The Nuts and Bolts of an Artist Residency

Brown Pelican

Notes From My Residency Journal

I will be out on the Matanzas River tomorrow, so I won't post on Friday.

My residency project is a departure from the typical residency an artist does. Most of them are invitational or through an application process. The artist stays in an organization's facility from 1-8 months, where the artist must either teach, do demonstrations or must pay or donate art.

My residencies are sponsored by businesses, non profit organizations or by corporations. They provide my art supplies. The residency locations are provided by my hosts, bless them, who offer me their vacation homes, usually for five to seven days. They ask nothing from me but I almost always give them a nice painting for their collection. They look forward to that. I have no time schedules, no teaching obligations or fees from my hosts and sponsors. They are extremely generous.

My own expenses include my groceries and restaurant bills, park and attraction fees, and my gas to and from the residency.This adds up quickly. I try to stay on a budget for each residency. Sometimes I go over and other times I spend almost nothing.

I have learned to save time and money during residencies. I don't like to spend much time cooking at residencies because I would rather paint and explore the area where I am staying. I have learned some quick meals that suffice for a hot meal at night.  I cook a box of spaghetti at home and bring the cooked pasta with me. I get a jar of pasta sauce, some Parmesan cheese and I have an instant microwavable hot meal. I usually get 3 or four spaghetti dinners out of this.  My other hot meal is just as fast. I use Uncle Bens flavored pouch rices with a small can of chicken, dumping them together in a microwave bowl. In two minutes I have chicken and rice. I always get a bag of salad greens and bring a bottle of dressing.  I eat tuna sandwiches and PB&J for lunch. My splurge is to eat breakfast out each day. It is the least expensive meal while traveling and is messy to make. For snacks, I get hummus and pita chips, a fruit bowl from the market, or salsa with with tortilla chips. That is really all I need for the week and I waste no time cooking.

I always try to spend time researching the area where I will stay, so that I have an idea ahead of where I want to explore and what I will need to spend. Some activities are free, some very inexpensive and a few are pricey. The Eco boat tours are expensive but worth the expense to splurge on occasionally because they are run by naturalists who help me learn about the birds and wildlife in an area. I gather hundreds of reference photos for future paintings in my studio, and I do at least one plein air painting a day during my trips.

If you would like to contribute to this project, I would very much appreciate your assistance. You can use the donate paypal button here on the blog. The funding will help with my travel expenses. If you would like to sponsor my project as a business, that would be wonderful. I will work hard to promote your company. If you would like to host a residency, I would love it!!! Just contact me at: linda@lindablondheim.com.

Many thanks to all who make this project possible. Please support the businesses and organizations who support me on this blog. Bless them for supporting the arts.