Teaching Residency at
Sou'Western Lodge and
Ilwaco Ceramic Studio
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Teaching Residency at
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How It All Began
Someone recently asked me how I heard about this residency. Truthfully, I don't remember exactly where I first saw the information! I had been looking for an opportunity to do an artist residency in another state or country, and somehow I found The Sou'wester website. While exploring the site, I came across a page about their residencies and discovered that they offered a Teaching Residency. It immediately caught my attention, especially since I had never visited Washington State. |
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I submitted the online application sometime in November or December of 2025. A little while later, I heard from Sora at Ilwaco Artworks Community Clay Studio, who was interested in learning more about my workshop and seeing additional photos of my work. After exchanging some information, she offered me a date in August 2026.
And just like that, an idea I had discovered almost by chance became a wonderful week of teaching, creating, exploring, and discovering a new place. |
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The Journey Begins
The next step was to save enough money for my plane ticket and rental car. I decided to take advantage of the trip and stay a few extra days beyond the five complimentary days that were included with teaching the workshop. |
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The plane ride and the 2-hour-and-25-minute drive to Seashore, where The Sou'wester Lodge is located, made for a long journey—but it was all worth it. Renting a car is always a bit of a drag when traveling, but this time the drive itself became part of the adventure!
It was both exciting and a little nerve-racking to cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington. The bridge is so tall and stretches for what feels like forever! The views all around me were incredible, although I had to remind myself not to get too distracted while driving. 😊
The journey was long, but the experience was incredible, and I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
On Tuesdays, we had tea time and the opportunity to meet other fellow artists in residence. I also used the sauna to help soothe my knees after the long hikes. I think I only sat in the meditation area once, because I felt that the entire place was a meditation for me.
I had tea time once at the QT trailer, where there were so many teas to choose from. Every Saturday night, there was a band playing, with great music that added even more life to the experience.
It was both exciting and a little nerve-racking to cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington. The bridge is so tall and stretches for what feels like forever! The views all around me were incredible, although I had to remind myself not to get too distracted while driving. 😊
The journey was long, but the experience was incredible, and I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
On Tuesdays, we had tea time and the opportunity to meet other fellow artists in residence. I also used the sauna to help soothe my knees after the long hikes. I think I only sat in the meditation area once, because I felt that the entire place was a meditation for me.
I had tea time once at the QT trailer, where there were so many teas to choose from. Every Saturday night, there was a band playing, with great music that added even more life to the experience.
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My Little Home Away from HomeOne of the great things about The Sou'wester is the unique accommodations. The property is made up of a collection of vintage travel trailers, along with rooms in the historic mansion.
I had booked the Picnic Trailer #24, and what a treat it was to step inside and discover my own little home for 10 days! It was cozy, charming, and full of character. Staying in the trailer made the residency feel like an adventure from the very beginning. |
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The Box Hinged Bug Workshop at Ilwaco Artworks Community Clay Studio
Teaching Residency Workshop
Everyone I met was incredibly welcoming, and teaching the workshop was a wonderful experience. This was my first time traveling to another state to teach a ceramic workshop, which made the experience especially meaningful to me.
The workshop focused on creating a bug-hinged box, and it was wonderful to see how each participant approached the project in their own way. Everyone brought their own ideas and personality to the process, and all the boxes were wonderfully original. Although we were all working from the same basic project, no two boxes looked alike.
Hans and Juliana were very helpful in showing me around the studio and teaching me how to use some of their equipment. I truly appreciated their generosity and willingness to help me feel comfortable in a new studio.
Teaching in such a beautiful place and meeting people who share my love of clay made this residency a very special experience. I returned home with many great memories, new inspiration, and a renewed appreciation for the connection between art, nature, and community.
Everyone I met was incredibly welcoming, and teaching the workshop was a wonderful experience. This was my first time traveling to another state to teach a ceramic workshop, which made the experience especially meaningful to me.
The workshop focused on creating a bug-hinged box, and it was wonderful to see how each participant approached the project in their own way. Everyone brought their own ideas and personality to the process, and all the boxes were wonderfully original. Although we were all working from the same basic project, no two boxes looked alike.
Hans and Juliana were very helpful in showing me around the studio and teaching me how to use some of their equipment. I truly appreciated their generosity and willingness to help me feel comfortable in a new studio.
Teaching in such a beautiful place and meeting people who share my love of clay made this residency a very special experience. I returned home with many great memories, new inspiration, and a renewed appreciation for the connection between art, nature, and community.
When I wasn't teaching, I spent my time exploring the Pacific North West and creating with my traveling clay kit and plain air kit…
Exploring, Resting, and Creating
During my stay, I took walks along the beach and through the thick forest, following the Discovery Trail. I visited two lighthouses and, most importantly, I allowed myself to rest in my own way and recharge.
During my stay, I took walks along the beach and through the thick forest, following the Discovery Trail. I visited two lighthouses and, most importantly, I allowed myself to rest in my own way and recharge.
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What an incredible mix of scents fills the air
as you hike through the woods. |
The beach
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North Head Lighthouse
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Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and Deadman's Cove
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Small travel kits
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I brought two creative kits with me. One was a small ceramic travel kit inspired by Frank James Fisher, who wrote an article in Pottery Making Illustrated July/August 2026 about his “Traveling Clay Kit.” I loved the idea of having a small ceramic kit that I could take with me. I wanted to see just how small I could make mine—and whether I could actually bring it with me on an airplane.
Small ceramic travel kitSince I wanted to travel light, I saved a box measuring approximately 2" high × 6.75" wide × 5" deep and challenged myself to fit everything I needed inside it. I packed:
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NOTE: I had two empty containers with me. One was used for the slip and the other was a spray bottle I had filled with water.
They did not take much space in my luggage.
They did not take much space in my luggage.
* The security line at the airport was very busy, and my ceramic traveling box was not inspected, so I was able to bring the x-acto knife with me. I do not recommend doing this. It isn't about the cost of replacing an x-Acto knife—they are inexpensive. It is simply not worth the hassle or the possibility of having it confiscated. The serrated metal rib works very well for cutting clay, or you can easily purchase an x-Acto knife once you arrive at your destination.
The boba straw turned out to be one of my favorite tools. By cutting the end at an angle, I could use it to make holes in the clay. It also became a way to collect and transfer textures and to help shape the spouts of the little bottles I made. I even brought a small piece of cloth to place between the straw and the clay, making it easier to release the clay from the tool.
Everything fit inside that little box! It was exciting to discover how much I could create with just a few tools and a handful of clay.
In total, I created 6 small ceramic pieces during my stay. For the last piece, I asked the ceramic studio if they could give me a little extra clay. I had just discovered that there was a second lighthouse nearby, and I wanted to create one more piece inspired by this new discovery. So in total I made 7 small ceramic pieces.
Everything fit inside that little box! It was exciting to discover how much I could create with just a few tools and a handful of clay.
In total, I created 6 small ceramic pieces during my stay. For the last piece, I asked the ceramic studio if they could give me a little extra clay. I had just discovered that there was a second lighthouse nearby, and I wanted to create one more piece inspired by this new discovery. So in total I made 7 small ceramic pieces.
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The First Piece — For my first ceramic piece, I wanted to capture the shape of the Picnic Trailer where I stayed.
I collected some of the logos and details I found on the trailer, including the bolts used to hold the metal pieces together. I also gathered textures from the space around me—the fireplace, flowers, plants, and other details that surrounded the trailer. I wanted to bring these elements into the clay and create a small memory of my little home at The Sou’wester. I decided to shape the ceramic piece like the Picnic Trailer itself, creating a small clay version of the place that became my home during the residency. |
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The Second Piece - On my first walk along the Pacific beach, I noticed crab shells scattered everywhere. I tried to capture the shape of one in clay, but unfortunately, it broke. I tried again with another piece of clay, and this time I was more successful.
For this piece, I captured impressions of crab claws and the long blades of beach grass growing throughout the dunes. I also incorporated some of the beautiful black sand from the beach. It was another way of bringing a little piece of the landscape into my clay. |
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For my third piece - I hiked to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. I didn't find many textures directly on the lighthouse, so I looked more closely at my surroundings. I collected impressions from the walls and the pebble-covered ground around it, as well as from the small grasses growing nearby.
I decided to make a little ceramic lighthouse right there at the site. I brought my small travel kit with me and worked on the piece while sitting near the lighthouse, using the textures I had gathered around me. Once I returned to my trailer, I finished the piece and added the final details. It was especially meaningful to photograph my little ceramic lighthouse in front of the real one—a small memory of the place I had just experienced. |
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For My Fourth Piece — I wanted to capture elements from the old Sou’wester Lodge. I looked around for features that had remained from the original house. I was really surprised when I took a closer look at the doorknobs and hinges. They were absolutely gorgeous, and I decided to capture their beautiful details in clay. :)
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For My Fifth Piece — I visited the Ilwaco port to get some delicious tuna. Tuna is quite expensive in Colorado, but in Ilwaco, Washington, I found it fresh and nicely priced.
While I was there, I looked around for interesting textures to collect. There were textures everywhere, but I wasn’t finding anything that really caught my eye. Then I noticed a metal drainage cover with a diamond-shaped pattern. I really liked the pattern and decided to capture it in clay. As I looked more closely at my surroundings, I noticed even more fabulous shapes in the streetlights. It reminded me that sometimes you just have to slow down and really look to discover the details hiding in everyday places. |
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For My Sixth Piece — This piece was inspired by the many crabs I saw along the shore. As they grew, they would shed their hard shells and form new ones, leaving the beach covered with crab shells of many different sizes.
I wanted to capture this part of the beach in clay, but I had to be a little more careful with the fragile shells. I found a small crab shell and placed some clay inside it to give it enough strength to work with. This allowed me to carefully transfer the texture and details of the shell into the clay, creating a small impression of what I had discovered along the shore. I used the remaining clay I had left to create it, making it the smallest of all the pieces. It became a little extra memory from the residency—and a way to use every last bit of the clay I had brought with me. |
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For My Seventh Piece — For this piece, I asked the Ilwaco Art Studio if they could kindly gift me a little clay, since I had used all the clay I had brought with me.
I didn’t realize there were two lighthouses in the area! Three days before my trip was over, I visited the second lighthouse and discovered a beautiful metal compass set into the middle of the floor. Around the compass were signs with information about the history of the lighthouse and the surrounding area. I loved the details and patterns I saw on the compass, so I used them as inspiration for the texture on my final little vase. It felt like the perfect way to end my collection—one last piece of clay carrying a little piece of the history and place I had come to discover. |
I would also like to thank the Ilwaco Artworks Community Clay Studio for kindly bisque firing the six pieces I made with the clay I brought with me. I truly appreciate their generosity and support in helping me complete this little collection. For my seventh piece, which I made with clay gifted to me by the studio, I carefully packed it in a bag and placed it inside my ceramic box kit. The piece was still at the soft leather-hard stage, so I knew that if it broke during my journey home, I could repair it once I got back.
Small water color travel kitMy second kit was a watercolor travel set I have owned for quite some time. During this trip, I finally had the opportunity to sit in different places, slow down, and draw. It was wonderful to simply observe my surroundings and translate what I saw onto paper.
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Thank you!!
