residency plans

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sketchbook open on desk near July 2025 calendar and stack of canning books

Sketchbook open in front of July 2025 calendar and stack of canning books

Today’s studio time started by meeting with Caitlin, SNAP’s director, about my greater residency plans. We talked about my concept: telling the story of local food/ local food security from picking through processing and on to canning and eating it. I went on to draw more faces of people who garden, wild harvest, jam, and can, bringing my near total up to twenty two. It’s tricky to talk about plans right now, knowing that they’ll likely change along the way. But really, I’d like to screen print the faces and cut them to 3” circles. These would most likely be used in a sort of hanging mobile way along with the jar canning lids, which I have been collecting for a few years. Telling the production story will likely happen in a long linocut carving. Maybe. Caitlin reminded me that this is meant to be a springboard, and that it would best serve me to work at techniques and procedures or processes that I can only do in the studio. Things like trimming and assembling can be done from home.

Meanwhile, I think of the Laena McCarthy quote that I read in her Jam On last week, about goods that one cans themselves:

“It’s like anarchy in a jar, and the revolution starts in your mouth”
— Laena McCarthy

It was a bit of a tired yet steady day, with the tiniest of catnaps with my head on the table just after lunch. Tomorrow: more sketches, and starting to figure out the best shapes to try to tell the canning story.

more loading in

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After taking Sunday and Monday off to see MikeG and DBM, plus heal the knee, I got the two guys to help me bring more supplies back to SNAP. It was relaxing to be at home and rest in the garden space and all make and eat food together. Meanwhile, back at the studio, I’m looking at some screen and some lino work, and want to have everything close by should I need it. Including a county poster. . . in case I want to leak the best berry picking spots.

Image descriptions: photo one depicts trees against a sunny-white-cloud sky with a building and window in the foreground. The spruce tree has six ravens hidden in it. Photo two shows a saskatoon bush with berries starting to ripen. The hope is that our raven friends let us find the ripe ones first.

Image descriptions: the left hand photo shows screens, map, water bottle, and crate of supplies in the back seat of the car. The right hand photo shows MikeG driving a car and friend DBM in the passenger seat with the road in front, forest to the side, and white fluffy clouds through the sunroof.

SNAP residency beginnings

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Image of room with tablet, books, and bottles on desk with fabric mural of two fawns hanging on the wall

My workspace for the next month at SNAP, studio 5.

This is a month-long residency to develop a new body of work to go towards a group exhibition at the Society for Northern Alberta Print-Artists (SNAP) and on the TREX NW WALL (Travelling Exhibitions Northwest) in Grande Prairie. Sponsorship has been generously contributed by The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie (AGGP) and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) TREX NW program.

I’m honoured and super jazzed about the opportunity!

The first day had me basically loading in my tools and materials and quickly settling in. Days 2 and 3 were filled with drawing and scheming. . . and Day 4 was the annual Plein-air Printing (and general day-party-festival) onsite.

Image description: first photograph shows young boy with adult watching another adult prepare a small printing press with prepared LEGO block and paper coaster. Second photograph shows people of multiple ages using lino blocks to print on t-shirts and tote bags.

Video description: adult wearing pink safety vest drives small steam roller/ packer over large prepared linocut block.

Video description: two adults lift final fabric print from linocut block and present to a cheering crowd while other people look on.