Badlands Residency Day 37

April 27, 2012

Last full day here in the Badlands. I'm trying not to dwell, but am certainly having trouble with the idea of leaving. I do look forward to returning to my life at home, which I love very much. Yet there are so many places and people I now love out here, and it is very hard to be looking at the end and preparing to say goodbye. I never expected to come away from this experience with new, lifelong friends. Had a lot of packing, organizing, and some cleaning to do today. Finished one more painting as well. For dinner a bunch of us went to Cowboy Corner for Chicken Fried Steak night, but they weren't cooking today. So instead we went over to the Wagon Wheel, put on some music, and I had everyone fill in a page from my sketch book. Also decorated a dollar bill for the wall, a Wagon Wheel tradition.

My residency was over the top in all ways, simply beyond words. Creatively, I gained so much. My expectation had been to spend time painting on location every day. Instead I was taking longer hikes, delving deeper into the crevices of the park, coming home each night with a plethora of photographs. I did finish more paintings in a shorter amount of time than ever before, so I was plenty productive. I am coming home with seeming endless material for future work. By spending the majority of my time on foot, moving throughout the landscape, I'm coming away with a far better knowledge of the park than I envisioned. The endless encounters and experiences along the way, whether solo or social, only add to the depth of feeling I now have for the Badlands. All of these pieces come together to give me incredible motivation, even hunger, to paint. What I most did not expect was to meet kindred spirits, make lasting friends, and gain multiple perspectives on the park. I do have to offer a special thanks to all the park employees I met who offered ideas, information, insight, and more. Especially Ed and Ryan from whom I learned about and was exposed to aspects of the Badlands that I imagine are rare for any visitor or artist in residence, perhaps even rare for many employees. You guys are the best, BNP is very lucky to have you. It was also exceptional to have a fellow artist around to chat and explore with. While our art forms require rather different approaches, Steven and I would hike together as artistic comrades, always wanting to know what's around the next butte, or up the next canyon. We found ourselves in some great locations thanks to curiosity. I won't individually name all the friends and acquaintances who impacted my experience, but you know who you are, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and look forward to seeing you again someday.