My First Artist Residency & New Series of Watercolors • Immigrant Foods

At the beginning of the year, we all make goals, some we succeed in through the devotion of great time and effort and others happen thanks to intention and good fortune.  So it went, with my wish - to be a part of an artist in residency program in 2018.   I applied to several programs beginning in January, and come April, I was so very happy to have landed a spot at Drop Forge Tool, an ideal first experience for me.  The timing worked out and Hudson, NY, the town of Drop Forge Tool, was a place I'd always wanted to visit. 

I realize that residencies can be quite competitive, time consuming, and pricy too.  But, all share the same promise: the time and space to make art with minimal distraction from the rest of normal life.  This is exactly what I needed to start a new series.

I spent the first part of June working in a wonderful space. The studio had high ceilings, plenty of natural light and ample room to spread out in the attic of the old home. I was able to dive into a new series of works which have become the beginning of a larger body of work depicting particular Immigrant Foods.  

I intend for series to shed light on immigrant cultures from the ten countries on the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) list: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. 

(Temporary Protected Status) TPS covers a special class of refugee immigrants, for whom entry into this country was predicated by dire circumstances in their country of origin such as war, famine or natural disaster. They are currently under review at the Department of Homeland Security.

I had time to research foods, and explore the visuals of dishes like Nepalese Momo, Sudanese rice, and Haitian stews. Here's a few of the pieces.  As mentioned above, this is the start of a project, and I hope to share it via an exhibit in 2019. 

Nepalese Momo (Dumplings)

 

Yemeni Bean Stew with Flatbread

 

 Somali Dinner