Rowan Oak revisited

I got down to Rowan Oak for the first time in several months last week, and it was lovely to be back. I saw both curators, Bill and Rachel, who are beyond kind to me, and I did one full sketch of maybe my favorite tree there. This is the Osage Orange back by the servants quarters behind the main house. I love its funkiness. There was even a convenient picnic table in the shade, and I had a lovely, peaceful time getting reacquainted with an old friend. The print of this tree was the last one I finished before my show Faulkner's Trees last year from a bit of a different angle. Always choose the picnic table with shade if it is offered. Plein air pro-tip #1.

Rowan Oak has kept my entire show and talked their Museum Friends supporting non-profit into buying it for the museum, which I am utterly delighted about. It's down at the moment since another artist had a show on the way, but they're planning to find spots for several of them in the hallways in the short term and hope to hang the show as a group in the future visitors' center, which would be amazing. They love that my show honors Faulkner's conservation and land owning side and say Faulkner himself would love to be remembered that way.

They now have the ability to sell a few small books and souvenirs right there at the museum. Previously only the art museum on the main part of the campus had a gift shop. My year got away from me last year, and without their ability to sell a catalog of the show on site to visitors I didn't go through the large undertaking to put together a book. Now, though, that they are able to sell a few things and that they own the entire collection, I think my next book project will be putting a book together of both the prints and a good number of my sketches as well. I think it would be fun for Rowan Oak visitors to be able to take a taste of the place home with them. And as Kevin Sharp, the director of Dixon says, exhibitions are temporary but books are forever. I'm thrilled that this particular exhibition is being preserved as a collection and bucking that trend. Such an honor for them to want the whole show. And it's a special place for me. I'm thrilled.