Every month RE:ARTISTE invites artists, designers, crafters and business professionals to meet up on its Art Terrace in Midtown, New York.

…and yeah, he is back – with the new art, emotions, impressions, a fractured toe and a injured arm! Alvaro Montagna, mixed media artist and a top ten finalist of “Art Takes Times Square”-2013, talks about his experience at the Yucca Valley Artist Residency.

Alvaro Montagna and his temporary home

Alvaro’s art location in July

Among the cacti, in the desert, surrounded by just several human beings, one can get that portion of isolation that drives your new level of creativity. Being put in an uncommon situation, you start experimenting with your techniques and old tools to get completely new artworks. Having fun with other creative beings liberates you and brings you new friends and fellows.

Artists at the residency

What Alvaro advises to do when you choose your artist residency:

• Read the program: some residencies give you “free time”, some are focused on a collective project where the artist is supposed to become a part of the group working on the same project.
• If you pick an uncommon location for your residency, opt for a longer stay – you will need first several days just to get acquainted with your new land.

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  The desert beautifully pictured by Alvaro Montagna

• Any exotic location, different from what you get used to, will give you additional inspiration.
• Contribute to the local community – let your artwork become a part of a local museum, garden or a community center.

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  Using new tools and elements for new artworks: cacti, spikes, mouse spinal cord (a fossil!)

• Stay safe (on the last day of his residency Alvaro fell from a cliff and got into the hospital) – always remember that the nature is beautiful but tricky.

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  Desert flowers. By Alvaro Montagna

• Enjoy the wildlife.

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  New friends

• Have fun!

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  Alvaro presenting his video and pictures at the Art Terrace, a monthly meetup group hosted by RE:ARTISTE

At our monthly meetup, Art Terrace: photographer Debby Szersin, Professor and Artist T.Lawrence Wheatman

New artwork by Alvaro Montagna – illustrations in ink, presented at the Art Terrace meetup in August

*All pictures used for this post are by Alvaro Montagna and Re Artiste Inc.