Reflections on My Residency at The Caumsett Foundation

As an eco artist based on Long Island, New York, my work is deeply rooted in place. During August and September 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to complete an art residency at The Caumsett Foundation. Over these two months, I created a variety of work, shown below, exploring the park through color, texture, and material experimentation. During my time in residence, I was thrilled to share the studio with two incredible artists, whose presence, creativity, and conversations made this experience all the more meaningful. In August I shared with Peter Tresnan, and in September I shared with Natasha K. De Armas.

From the very first day, I remember being intimidated by the blank walls and the large work table. What was once empty is now bursting with paintings, experimental studies, and sculptures inspired by the land. That large table now holds my largest painting to date.

I carried a wood stump from the beach, which sat in the studio until it was ready to make marks and become a work of art itself. Each piece captures the process of translating Caumsett into color and texture. After the paint, water, and sand fully dried, I brushed off the excess to reveal hidden patterns underneath—a dialogue between materials and nature.

The residency was a whirlwind of teaching, crushing rocks, making paint from the park, and creating artwork inspired by my time here. What started as an experiment evolved into a new series. Some pieces have already found their forever homes (thank you!), some are going to be exhibited this year, but if you see something you connect with, reach out and I’ll connect you with details.

This series, Caumsett in Color, celebrates the elements of earth pigments, paper, sand, salt, water, sunshine, and air. I would also like to acknowledge that this work was created on the ancestral lands of the Matinecock people, who named this place Caumsett, meaning “place by a sharp rock,” and whose enduring connection to this land continues today.