Watercolor field studies © Andie Thrams

Tell us a little bit about your practice as a maker. Where do you thrive?
Where do you struggle?

What I Enjoyed

Laurie created a habitat for us that was conducive to deep open creative explorations. Especially wonderful for me were the extended periods of silence we worked within; having no tech devices in our work space; our morning meditative movement practices; Laurie’s poetry recitations (from memory!) and process demos; the beauty of our work space and the surrounding landscape; the diverse, friendly, nurturing community of participants; and how Laurie quietly and beautifully orchestrated the flow of each hour, each day, our entire time so that we arrived at the end with an array of new approaches and inspirations held within a handbound book. I felt protected and supported in a way that daily life doesn’t usually provide—which allowed the kind of vulnerability and wildness I usually only can access when working alone..

In Forests No. 41 | Lutz Spruce, Kachemak Bay | © Andie Thrams

What did you find difficult?

Honestly, my entire experience was so deeply joyful and creatively exciting, that difficulty was not something I experienced—other than it all ending way too soon!

What is the strangest object in your studio?

Hmmmm….. maybe the tree sap, fungi, and wildfire charcoal I’ve collected outdoors now soaking in various solvents in jars lined up on a long shelf.

Tell us a little bit about your practice as a maker. Where do you thrive? Where do you struggle?

Most my creative work happens in the outdoors, particularly in wildland forests of the western United States. That is where I thrive: while painting beneath big trees, as far as I can possibly get from a car, for as long as I possibly can. My studio practice involves completing work I’ve started outdoors, so binding my artist’s books, mounting paintings on paper onto canvas and wood, adding finishing touches, sometimes with gold leaf and shiny tree sap. Lately I’ve been working on my community art project, ForestSong. It has been very time consuming, involving a lot of struggle, dealing with event planning and government grants. It has been worth it. Our actual events and the other artists participating are wonderful. But I’ve sure missed my quiet deep painting and wandering time. The experience has made me more appreciative that I have my own sustaining art practice awaiting my return.

What is one intention you have for your practice this year?

To spend extended periods of time in different Sierra Nevada forests painting, wandering, and then painting some more.

See lots more of Andie’s inspirational work in nature here: