Meet Joyce & Annette

Many of you know that the Artist in Residence program is a cherished part of who Searsport Shores has become.  Every week we host a different artist (or two) with an agreement that they will work with guests for an hour or two each day doing almost anything they’d like.  When they’re not working with guests they are encouraged to pursue their own artistic muse while calling the art studio and the grounds their own.

Joyce and Annette will be with us July 13th-19th.  This morning they sent a note we’d like to share:
Hello, Astrig,

Annette and I are looking forward to our upcoming week as artists in residence in July. We thought we’d take this time to introduce ourselves to your blog readers.

Annette (left) and Joyce (right) during a journaling/art workshop held in April 2014

Hello readers,

I’m Joyce Hayden. I teach English at Westfield State University in MA. I am a writer and a painter. I’ve had exhibitions of my art work in galleries and specialty stores in MA, OH, and Vermont. I work with oils, acrylics, and watercolor, and I love creating collages. My latest exhibits have focused on ex-voto paintings, which are paintings of gratitude. We’ll devote an upcoming blog on that format, because that will be the basis of one of the projects Annette and I will facilitate during our week as artists in residence. Because Annette and I are nature lovers, a lot of the projects we will offer to campers will focus on the natural world around us. Much of my artwork is inspired by the landscapes I love. Here are two samples of my work:

First Flight by Joyce Hayden, oil

For a time, I made several different pieces that I called “animalscapes”. I worked with the animal shapes of the bear, the wolf, the turtle, and the butterfly.

Sedona Bear by Joyce Hayden, acrylic

This “animalscape” is called “Sedona Bear” that I made for a friend who loves Arizona, bears and snakes! I cut the shapes out of foam core, cover them with canvas, and then paint. This bear was painted with acrylic paints.

Hello everyone,
I am Annette – I work with families and children as a social worker in a nonprofit agency. I also volunteer for The Cancer Connection as a support person for individuals and their families newly diagnosed with cancer. I spend my creative time spinning yarn from a variety of fibers. The first picture below is of wool in gorgeous plant dyed colors ready for me to spin! As you can see my cat loves fiber too! The second is the finished product.

Plant dyed wool batts ready to spin

I plan to bring my spinning wheel to Maine and spin some yarn in the studio!

Annette’s Handspun Skeins

I also journal as a daily practice and have facilitated several journaling groups. I like to incorporate nature into the writing as I believe nature has many healing qualities and inspires creativity! I love it when the journaling process results in someone acquiring new inspiration, awareness, self understanding, solutions, ideas, and/or healing! It can be a magical process!

We’ll post again with another blog in a few weeks. We’re excited to meet everybody and do some writing, explore our surroundings, and make some art!!! See you soon, Joyce and Annette