A Month of Making: Alex O’Connor’s Residency Experience

We often come across people who are unsure exactly what we mean when we talk about our Residency Programme. It can be an elusive concept, and even after learning what it entails, it can still be hard to picture what exactly a month-long residency might look like and how it might take shape.

This ambiguity can partially be attributed to the fact that every residency is different. Every artist or maker brings something unique and takes away something completely personal to them.

Recently, we had the chance to catch up with Emerging Silversmithing resident Alex O’Connor who shared with us her experiences on residency this February.

Alex graduated in 2017 with a BA in Silversmithing and Jewellery from Truro College. After graduation, life became a juggling act as it often does for artists and craftspeople, balancing the demands of teaching, working, and further education. She wanted to apply to the residency to finally have a period of “serious play,” uninterrupted time to explore her craft and try out new forms without the pressure of deliverables.

When applying, Alex highlighted her desire to explore “seam raising,” a process where a flat sheet of silver is formed into a cone or cylinder and the seam soldered. From here the piece is slowly and carefully shaped into a vessel by raising the metal surface with hammers and stakes. The time and energy involved in this process made a month of dedicated workshop time ideal. The emerging silversmiths in the Marchmont Workshop had shared their own experiences learning seam raising from past teaching resident Abigail Brown last year, so Alex knew the tools, space, and companions at the workshop would suit this project.

As it was her first residency, Alex felt like having a concrete project in mind would be helpful. A month of undirected time can be daunting but with a specific goal or two, the time began to appear manageable, and there was still room to be flexible and let her practice lead her.  

Alex arrived at our campus on Marchmont Estate at the beginning of February and soon began to establish a daily routine.

Every morning, she would wake up early and spend time journaling in her Hobbit Pod, the residency accommodation. Sitting at the table before the French doors and overlooking the Cheviot Hills, Alex aimed to write at least three pages before making her way to the silversmithing workshop which was only a short walk away down a country lane. While these mornings began in the dark, Alex recalled how the sun began to rise with her over the course of the month, shifting the colours in the sky as she wrote.

Once she was ready to work, Alex would cross by the paddock that lies next to the Hobbit Pods filled with geese, ducks, and more exotic birds. These birds, owned and raised by a member of our garden team Shaun who lives in a cottage on-site, would greet her on her short morning commute and soon became some of her favourite companions. Alex laughed as she recalled “running the geese gauntlet” every day and how she soon became accustomed to chatting with them as she passed by.

Alex was usually the first in the workshop, giving her undisturbed time and space to work. Later in the morning, the other silversmiths would filter in, providing opportunities to chat, exchange tips, and ask questions. Over the month, we were all delighted to witness a beautiful piece take shape. Alex spent hours and hours developing her technique and hammering a seam-raised vessel, working through the project she originally planned.

When returning to her Hobbit Pod for lunch or in the evening, Alex slowly began to witness the landscape around her change. Dozens of snowdrops began to pop up along the path from the workshop, and the beehives near Shaun’s cottage began to wake up. Alex recalls how participating in the residency when winter was slowly shifting into spring was quite special for her. A month at the Foundation can mean witnessing a significant seasonal shift, a change that can be especially noticeable between visits to the Glasshouses and Walled Gardens where a new collection of flowers might be in bloom.

Alex said that this consistent and close contact with the natural world was one of the highlights of her residency. She felt that the environment began to influence her work, the curve of the sloping landscapes infiltrating her forms and having a gentler appearance than she imagined before arrival.

Alex also found the sound of the wind in the trees at night was especially comforting to her, and she began to learn the schedule of the barn owls that lived in them. She recollects them swooping down from the branches on their daily circuit, as well as the hares that would snuffle around the pods in the evenings.

Beyond the animal companions, Alex also quickly bonded with her fellow creatives on-site, including fellow visiting resident Sharon Quigley, who was on the Borders Art Fair Residency. Alex made sure to emphasize how lovely it was to have Sharon with her on this journey, how much fun it was, as well as how interesting it was to learn about a fellow creative and see how they worked.

Alex also recalled Sam, Rich, and Isaac inviting her into the Marchmont Workshop to witness a steam bending demonstration one day when she wandered past. She said that the general atmosphere of the place was “generous,” “inviting,” “transformative,” and “beyond what [she] had superlatives to describe.”

It was incredible to have Alex O’Connor, Sharon Quigley, and all our past and current residents with us! We hope to continue sharing what life as a resident is like, so make sure to keep following us along to learn more.

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