In the wake of the November election frenzy, I jettisoned off to Thailand for an art residency at Studio 88. This was my third trip to the country in 20 years and I was greeted by the familiarity of gold-laden temples, buzzing mopeds, and warm smiles, mixed with wistful nostalgia, and reminders of my younger, more capricious self.

Studio 88 is located in Doi Suket, a serene district of Chiang Mai replete with sprawling rice fields, meandering country roads, palms, and Lanna architecture. When I arrived, I was given all the necessities– a spacious open-air studio, bicycle, bungalow, and adorable residency cat. Life simplified—in the best possible ways.

From the start, I was captivated by the flora surrounding me—frangipani, lilies, jasmine, and orchids bursting from the greenery. Their vibrant pigments instantly calmed my nervous system and lifted my mood. Each day, I took walks through this astounding plant life. Banana trees, palms, calathea, and crotons swayed above and around me, forming surreal collages of amorphous leaves, circuitous veins, and intertwining branches. A Vedic astrologer once advised me to spend more time in forests and jungles, and I agree. It never gets old.

Unsurprisingly, my first creations were floral studies—free flowing explorations of leaves, petals and pistils. Abstracts soon followed. My goal for the residency had been simple: Experiment and do what I feel. So, I played, creating work in a spontaneous, intuitive fashion.

I developed a routine for my days: Morning Americanos at the Yellow House, a nearby expat cafe, followed by painting in the studio, and strolls to the market for fruit and nuts. In the afternoons, I swam at the Tao garden pool, got heavenly $5 massages, or went on bike rides. Then, I was back to painting before an early dinner.

During my stay, Aom, the studio director, introduced me to silk makers, fire performers, performing artists, photographers and local painters like Supachet Bhumakarn, a whimsical, illustrative artist whose shop and studio is located in the center of the old city. I also got to hold a small exhibition.

A highlight of my stay was leading an intuitive painting workshop for residents of a local assisted living center. I challenged myself to develop fun and enriching exercises to allow participants to release judgement, and paint with excitement, confidence and ease.

I created over 25 new works on paper at Studio 88 with more to come. You can check them out in my Thailand collection.

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