Being accepted to be a part of the January winter residency was very exciting, not just for the ‘white winter’ experience but for the escape from the busy world. It was my first residency, and I was not sure what to expect. As it turned out it was beyond what I had imagined. A very nourishing place with a spiritual, spa-like retreat feel. Snow, sauna, silence, stillness, fellowship, connections, woodpeckers and no expectations. 

As an organised busy person, I did not want to arrive unprepared so had many preconceived ideas of what I was hoping to achieve. My main practice is cast glass sculptures, but I have had a yearning to return to painting  after many years and to try acrylic paints, a medium which I had not used before.

 In the first couple of days my daily routine was set, with meditation beginning and ending my days. The first week went as I had planned, and I was excited with my acrylic attempts. The second week was clearly a struggle where I felt my work was cathartic. The third week started with painting over the previous weeks three paintings and starting off a new chapter in my creative journey. This was with an effervescent vigour resulting in a contented joy not felt in my practice for a long while. 

This was a truly magical experience that will feed my soul for many years to come. For this I am grateful.