Jentel Day 4: The Invention of Yellow

Tonight’s cloud and light show made it apparent that the grand state of Wyoming invented the color yellow. At sunset, the Big Horn high peaks looked volcanic. Wisps of clouds expanded and shrunk to the backdrop of a firey light display. One by one the six of us filed out of our studios, equally in awe. The photographer grabbed her car keys, slung her camera over her shoulder, and sped off across the high desert gumbo road. The painter wandered toward the bridge, studying the light’s glow as it reflected across the surface of Lower Piney Creek. The other painter dashed into the Resident’s House, breathless. “It’s incredible, it’s incredible,” she said between smiles. “It’s just amazing out there!” I now know why my studio is called The Sunset Studio. A practically unfathomable view:

And continuing the vein of the Jentel tour, here are a few more snapshots of my surroundings. First, the Resident’s House (what I could fit in the viewfinder), which sleeps six:

The main room is a to-die-for kitchen adjacent to an open living and dining room with 18 (20? 22?) foot ceilings, a wood stove, all leather couches, cushy chairs, and hand forged wrought iron table chairs. Creative lighting abounds, the woodpile is stacked, and a dishwasher, two fridges, two ovens make shared space easy. Likewise, the benefactor has a penchant for antique carpenter’s tables (how ingenious – they hold stories, capture the marks of the maker, and increase in beauty with age). I discover clever artwork, objects from nature, old magazines, silly games, and more each day.

All this but still…the six of us have spent every night together around the dinner table. A different artist takes charge of cooking each night and then we gather on the later side of dinner. We enjoy a meal, lots of wine, and talk for hours. We’re critiquing work, debating aesthetics, searching for parallels in different mediums, discussing industry gripes and raves, and—of course—telling a few revealing, ridiculous, personal stories in between. Already, it feels like family. Already, I’ve made surprising connections that, no doubt, will influence me for the better. Oh, and we’re also having A LOT OF FUN. This, as it turns out, is the best medicine for me at this juncture of my 2 years on the road. Thank you, Jentel friends, for making it all possible.