What It's Like to Be an Artist-in-Residence at The Ozarker Lodge
To say that I had a great time during my artist residency at The Ozarker Lodge in Branson, Missouri, would be an understatement. I was so lucky to have this opportunity and to experience such a beautiful place just in my backyard. But, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. A few months ago, I saw one of my fellow artist colleagues posting all about their artist residency at this adorable hotel, so I had to find out more about how I could jump into her shoes. So long story short, the lovely staff at The Ozarker Lodge responded to my email and invited me to stay, for 3 nights, in their little slice of the Ozarks.
The Ozarker Lodge is located in Branson, Missouri, the heart of the Ozarks. The drive from Springfield to Branson is relaxed and gives the driver (and passengers if you have any) time to bask in the rolling hills that are the Ozark Mountains. One of my favorite parts about the Lodge, was the location. It was right off Branson’s main street, but you wouldn’t know it because it felt like it’s own little excluded space which provided it with a lot of charm — but allowed you to head into town to grab a bite to eat when you get hungry without much of a drive.
Some of the best attributes of the Lodge are the grounds themself. Behind the Lodge, they have a manicured, but naturally wild, backyard lining a crackling creek. They have a heated pool and hot tubs (which I unfortunately did not bring a swimsuit to partake in these), where they show outdoor movies on occasion. There are also quite a few firepits that you can ask a houseman to light for you or even book a special campfire experience set with wine, charcuterie board, and s’more kits. (My husband and I will definitely have to indulge in that treat during our next stay)! The interior of the Lodge is where I spent most of my days and I will say, it was such a quaint and welcoming environment to create art in. The lobby is where you can hang out and play board games, get some work done, or enjoy a cocktail or specialty coffee from their bar. I enjoyed quite a few lattes during my stay and the s’more latte was absolutely my favorite!
The Artist Residency Experience
As the artist-in-residence, I was provided with a cozy room to stay in during my visit. The staff at the Lodge were very sociable and welcoming which gave to the enjoyable experience. I really got to craft how I wanted to spend my time creating art and spent most of my time in the lobby — which largely inspired the painting I created, but more on that later — and I also sat and drew by the creek in the mornings. It was nice to have open possibilities of what I created as sometimes I get too much in my head when I am in my day-to-day of creating. This allowed me to really think outside the box in aspects and I am excited to share with you how this inspired me to go beyond my usual limits.
Creating the Artworks
I arrived at The Ozarker Lodge Thursday afternoon and wanted to start creating right after I got things settled in my room. After I got my things up to where I would be staying, I grabbed my sketchbook and drawing pen and headed back down to the lobby to find inspiration. It was hard for me to break through at first and get to creating, but I decided I would just draw right what was in front of me. My first drawing I started, and worked on off-and-on during my stay, was this drawing of the lobby area. It was an ode to the cozy atmosphere that I got the pleasure of creating in during my time at the Lodge.
The next morning would be the start of a longer, and more focused time, creating several pieces of art and general studies. At this point, I had decided that I really wanted to lean into producing artwork truly inspired by the space I was in. I had already started with my drawing of the lobby, so why stop there? Behind the Lodge, there is a lovely backyard area with a creek running freely through the trees and over the rocks. This is where I started day two. My husband has been experimenting with making paper out of recycled materials, so I used some of this paper as my drawing surface for my outdoor studies of the creek and surrounding foliage. I love the way the bright yellow contrasts with my black drawing pen. (This paper was made from cardboard egg cartons). I drew several drawings over a couple of mornings on this paper.
If I was going to use the space I was occupying as inspiration, it only made sense that I make an all encompassing artwork responding to the elements of both the interior and exterior of the Lodge. It seemed fitting to have the lobby decor influence the color scheme of this painting. I chose rich colors that felt both playful but also reminiscent of a cozy cabin in the woods. I truly fell in love with this color palette throughout the process of painting it; rusty oranges, mustard yellows, contrasting ocean and navy blues, cranberry reds, and forest greens. As I completed the painted aspect of this piece, it felt incomplete. I had embodied a color palette that I felt complimented the space, while also incorporating lines and shapes that I was seeing within the interior design. That’s when I decided to integrate collage into the piece and draw some of the flowers I had taken photos of earlier that day on the back lawn. The back lawn has quite a few beautiful penstemon flowers blossoming throughout. These are the natural integrate into my painting and I am loving how it turned out. The collaged drawings with the deckle edges gave the piece an interesting element that tied everything together.
Titled “The Inn By The Creek,” this 16” x 20” painting is completed on canvas with acrylic paint and the collage pieces are completed using archival ink, watercolor paper, and adhered with matte mod podge. The piece was inspired to fit in the space it was created in, but it destined to match a variety of spaces with similar natural, cabin, exuberant vibes. To learn more about this painting or to make it your own, click here.
The experience I had at the Ozarker Lodge was such a special opportunity that I am so thankful I was able to have. The first half of my time, I got to engage with the space on my own, but come Friday evening, my husband got to join me and even got to bring our dog up with him. (Yes, the Ozarker Lodge is dog friendly)! It was so nice to have both a getaway to create art, but also to relax with my little family. It’s not everyday that I get to step away from the hustle and bustle of things to be more introspective about my artwork and my art practice overall.
I feel more connected with using spaces to influence my artwork and see this as the start of a new journey in my creations. If you are interested in commissioning a piece of art that is both inspired by your space and meant to fit in it, reach out to start the process here.
If you want to the painting “The Inn By The Creek” to become a part of your art collection, click the button below.