I have been honoured to be given the gift of a two week residency at the Leighton Artist Colony, part of the Banff Centre in Alberta. Here, I’ve been assigned a studio (Henriquez Studio #3, also known as “The Boat) in which to write, create and be inspired. The Henriquez Studio is just one of 9 studios in the Leighton Artist Colony. The “Boat” is indeed an actual boat, the Elsie K, brought from Vancouver by architect Richard Henriquez, and repurposed into a writing studio.
In my short time here I have written over 120 pages, 3 short stories, edited 5 more, and drafted 5 poems (with a manic two poems added the night and morning before I left). It’s hard to not be inspired by the mountains and all the beauty that goes along with them. The Banff Centre works hard to provide an opportunity for artists to create, connect with other artists and have their work appreciated and respected.
I am so grateful to the Banff Centre, Deborah Cameron, Zachary Alapi, Jim Olver, the ever-kind servers in the Vistas dining room and everyone else who had a wonderful impact on my creativity and production where here in the Colony. I can assure you, I made great use of the time here.