Pada Winter Residency, Barriero, (Lisbon, Portugal)

Housed in a former factory building in Barreiro, a separate city to Lisbon on its south shore (accessible by a 20 mins ferry ride), this residency complex founded in 2018 hosts artists for residency periods, normally lasting a month or two, throughout the year. This January I completed a 3 week ‘Winter Residency’ which was more self led than usual.

With generously allocated studio spaces for 9 artists of diverse backgrounds and career stages a small community forms which makes the overall experience similar to an art school mixed with a sort of gathering vibe. Shared meals and excursions to Lisbon and beyond (e.g Sintra) helped us bond and share our enthusiasm for art while learning about and from each other. We also made visits to Lisbon galleries together and to a notable private view of another residency called la junqueira.

We were housed in former worker’s cottages just 2 mins from the studios to which we had 24 hour access, so there was a great opportunity to make considerable progress with my practice while experimenting with new approaches. In the first week, Tim Ralston who runs PADA took us on a tour of the adjacent restricted former industrial zone and many of us, including me reacted to this.

Oil pastel sketches of the industrial zone next to PADA completed in week 1.

Following on from my sketches, I was asked to paint a portrait, which lead to a series of three, before I resolved to experiment while I had the space to do so with some large group portraits using images taken from excursions out of the compound.

Working on a new surface to me (Jute) demanded that I apply the paint more thickly to the surface.

Early stages of Ferry Terminal @ Midnight version 1.

My pictures drying.

The 3 weeks culminated in a small exhibition which we initiated as a group. It was a great chance for us to reflect together on what had been accomplished.

The ‘private view’.

It was sad to clear the studios out at the end of the experience, but great to reflect on a fortunate few weeks absorbed in making art with like-minded artists.

My amazing and generous studio space at Pada

View from the top of the Moorish castle at Sintra.

In being nudged into making work in a more direct fluid fashion I was reminded that knowing when to stop and when to abandon a composition is paramount.

Early stages of Ferry Terminal @ Midnight version 2.

Painting the famous Pastel De Nata from life. (version 1)

From an excursion to Cascais.

A Big Thank You to the other artists:

Katya Derksen
Arthur Gazzola van de Zand
Amanda Houchen
Lisa Birke
Mark Richards
Angela Solis ONeill
Jason Manley
Donna Campbell

+ Noelle Kalom (Alumni Cottage)

And thanks to Tim Ralston of Pada.

Awesome to meet you all!

Sunday morning in Lisbon.