In 2017 I was awarded a Haystack School of the Arts Open Studio Residency. This unique residency was created to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas among professional artists, and provide two weeks of funded and uninterrupted studio time.

The project I selected as the focus of my residency was a tactile exploration of my investigation into “Contemporary Camouflage.” How color and pattern affects perception of form is my core research interest. I brought raw laser-cut MDF shapes as well model paint and a selection of highly patterned, (and inappropriate for early Maine summer weather), clothing to the residency.

I created hand-painted brooches that either completely blended in (“concealed”) or used the colors the were the exact compliment of the original; in essence creating the most high-visible brooch,(“reveal”). Feedback from other residents inspired me to make brooches for them, as a way of revealing how their clothing/adornment choices reflected their essence. Fellow artists served as models, and we had final photo shoot led by photographer and educator Lou Krueger to bring the color/pattern/form/expression investigation together.

The results are now influencing a new body of work.