I thought the Summer Camp would mostly be similar to a residency where you make work the entire time, but it was so much more. Spending five days exploring Joseph, with a group of artists that I had never spent an extended period of time with was a little intimidating at first, but once we all piled in the van everything fell into place. It was so nice to spend so much time with new people in a new environment, the experience created an immediate bond.

I really enjoyed spending time in the outdoors in a part of Oregon none of us had been to. We had so many wonderful random conversations from ghosts, Sasquatch, to the ups and downs of the art world while avoiding the largest grasshoppers I have ever seen or jumping over river beds. We all came together at the end of each day to cook a meal together. During these evenings we laughed so much I actually found myself in tears multiple times. I also introduced everyone to my favorite game quick wits and it was a hit.  Since I work alone in my studio it was such a great experience to see how other artists began their ideations. It was mesmerizing watching Tim Biskup he is a machine and gets lost in creating his graphite drawings.

My artwork is inspired by our horseback riding experience. I loved riding and watching how the other artists interacted with their horse. Each horse had its own personality and was fun to watch how those mixed with the rider. It was my second time on a horse, but I felt very comfortable. My horse was pretty lazy but it was fun to get him to trot and maneuver in order to help move along other horses who just wanted to graze (although I don’t blame them).