I received a fellowship through Longwood University for a ten day residency at the Baliles Center for Environmental Education in the Northern Neck of Virginia. I was there from June 17-27, 2026. My project is called “The Mothership: Virginia Wetlands”, an extension of The Mothership work I made in response to my residency at the University of Virginia’s Mountain Lake Biological Station.
I stayed in an adorable waterfront cabin with my own kitchenette and screened-in porch. The cabin had twin beds, and my ongoing wool felt textile project “The Mother” was my roommate for the duration of my stay.
Each morning, our group met for breakfast to hear daily presentations about our projects by each of us in residence. We had scholars from a variety of areas of study, including biologists, writers, historians, and visual artists. We learned about topics ranging from the tiny symbiont worms that live on crayfish, hand papermaking, cyanotype sun prints, the biology of the Northern Neck and Chesapeake Bay, holistic approaches to oyster restoration, the repercussions and benefits of dam removal, fictional storytelling rooted in the wild Alaskan experience, and the historical humor of the Deep South. I presented a short review of my personal biography and how it has influenced my art-making. I also spoke about how I co-create my work, exploring the natural world through image channeling. The group concluded that we each had our own delightful brand of weirdness that has led us down unusual and specific rabbit holes.
The Mother, wool felt with hand-felted attachments, approx 72”x 36”x24”, in progress
I continued work on “The Mother”, a textile piece I started in 2020. She has been an ongoing project that I hope to finish soon. She is a wool felt figure that represents Mother Earth. A variety of animals extend from her belly on cords. While in residence, I created hand-felted forms representing animals of the region such as oysters, mussels, shrimp, and jellyfish. Of course, I had to make a crayfish after hearing the amazing presentation about crayfish and their symbionts. I gave The Mother braided hair that will be presented in the spiral antennae formation as shown here. I hand-dyed the cords that extend from her belly in a gradient from red to pink.
There will be a symposium in Fall 2026 at Longwood University for the participants to present the work we complete in response to this amazing experience. I look forward to sharing a painting of oysters and the creatures that live with them during this event. I offer my sincere gratitude to those at Longwood University and The Baliles Center for Environmental Education who made my visit to this magical place possible.