First Published June 24, 2016

I’ve been asked by Emma Targett to share more about my residency experience. She asked some really interesting questions and I thought I’d share my response in this post. I hope you don’t mind me answering them here, Emma?

I’d like to start off my saying the following is purely my experiences. Residencies come in all sorts of incarnations, so everyone's experiences will be all different. I’m also travelling with my family which is another entirely differently experience than if you are travelling alone.

About 8-10 years ago I discovered artist residencies. I never knew about them at art school and I don’t know if they are more popular now than when I first started college in 1994. In any such case, when I found them, I really wanted to attend one. The idea of intense focus on your practice in order to develop your work was a dream which I wanted to achieve.

I discovered the website www.resartis.org. It lists all the residencies throughout the world. To my delight it also had a drop down menu and offered residencies for families. This is where I found La Macina di San Cresci.

There are many listed here. You can tailor it to suit your needs and apply to those which are appropriate to your work. There is no point in applying for a city residency when your work is about Nature (unless you have a reason for it!).

The process for applying is different to all residencies, however I feel the key point is to think about why you are applying to that particular one, what you will gain from the experience and what you can also give back. Residencies are usually a communal experience both physically and metaphorically. You may be the only artist at the residency but you are part of a bigger thing. Be prepared to share your space and time with others (many tourists drop into the studios at San Crecsi).

Communal life at San Cresci. Mimma and Duccio live downstairs and the other artist apartment is above left. This is the inside courtyard. Opposite stone wall is the church.

Logistics! This one is interesting, as last time I drew really large pastel drawings and now I’m painting rather small and en plein air. Be mindful of how to send work home as I had to buy a very large plumbing tube to send my work in the post!

Making do with my art supplies and painting outside.

Research local art supply stores before you go, however do take your necessities with you. I have reduced my palette and supplies only through trial and error.

Once again it is all a learning curve and you can ‘make do’ with what you have if you are unable to track down supplies. It may be an opportunity to learn a new technique! You take advantage of any situation as a reason to grow your practice. I try to look at how I can make it work rather than why I can’t do a work, even if I don’t have a certain colour or special pencil.

Finally, I don’t think there are any ‘bad’ moments. The challenging ones test you at times but if you find the good out of them then they are just another reason to grow as a person and as an artist.

You are out of your comfort zone so expect the unexpected but most of all have fun! It is such a special time in your artistic journey.

For me the opportunity to completely immerse myself into a foreign culture, learn a different language, make wonderful new friends, practise my art and share it all with my family is a very memorable experience.

My advice is simple, just do it, your art will thank you for it!

I hope this has helped, Emma.

Please feel free to comment and like below.

Yours in art,

Bec x

Residency Life