Foundation House, CT, Artist Residency Experience Part 4. Open Studios Event

An open studio event was planned for the weekend to which visitors from outside were invited.  For this event, with the director's permission, I installed my installation "A Thread X A Thread" inside the house.  I chose the staircase, the foyer, and the end part of the great room.  These three spaces were separate, but my thread work held them together around one wall between them.  My rule here was to hook the threads where there were already places to hook them, such as the stair posts, railings, and wooden dowel joints.  This made for a rather unique composition for the installation.  And these dowel joints were strong and solid!   As I touched the old, smooth railings and panels, I could feel the craftsmanship and the weight of the history of this old house.  I got help from Jeff, a writer resident of this program with installing the piece at the high position.  It turned out to be one of the largest scales to date for this work.  I am so thankful for the generosity of the place for allowing me to do this.  

This open house event was all the more special and significant because it was the first time that people from the East Coast of the United States added the threads to my work.

I also exhibited my painting series "Iridescence," which I created in my studio. Thanks to the environment that allowed me to concentrate on my work, I was able to complete eight paintings.

Foundation House, Greenwich, CT  August, 2023

Foundation House, CT, Artist Residency Experience Part 3. Apple Orchard

On the second day, Christina, the Director of Foundation House, gave us a tour of the outside grounds.  We looked around the rotunda, pond, the island in the middle of the pond, a crooked bridge to go to the island, the horse trails, the green house, the former stable, and more.　

She told us that the apple trees in the orchard were bearing fruits for the first time in several years. This was the first time since the new owners purchased the land. Inspired by this, I decided to temporarily install my installation "A Thread X A Thread" here as a way to say, "the apples have found a home" and to celebrate. I thought it would mesh well with the theme of my piece.

Our artist residency group had a group photo here with Mimi, the owner of this place, and her beautiful dogs!  I am truly grateful to Mimi for buying this place and saving it from being destroyed and letting us to use it.  What generous philanthropic spirit!  

That day, an accident happened. The sprinkler had wet my threads. Knowing that the morning dew would make them even wetter, I decided to leave them overnight. I waited for the afternoon sun to dry them out completely and took the pieces down. They smelled like the Connecticut sun.  It was an accident, but I think it added an even more interesting saga to this work.

Foundation House, Greenwich, CT  August, 2023

Foundation House, CT, Artist Residency Experience Part 2. Exploring the Place

Walking through the house was like exploring a mysterious and magical place in every way.  Main floor has foyer, great room, library, kitchen, and dining rooms.  You are surrounded by stone walls, exposed beams, stained glass windows, wood panels.  Upstairs there are bedrooms.  I couldn't tell how many bedrooms and bathrooms there were.  Each room had different and fascinating features: uniquely shaped light fixtures, arched windows, doors, niches, walk-in closets, wood and marble floors. 

My favorite spot was the main stair space.  The staircase squares off the space, with a chandelier hanging in the middle that looks just right.  The landing has a large window with latticework.  The ornate woodworked railings and posts are smooth to the touch, and the creaking sound as you walk down the stairs evokes the thrill of walking through a large old mansion.  The floor is stone, and a decorative wooden wall hides a secret door to the basement.

The basement is another favorite of mine.  It looked like a medieval undercroft or cave.  Many rooms were unfinished, but wooden doors had been installed in each room.  Every door made a squeaking sound.  I lost myself there several times.  At one point, I was shown the gym in the basement.  After that, I could never find it.

Foundation House, Greenwich, CT  August, 2023