centerringham, invited by Kate Stewart. I came with a clear intention to explore balance. Working within a defined place and timeframe sharpened my focus and attention.

Responding to place
The garden was spacious, sunlit, partly curated and partly wild. I did not try to document it directly. Instead, I treated it as a system of relationships. Structure and growth. Control and release. Stillness and movement. The landscape became a framework to test ideas rather than a subject to capture.

Material exploration
I worked across drawing, painting, and small sculptural studies.

a long charcoal drawing following time and attention
two large square landscape paintings, one left unresolved
a series of small wooden sculptures exploring weight, balance, and tension

I moved between mediums, letting each inform the next.

A shift in understanding
In the final days, the direction became clearer. What began as open exploration focused into a more defined idea. The circle and square as a way to understand balance. Not a conclusion, but a question with structure.

What continues
This residency marks the first phase of a longer process. It clarified the core inquiry. From here, the work expands again in the studio, testing and developing this idea over time.

INSPIRATION & CONTEXT

Core inquiry
My work explores balance through the relationship between opposing forces. Masculine and feminine. Structure and intuition. Containment and expansion. The circle and square act as simple forms that hold these tensions.

Place as catalyst
The garden environment intensified this inquiry. Its mix of natural growth and human intervention mirrored the balance I am interested in. Light, space, and layered textures informed both composition and material decisions.

Process as thinking
Making and reflection were closely linked. Daily conversations with Kate Stewart helped articulate what was emerging. The process was not about producing finished works, but about refining perception and understanding.

Ongoing direction
This residency functions as a defining stage. It established a clearer question that now guides the next phase of work. The focus shifts from searching to developing, expanding, and testing this idea across future paintings and sculptures.