24 January 2013

Winter Residency

For the last two weeks we’ve had photographer and writer Sandra Hunter staying with us for an artist residency. Sandra came all the way from Los Angeles to photograph snow and ice, and to have a quiet retreat to work on some writing.

Sandra Hunter at work at Point Petre, Prince Edward County
Sandra is actually our very first winter resident, and she has been working on a photography and shape poetry project (shape poems on vellum overlaid on photographs), which uses close-up digital photographs of the intersection of snow and ice and ice and water. She’s especially interested in the layers of ice above and below water, as well as the intersections of snow with ice and water.

Copyright Sandra Hunter 2013
Generally I do not spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter, but I accompanied Sandra on several outings as we sought out various icy spots around the County: Point Petre, Soup Harbour, Macaulay Mountain, Picton Harbour, the rock cliffs in South Bay, Bloomfield Mill Pond, and various creeks, swamps and ditches. 

Copyright Sandra Hunter 2013
Sandra can find beauty anywhere, and her enthusiasm for these glimpses of wonder has been inspiring. I've begun to see the world through her eyes, and appreciate the magic that happens to water when the temperature dips below zero. 

Copyright Sandra Hunter 2013
Sandra and I first started discussing her residency by email almost a year ago. If you live in our area, you’ll remember last winter as “the winter that never was.” It was unseasonably warm, with very little snow (thanks, climate change!). Over the last few weeks I have found myself – for possibly the first time in my life - being thankful for the snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. 

That's what art does: it changes you.

Copyright Sandra Hunter 2013
If you’re interested in an artist residency at Small Pond Arts - in any season - check out our website for details.

Copyright Sandra Hunter 2013

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Krista, for the most incredible two weeks. Yours and Mile's hospitality truly made me fell "well come"! I can also testify to the power of the hot water bottle -- all hail. Wishing you a brilliant 2013. Shadow puppets rule.

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