Vermont was amazing (Trees! Nature! Leaves! Covered bridges!) and I surprised myself with the amount of work accomplished. Working during the day as an arts administrator and having only the nights and weekends remaining for my studio, the opportunity to have two weeks of uninterrupted work was an absolute privilege. The Vermont Studio Center is the largest international residency program in the world, and gave me the chance to network with so many other extraordinary artists. I gave a slide presentation, attended several visiting artist talks, participated in a group show, and even opted for studio visits with Derrick Adams and Katherine Bradford. All these wonderful things amounted to 2 weeks where I was able to create honestly and experiment freely.

I took this opportunity and newly acquired wilderness to start investigating new work about survivalism and Bushcraft cultish societies. I've started to consider the ways our bodies interact with the land, and the ways in which we arrange unchanged natural materials to suit our own needs. Injecting the feminine, the magical, the esoteric, into these traditionally masculine acts. Putting the BUSH and CRAFT into Bushcraft, as it were.

Survival skills were learned, ceremonial objects were manifested, and materials were cast and arranged. I have now a good platform to continue onward with. Below are some shots of my studio, and the beautiful region where I stayed. More images can be seen on my Instagram account @caterichardsart

Thank you Vermont Studio Center!