One of the most amazing experiences I’ve had on The Other MA is our art residency at Studio 459 in Tomar.
(All photography by me.)
Run by Mark Richards and João Gravanita, Studio 459 is a beautiful space to immerse yourself in your practice and celebrate the creativity of others.
The Studio
The artist bedrooms and common areas at Studio 459 were rich with art, books, and studio spaces. We could commune if we wanted to — but there was also plenty of room to retreat and work. (I worked a lot, you know me!)
We were also nourished by João’s fantastic food and held by the warm, loving atmosphere that Mark and João have so carefully cultivated.
The Landscape
Nestled in a verdant Portuguese landscape of orange, lemon and cork trees (there’s eucalyptus too, but they’re an invasive species), the environment was a visual feast — and such a huge source of inspiration for me.
Juxtaposed with the abundant landscape were lots of empty houses, and as anyone who knows me knows, I love an abandoned space.
Dr B recently bought me a vintage Olympus Trip and I did some black and white shots, I’m very pleased with the results.
Working with the Environment
I fried my head (in the best way) with all the marvellous suggestions from the very wise and experienced Mark Richards in our one-to-one — and acted on them from the get-go.
I knew that while I was at Studio 459, I wanted to embrace the richness of the surroundings. So I set about incorporating elements of the place directly into my work:
– Drawing with dried oranges, hair and stones
– Incorporating the studio floor into my compositions
– Framing drawings with trees, existing artworks, nests, and stone
I even allowed the rather inclement weather to intervene with the work — and finally sculpted drawings into objects that aligned with the place itself.
I’m so grateful to have been able to make these simple works that became part of the environment.
Hanging Out
The residency also allowed me to get to know my TOMA companions a little better.
I hadn’t realised until I joined TOMA just how important an artist community is. I love these people — and it’s also made me appreciate my Wivenhoe artist community even more.
During the residency, I really benefitted from my TOMA friends’ intelligence, warmth, and creativity. It made me want to be a better artist and to match their curiosity, integrity, and sincere intention.
Here are some pieces from them:
There’ll be more blogs to come about my experiments at Studio 459 — there’s so much to show you.