Rogue Residency, Lincolnshire, 2025
I spent the last week of September at my first residency. Rogue Residencies - led by Tiffany Arntson, is tucked away in Lincolnshire, which is a short journey for me. As a disabled and autistic person, I have always wanted to go on a residency, but have been anxious about how well I can play ‘resident’. Having my first experience close to home provided me with a safety blanket (that I never felt the need to use).
The Preparation
This residency was self-led, and the space was shared with 9 other (wonderful) artists. The only thing we needed to prepare was an intention to share, alongside an item (or two) that linked the intention to our practice. The residency started on a Wednesday - and I had no clue what my intention was. On the Monday before the residency, Tommy (my partner) and I visited Leamington Spa, and the piece below stirred and started something within me.
Now, this art style isn’t what I usually gravitate towards. I’m known by pals to be moved by things a little more gestural, abstract, silly. I am not often impressed by technical skill. Don’t get me wrong - I appreciate and admire the skill, but it doesn’t really do something for me. But, this piece made me sit down and reflect to my spiritual and grief work.
personal note: A lot of my anxieties were put to bed when I was put in contact with my roomie. It was such a wonderful pairing, I have made such a special friend. We look forward to sharing what we’re dreaming up and acting upon.
For a long time, I have explored this work through folkloric, mystical themes. For Midsummer, my inspiration was Hag Stones. I was obsessed with the stories and history linked to these stones being portals. Door Slightly Open inspired me to explore the theme of portals through something more real, literal, pentacles. My intention for the residency was to develop and play with doors. Drawing them, learning about them, asking community of their memories of them.
I scheduled an Instagram post to go live on the first night of the residency, asking people to share their memories of doors. My intention was to explore these in more detail, and work with my online community over on Time With Anna to journey through these portals together.
personal note: this post was on Time With Anna, it was at the residency where I realised that I wanted to seperate my art practice from the business I have built since 2018.
The Intention Objects
Alongside the intention formed above, the objects I decided to share was my Tarot deck and an owl keyring that was owned by my late brother, that I take everywhere with me. I had no idea how these would be part of my residency/direction - they just felt important to me and my practice.
personal note: i really enjoyed seeing other peoples objects and getting to know their intentions. As somebody who struggles to make conversation, this allowed me to have reference of what those around me may want to talk about! Autistic WIN!
The First Day
“Woke up around 4am and came downstairs. Didn’t want to go in to the barn to disturb folks so went on my ipad and did a door development?
I started talking and recording myself but for some reason, the mic didn’t pic up. It has made some funky sounds though.”
‘I Wonder If’ - page taken from my visual diary.
personal note: All of the voice notes I recorded in the mornings, as a practice of saying things I struggled with to people I cant talk to, corrupted. Strange, right?
The Second Day
“Spoke to Marianne about grief and the whole process - was invited to Liverpool. Super special morning.
Made the jar, roll the dice and it wanted me to develop Help Yourself (pink and purple paintings). I really didn’t want to do it but i somewhat enjoy the process - not too sure if i like the final product, but I like the photos I took.
Jar wanted me to pendulum Thomas, wind had other ideas - let myself lead to a space which lead me the tree/stair/piano door space
made pendulum from owl and string - too windy. Tried to film it at home, no phone storage. Saw it as a sign ”
Help Yourself (III)
I really wanted to work with pink and purple as they are two colours I never enjoy working with. They were the colours of my childhood bedroom, and somewhere, in my brain, it has decided that it makes me uncomfortable. The strips of colour that you can see behind this piece are from the paintings in the above photo. I often cut, strip, weave work that doesn’t sit with me - its super ritualistic and therapeutic.
If I didnt do my jar, these pieces would have been but in the ‘never to finish’ pile, and the below drawings wouldn’t of been made.
personal note: the jar is something I do when there are lots of things to do/explore. I write them all down, rip, fold and place each task in to the jar, and pull them out like a raffle. It allows me to not worry about ‘making the most’ of my time, and also release the ego/blockages I often get around tasks. Have a go, let me know what you think.
posca and paper, reconnecting/remembering when the need to run away from ‘safety’ started.
“Creative Intervention:
So natural free and fun the beginning part, found the second part slightly harder but really proud of myself for asking Marianne if she wanted to zine swap.
I need to look through it properly, we shared put makes around the table and it was so beautiful but also a little overstimulating? ”
Photo taken by Mishka (my roomie) of Creative Intervention.
Based on the 6am convo Marianne McGurk and I had over a cuppa, when the final part of Creative Interventions was to create a zine, I asked if she would like to make a zine about my brother, and I would create one about her mum. These zines are really personal and special to me, and have also supported my partner with his grief. It’s so magic how sharing your experiences surrounding death brings new life and learnings. Marianne’s work and self is so inspiring. I was really moved by her cyanopaintings.
The Third Day
“getting emotional.
Nicola invited us to do some cyanotype - don’t know if I’m up to it. ”
Day three was equal parts horrible and beautiful to me. It was the day where emotion, overstimulation and chronic pain took over. Day three turned out to be the most important to my practice, upon reflection. The amount of care and kindness felt from the other artist, and also receiving my first crit from Natasha was pretty special.
The Third Day began my piece ‘Burying My Brother (BMB)’ - a way for me to use art to create a funeral. It wasn’t planned, but it was divinely timed. I will be sharing more of BMB in time, it kinda needs it own post. You can request access to a realtime log of what’s going on here. The pendulum that I use to converse with my brother will decide if you’re allowed to enter.
I don’t make the rules.
The Final Day
I didn’t write in the diary for the final day. Can’t say I’m surprised - I have a way of being super-comitted until the final hurdle, then it dissapears from my mind. After breakfast, there was an optional group crit. It was my first experience, I was so in my head that was I was saying wasn’t useful for the artists. I don’t think it matters though.
I shared the cyanotype above alongside some work titled ‘loss’ that I made 6 months after my brother passing. What was scary, was sharing a video that Natasha advised me to show. This video, alongside a whole bunch of videos, sounds, movements, rituals are secret (for now).
Whilst I develop them - but if you’re nosy, just ask. I’ll see how I feel.
The Reflection
With lunch, we all reflected on our starting point, and where the residency took us. I shared the piece below, which kickstarted BMB. It was so wonderful hearing/seeing everybody’s reflections. There is so much more I could say about the residency. I will in time.
The Readings
Something that stayed with me throughout the stay was how everybody picked up on the energy of the space (its so so magic). Once everybody had left The Barn, I pulled a card for each room. The kitchen (the heart of the barn, and our time there) :
Of course.
Thank you to all of the artists that I shared my time with. Sorry to all my friends who haven’t stopped me from gushing about this experience.
More to share soon
