Can Serrat Residency: El Bruc, Spain

This past June I was fortunate to live as an artist in Spain for the very first time.for a month at the Can Serrat residency.  First, Thank you to my school for supporting this early leave and for supplementing part of the cost.  I learned so much in this experience for myself and to share with my students.  This experience was shared with 9 other artists and writers from around the globe.  The creative community inspired my work, motivated my self expression and challenged the creation of a body of work in the culminating exhibition.  The weekly events were documented in our blog.

Inspired Living from these people:

Always smiling, listening and sharing your life~Abdul
Appreciation for surroundings, space and beautiful mark making~Ariel

Acknowledging voices that need to be heard from all walks of life~Andrew

Awareness of imagery and moments of interest right in front of us~Amanda

Vibrant and veracious words to share stories of mind and heart~Vikram

Halting my pace to notice small creatures with humor and point~Helen

Giving relationships life, gusto, humor and understanding~Gemma

Greeting this experience with open mind and creativity~Geoff

Repeating and restructuring imagery that blends our past and present~Roya

Sharing the voice of our youth that offer more than we sometimes take time to hear~Susan

Response to place

The small town of El Bruc at the base of Monserrat Mountains influenced much of my work, but I discovered Sitges a sweet/amazing…omg town…just a 20 min train ride from Barcelona.  This place inspired the book Seven Days of a Snail by the Sea in Sitges.  I donated this book to a local school called “Little Chair” named after one of the stones of Monserrat.

Sponging up our surroundings

This opportunity provided everything needed: a place to sleep, a table to eat and a room to work.  It really was that simple.  Can Serrat surroundings were so full of blue skies, dry heat, chirping birds, gentle breezes and quiet.    There was no television, unpredictable internet and no noise from street.  I sponged up the surroundings in my work by going out to see the small town, the mountains and olive trees, the architecture of Gaudi in Barcelona and salty sea of Sitges by walking to town over broken tiles and along warm yellow facades.  The open tour bus in Barcelona delivered views of the ornate and organic styles throughout the city.  A train to seaside Sitges just outside Barcelona and funicular up Monserrat exposed the tunnels and tracks built along and around the protected landscape. Every night at 7pm we gathered at this table to share our days and on Fridays we shared our work by the campfire or studios.  For my students we will share how everything we need is right in front of us to take us to new places.