So this will be my new world wide web space to share with anyone who is listening the experiences I am having whilst in England and specifically being The Artist in Residence at the Brighton Hotel, Artist Residence. For those of you who are not aware, I am currently living and working at a hotel and art gallery in Brighton, UK. It located on the southern tip of England, right next to a pebble beach and an ocean...oh sorry i didn't mean to go on like...or maybe I did.
Anyway, Artist's Residence is a really funky, creative hotel where each room was designed and painted by a different Artist, some of whom reside locally in Brighton. It also has a gallery space and provides opportunities for local artists to display their work. Every two months they ask a new artist to take up a residency which involves performing some light duties at the hotel in exchange for free accommodation and a studio space. I was selected for June and July and have been having an incredible experience thus far.
Brighton Beach is full of the most interesting, creative people. Everyone is extremely open and creative and it's extremely inspiring. I am actually amazed at how many fascinating people I have come across. And not just friends, you can meet people in the most intriguing ways here. For example, this morning while having a tea on the beach I was asked randomly by a guy if could sit and have a chat with me. For those of you who know me, you'll know I obviously said yes, and we began having a chat about his life. He is a writer that wants to write about corporate corruption, human existence, meditation and healing. He explained it as a mix between the old and the new. It is all about looking to the past to find solution for the issues today. He also told me he came here to focus more on his creative side and get away from his job in finance. I think that is a key theme in Brighton. People come here because they are looking for a little bit more. They are looking for something to inspire them, something sans status quo. I think I may be one of those people...
Since I have arrived, I have been looking for inspiration and have been trying to make a decision about what kind of art I want to create here. Being by the ocean has made me feel so calm and relaxed and has made me think a lot about how important water is in our lives. I remember back at Carleton University I wrote a poem about human bodies being filled with water and how water is vital to our existence. Water has the ability to make us feel free and conversely trap us, cause us to drown. I decided being next to the ocean would be an amazing way to explore these ideas. The way water can lift people up, crash them down, the aspects of survival and the romantic or secret moments it can provide us with. I've decided to create a portrait series tentatively titled, "In the Water I Am..." This series will also consist of short stories and poetry to coincide with the images. The ideas may change or develop more but this is where I am at right now. Feel free to follow along as this experience evolves and changes.
Thanks for Listening,
Steph
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