Santa Fe has long been one of my favorite places, so I was thrilled to discover Jen’s Studio Residency program. I came last year to break free from constraints and challenge my creative comfort zone—it was a transformative experience.

My residency changed my work forever, in both form and color. The teals and lavenders I introduced in New Mexico are now omnipresent in my pieces, and the memory of the afternoon rain impacts all my line work.

Incredible time in Santa Fe! Jen Tough Gallery Sunflower studio/casita This truly is a magical place. It changes me.🌻✨

It’s been a week, a transformative one. I’ve begun each day with a sunrise walk, in total silence with only the sound of birds and coyote pups barking for breakfast, smell of woodsmoke in the crisp fall air. Then coffee. And then I paint.

My residency at Jen Tough Gallery was an amazing experience to delve into focused and uninterrupted time to play and experiment with various paints and techniques. The environment was ideal for immersing myself into my creative process

My residency was valuable in two ways. Primarily it allowed me to experiment. I didn’t have distractions or pressure to create a final product like I do when working in my studio. I use the layering techniques I experimented with during my residency and increased skill in rendering depth in my work. Secondly, I benefited from the lively conversations with other artists doing their residencies. The discussions with each artist were both positive and inspiring and learning about their various processes was intriguing. I highly recommend enjoying a residency here. It is good for the soul and your artistic practice.

My time as a resident artist reinvigorated my creative practice, gifting me a lasting momentum that I carried home to my own studio and work flow. I had been dabbling back into live figure drawing before my residency, but after I got home I became much more diligent and consistent in going every week. I find figure drawing keeps my eye sharp and mind flexible in meeting creative challenges - skills that are integral to my creative practice in other mediums.

My time spent in residency at Jen Tough gallery left me deeply inspired by the fantastic artists whom I shared a week in the summer of 2023. Playing with bolder colors, layering, encouraging movement, and developing a personal style became a goal after my experience in this creative and vibrant work environment.

I came into this residency planning to use a different palette (softer) than I normally do. I based my pieces on the sounds, smells, and colors that I experienced while visiting Santa Fe. My time at Jen Tough Gallery resulted in a calmer, yet rich in color mixes, that I fell in love with. I was able to play, mix, and create outside my normal frame of bold and bright.

I had the privilege of undertaking two summer residencies (2024 & 2025) at the Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, and both experiences were transforming. The simple act of dedicating two weeks solely to work with zero distractions was a gift to my practice. I initially planned to continue my abstract, colorful mixed media work, but once I settled into my studio and beautiful surroundings, that direction didn't feel right. My work just naturally took a dramatic turn toward narrative-focused collage, and this change was fostered by Jen's guidance and support.

My week at @jentoughgallery was life-changing. Made some art, ate some food, bought some books, got tattooed, met some of my soul connections (I’m sad we didn’t get a photo together, @wilde_artist_!). Synchronicities were everywhere, clarity was almost overwhelming, peacefulness was abundant, gratitude was constant. What a life, WHAT A LIFE.

Having the chance to spend every second of my day in an art gallery in New Mexico painting all the things was a dream. It was inspiring, fulfilling, exhausting,(because I couldn’t put my brushes down, ) and exactly what I had hoped for. . Being there and away from what was familiar opened my mind up in ways I didn’t expect and inspired a few new pieces that made me cry deep tears, but really good tears. It taught me to trust myself more and to trust my abilities more. It gave me new friendships,(@the.crooked.cat and Anne! Aka soul sisters) . It gave me space to let go of something’s that I’ve been holding onto so I could make room for the things that have been waiting. . My hands have never been so stained with paint. Haha! . This last week was perfect in all the ways it needed to be. . I miss New Mexico so much already and cannot wait to go back for round two! . Thank you again @jentoughgallery for making space for me. See you again so soon

My residency was a wonderful respite with time to just focus on my work, minus the usual day to day distractions. The studios are set in the hills outside of Santa Fe, in the stark and always inspiring beauty of the high chaparral. Having lived in Santa Fe for 12 years before come to the Bay Area, for me it was a homecoming on so many levels. While there I worked on my ongoing SWIMMER SERIES, both an internal and external reflection and expression of myself in the world as a being

During my residency, I had the invaluable opportunity to step away from the noise of daily life and immerse myself fully in my practice. With space to reflect and create, I began an intimate and deeply personal series of small self-portraits, focusing on my chin and hands. These works explored the emotional landscape of returning to myself after a bike accident that had injured my jaw and broken my painting wrist. The series became both a process of healing and a quiet celebration.

The Light! On all those magnificent desert colors: lucious siennas, deep umbers, and rich ochres. How can one not but strive to replicate them!

This atmospheric skyscape is a meditation on light, space, and presence—a visual deep breath wrapped in color. I painted it to hold that quiet moment when the sky seems to expand and everything softens. Layer upon layer of luminous tones mirror the shifting desert light, blending saturation with stillness. It’s both a window and a mirror, capturing the landscape outside and the clarity within.

Many days after returning from @jentoughgallery in Santa Fe I’m having recurring dreams of being in and traveling through the beautiful landscapes of the Southwest. I spent a part of everyday walking, trying to take it all in and it seems as though it has entered my subconscious. The morning I departed I listened to the Bellamy Brothers “Let Your Love Flow” on repeat, singing along with tears welling up in my eyes because the messages within resonated deeply in my heart with my experience on the road behind and what I’m taking with me as I travel the road ahead. I intend to show my love through the work I make, honoring my encounters with the wild beauty of this outstandingly beautiful world.