By Sarah May
Sarah May is working with Camp to collect stories and memories of the Camp Arcadia experience all season long. She has seen that everyone has a Camp story to tell – no matter whether they’re a generational guest or a first-time camper! Sarah lives in Arcadia, MI, with her husband Chip and their three children.
Camp Arcadia was blessed to host Emily Winkel Washburn as an Artist in Residence for two weeks this summer. During her residency, she created several new paintings capturing the stunning natural beauty of Camp and its surrounding areas. Guests enjoyed watching her in action as she made art right before their eyes. Emily also shared her expertise and skills with the guests by leading watercolor classes.
“As our first artist in residence, Emily hit it out of the park! Not only is her artwork amazing and such a beautiful representation of Camp Arcadia and the surrounding area, but she is also a phenomenal teacher. Her classes were filled each week, and guests enjoyed them thoroughly!” commented Chip May, Executive Director.
During her residency, Emily challenged herself to become more comfortable painting in the open air rather than from photographs. She learned to adjust her supplies and set up to accommodate the changing light and to trust her instincts. One of her highlights was venturing to the top of the North Bluff on the Baldy hike to paint.
She reflected on this experience by sharing, “Going on the Baldy hike with my art supplies was about more than just painting for me. At the end of June, I celebrated the first anniversary of my heart surgery and have been working diligently to regain my strength. Making the hike carrying my backpack of painting supplies, water, and a wooden plein air easel felt like such a massive accomplishment, not something I could’ve imagined doing just a year ago. Sharing this experience of such a beautiful view with campers in the afternoon was inspiring!”
Another great learning experience for Emily was painting the south view of the Camp beach. She started at 6:30 a.m. to illustrate the early morning’s beautiful pinks, purples, and soft yellows. Since the light changed quickly, she created a swatch card for the colors. Because of the humidity, the watercolors took a long time to dry, so she had to come back multiple times throughout the day, finally completing the piece around 3:00 p.m.
Her time in Arcadia taught her how much painting outdoors is affected by atmospheric conditions. On another day, when the humidity was low and the air was breezy, she painted the lake with whitecaps. She recalled, “The vibrant viridian greens and deep indigo blues were drying faster than I could paint, so I took advantage of the dry brush textures to get the waves.”
Above all, her favorite part of the residency was interacting with the Camp guests. Emily offered watercolor classes, where guests painted views of the water, sunsets, and even the cross at the chapel on the beach. Guests loved this opportunity to explore their creative side and learn from a full-time artist.
Emily truly appreciated the encouragement and support shared by everyone at Camp. She shared, “Whenever I was second-guessing myself, a guest or staff member would come up and encourage me on my progress, ask questions I could confidently answer about my process, or just share genuine enthusiasm for the beauty I wanted to capture. When painting at Camp Arcadia, my hope is that I am always sharing my love and wonder of this beautiful place with the people who see my paintings.”
The Artist in Residence opportunity allowed Emily to focus on her artwork and re-ground herself as a maker and artist. Near the end of her time at Camp, she noticed a change in her painting style. “My brush strokes were more prominent, colors a bit more pure, and I found a style that I genuinely feel is all mine! Working from life instead of photographs pushed me into a new headspace, resulting in this style. I’m excited to continue developing this as a signature style to represent both myself as an artist and the beauty of Northern Michigan.”
“I really can’t thank Camp Arcadia and the staff enough for hosting and supporting me during this artist residency. It was an incredible experience I will carry with me through the coming year and beyond.”
Camp Arcadia plans to continue this program and hopes to have Emily return, along with other artists.
If you’d like to know more about Emily or her artwork, you can visit her website or follow along with her work on Facebook or Instagram.
One Response
Emily was a fantastic teacher. I have no ability with painting and she even made my feeble efforts look good.