cold summer swims

Howdy, Hi, Hello!

Summer has slipped away! Autumn is hardly a week away and I’ve been reflecting this summers whirlwind of art markets, residencies and travels. Hello new faces from along the way!

I had a joyous summer filled with friends and paintings and pots! I spent a good chunk of time painting and hiking in ol’ Shenandoah, Virginia. I visited a dear friend in Cork, Ireland and walked and painted by the sea. There was a frolic in Solomons Island, Maryland as a plein-air artist for the beavers of Earl’s Bog. A pack trip up White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, and two weeks as an artist in residence at Craigardan, swaying in a hammock and swimming in Adirondack streams.

Really, I just want to tell you about my time in Maine as a studio assistant fellow at Haystack Mountain School of Craft- beautiful, buoyant, boisterous! Between the studio and the sea, everything about my time there was special. I felt so much inspiration from my fellow artists and their dedication to craft; we were all in the studio pushing against time. I’m so lucky to have been part of such a prolific group!

All the late-night studio shenanigans were stabilized with spontaneous splish-splashes in the sea. The Atlantic is a huge body of creative energy! She swept me up in her salty arms, swirled me around and set me down right. She’s also a thief and she stole my glasses, but that’s neither here nor there. Maine taught me (again) to love water. I've never swam so consistently in my life! Now that I'm home, I'm sorry to say it’s been so easy to slip back into not swimming. One day I will live by the ocean.

Swimming and sports was a funny theme of my summer- more sports in craft schools! It's important for people to play catch and be humbled. Sometimes we get so caught up in our work and forget that we need to move our bodies. I was part of a cohort of active artists and we all tried different things: 6am glass-class runs, post-dinner headlamp jogs, yoga on rocks, football on deck, stairs to everywheres, walks to the road, dancing, and swimming.

Haystack was the highlight of my summer and I’m still trying to figure out what was so magical about those two weeks. Maybe the balance of it all, that every component to lead a fulfilling life was present: food and shelter generously cared for, walking every day, the nearness of water. A wonderful cohort that brought so much enthusiasm and energy! Perhaps it's just luck of the draw that I felt so many genuine connections through this place.

Post-Haystack I went camping for a weekend and it really was the best way to transition out of Maine. Better to let the craft school magic seep out slowly than go straight home and let my heart crack in half.

I’m settling into the end of summer now and my biggest news is that I’ve moved to Philly! I’ve been setting up a painting home studio, going for walks in the park, exploring new rivers, making new friends, and finding my place in this beautiful community. There's a sense of ease about it all; it happened so quickly and I’m happy to be here!

I’ve still got a few more travels left in me and I would love to see some familiar faces:

September 20-21 (this weekend!) I’ll be in Durham, NC for Centerfest

October 10-12: Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art Boardwalk Art Festival, Virginia Beach, VA.

Mark your calendars, if you please! I’ve been painting my little heart away and I’m delighted to share my summers work with you this fall.

With a cat on my back and a plan of attack,

Arista