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Willowtail alumni
Mariposa Velez Sentner
Art form
2015 Durango Arts Center Scholarship
“Willowtail has been such an inspiration to me. From the beautiful stillness of the surroundings to the wise words of Peggy. I am so blessed to have had this experience. To concentrate solely on the artistic process is invaluable to me. The focus that an artist residency offers is necessary for the creative growth of an artist, thank you for providing this space for just that and for so much more.”
Rebecca Koeppen
Photographer, Pastel artist
2015 Durango Arts Center and New Face Productions Scholarship
Rebecca has been taking photos and working both at Willowtail sites and around Montezuma County.
“Over tea and treats, left for me, I watched the wild ducks and winter birds begin their day. Vases of flowers, antiques and art filled my view. After a photo expedition and the slumbering snowy fields and hills of Montezuma county, I returned to sketch in the spacious Working Studio. Even if I wasn’t already aware, it would have been clear that this place was lovingly created by artists for artists. Now that my residency is over, my memory bank is dispersing the makings of exciting paintings, the inspiration being my stay at Willowtail.”
Roxie Mitchell
Experimental Digital Photography
2015 Durango Arts Center Scholarship
“I really appreciated the time and space that Willowtail allowed me to dive deep in my creative process and produce work. Although Willowtail is close to my home geographically, it felt like a whole different world. The Studio, Bungalow and property were full of opportunities to meditate and inspire new thinking.
I most enjoyed getting to know the Cloys and their openness and willingness to act as friends and mentors.”
Roxie is head of digital photography at Durango High School. She was on sabbatical for a year during her residency at Willowtail.
Jeremy Pataky
Writer, Photographer
2015 Willowtail Scholarship
“Peggy smiling on the porch and Lee’s kind laugh across the lunch table at the Mancos Bakery, the endless formal variation of juniper and the pale orb of their berries fallen to the ground, a writers heaven. The white faces of coots paddling the lake and the flash of mallard wings lifting off the lake, a bowl of fresh eggs, bread, jam, pears and apples and a hearty jar of whole coffee beans, like an hourglass, marks time passing over my stay. The homey clutter of used dishes, books, clothes, water glasses, binoculars strewn about the cabin and divine porch, indicators of a well-used space. I have a feeling I will be back.”
Jeremy is an accomplished writer, living in Alaska. His first book of poetry, “Overwinter”, speaks in a deeply personal and evocative way about the Alaska landscape.
Jeremy has enormous experience in worldwide artist residencies. He has been Artist Resident Program Coordinator for the Rasmuson Foundation, one of the largest foundations of its kind in the country. His knowledge of residencies and their funding is extensive. He was, and continues to be, most generous in sharing his extensive knowledge and experience with Willowtail.
Jeremy Pataky Contact Info
Nina Elder
Artist, Painting, Drawing
2015 Willowtail Scholarship
Nina is the Director of Residencies at Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM
Her current series is challenging, provocative and exquisitely beautiful. She is an excellent lecturer and would bring a broader “world view” to the Four Corners. She is fast becoming a recognized world class artist. She is young, extremely gifted and a passionate speaker. She loves Willowtail and is willing to speak to groups in this area.
“I examine the visual evidence of land use in the American West and its cycles of production, consumption and waste. Through the vernacular of landscape painting, and using parking lots, bombing ranges and junk heaps as my source material, I explore the delineation between land and landscape, beauty and banality. My work scrutinizes the aesthetic mitigation that often camouflages humanity’s dependence on nature. I respond the place where the organic and the artificial rasp against each other. This post-industrial landscape is the physical manifestation of modern needs, economies, policies and powers, yet I approach it as a pure spectacle. I aspire to elucidate and aestheticize the friction, grandeur, mystery, frankness, degeneration, necessity and beauty in the contemporary American landscape.”
During her time at Willowtail she completed one of her large pencil drawings from her series of work from Kennecott Mines throughout the world, including Peru, China and Chile. She hikes extensively to these sites to gather material. She is also working on Anchorage Museum’s Polar lab and has done many photographs, drawings and paintings of cold war era radar communications sites in Alaska.
“Willowtail is a space of great intention. The founder’s care and vision are ever present-from the framing of the landscape through the windows, to the wending through the woods, to the picturesque accommodations. My days at Willowtail were balanced between reading next to the fireplace, drawing in the studio, and snowshoeing around the property. Even though the views were expansive, I was deeply focused and without distraction during my residency. I had set very ambitious goals, and I not only met them, but exceeded them and became deeply enchanted with the land and logic of Willowtail!”
Nina Elder Contact Info
Elizabeth Ferrill
Printmaking
Elizabeth is currently Director of Painting and Printmaking at Anderson Ranch. She has taught at many places, including most recently, Rhode Island School of Design, Graduate students. She has exhibited widely both in New York and Berlin.
2014 Willowtail scholarship
2018 Willowtail scholarship
Deborah Sussex
Painting and Photography
2014 Open Shutter Gallery Sponsored
“My week at Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center allowed me to fill the well of my inner artistic reservoir. Life is hectic and full of distractions. For me, the months prior to my time at Willowtail were busting at the seams. I appreciated the unique opportunity to separate myself from typical responsibilities which have a way of distracting my artist brain. My week in a peaceful, beautiful, and supportive atmosphere allowed my artist brain to, once again, tune into sounds, smells, observations, details and all the magic of the moments where the littlest things in life seem utterly important. In addition, I regained momentum for carrying out some daily patterns that are part of my artistic process; writing, reading, sketching, painting, image making…all on a daily basis, with regularity and zest!”
Pastel artist, Photographer
2015 Willowtail Scholarship
Deborah worked last year at Willowtail on her photographs. This year she worked on her new project, pastels, which she will be teaching at Willowtail sometime in 2016. Stay tuned on Classes and Workshops schedule. She also spent the day of our fundraiser photographing at Willowtail for documentation of the event. Some of these photos appear as marked on some of the pages of this website.
“When we find the setting that reunites us with our core being a sense of focus and delight takes over.”
“Restless mind can morph into a tranquil place, inspired calm waters of the Boreal forest.”
“And then there were the moments of tranquility and transcendence.”
Jane Pedersen
Handmade Paper and Book Artist
2014 Durango Arts Center Scholarship
“The Artist-in-Residency which I recently completed is the first collaboration of its kind for between the Durango Art Center and Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center and is part of The Art Revolution Program. It is the first part of what the art community hopes will become a regular opportunity for artists to explore their genre.
Why is a residency program important for artists? After all, most of us have a “residence” and mine even includes a lovely space set aside for my work. However, what my home doesn’t provide is the opportunity to place oneself in a pure and serene environment, free of the distractions of everyday life.
Peggy and Lee Cloy have the spirit and energy to make this opportunity work, as evidenced by the quiet, peace, and permission I found while spending my week at Willowtail. They anticipated my every need and their non-intrusive emotional support was invaluable.”
Shay Lopez
Writing
2014 Willowtail Scholarship Awarded
“What a place! I have so enjoyed the solitude and quiet of the Garden Cottage and feel so blessed to have experienced Willowtail. You have created a true gem. Thanks so much for making this available to artists. May our work perpetuate in some way, the energy and love of Willowtail Springs.”
Shay Lopez Contact Info
Tina Deschenie Poet, Artist
Michael Thompson Writer
2020 Collaborative Residencies Winifred Johnson Clive Foundation Scholarship
Our Willowtail Art Residency was a lovely gift of time and space, in the Garden Cottage, the Studio and the entire environment. My relaxed and happy soul fueled creativity and energy.
With time to reflect, I found it healing to revisit and to begin to write about trauma that I had previously dismissed. Exploring different poetic devices challenged my usual writing style. It was rejuvenating to paint, and cut and glue down collages, as I had plenty of inspiration.
Really, I didn’t realize how much I needed this residency until I was in the middle of it. This was the first artist residency I had ever taken. The self-care and focus on my art will surely help to free up a bit more of my confidence as an artist.
~ Tina Deschenie
Much of my life experience and writing have been intimately connected to specific places in the natural world. Willowtail’s entire environment — my encounters with deer and waterfowl and ancient trees — connected me to the land in a way that proved especially productive.
The visibly caring staff and caretakers at Willowtail created the kind of welcoming environment that encouraged both of us to make the most of our working time. There was absolute respect for our privacy and our time there.
As a Mvskoke person, my blood memories are often enriched by time spent on and near water. I was able to find that connection to my own experience in ways that surprised and satisfied me. Willowtail led me easily into a creative mindset that energized my Indigenous purpose.
~ Michael Thompson
They are both Native American, Tina is Dine and Michael is Muskogee. They have much to contribute to their community. They have both been educators in schools serving Native students. Their work from Willowtail residency were included in the book WET: An Anthology of Water Poems and Prose published by Sharehouse Press, a project of the Montezuma Food Coalition, Cortez, CO. Thirty regional writers contributed poems and prose on the theme of Water, some writing in their first languages as well as in English.
Cindy Coleman
Painter/Graphic designer
2020 New Face Productions Scholarship
Having the week to myself, to be alone with my thoughts and ideas and no restrictions and just to be able to CREATE in such a beautiful environment – it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done
This residency has given me more drive to create. I instantly came home and rearranged my studio to be more inviting.
NEW! Set of 10 note cards, 1 each of 10 designs. These images are the paintings I created from my artist residency at Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center. 40% of sales will be donated back to Willowtail Springs for future artist residencies. ? Get Willowtail Post Card here
Rosie Carter
Visual/Mix Media Artist
2020 New Face Productions and Willowtail Scholarship
given a week of open-ended creative time during my artist in residency at Willowtail Springs in November, some very different things burst from my brain/body and it felt so wonderful to let them out that I’m still exhilarated by the entire experience.
The work is more of my investigation into rocks – what they might have to say if given the chance, what I can learn from them with careful attention. I spent every morning rambling the property, exploring the rock world, thinking about rocks, learning about rocks, and generally just hanging out with rocks. And then all afternoon and evening in the studio making these quick, charcoal and red ink on newsprint studies of my impressions of the day.
All very different from my typical carefully thought out and executed way of working. But something that needed to happen – something that was just itching to be expressed. It was fun and cathartic all at once and a wonderful antidote to the cooped up, frightening situation we all find ourselves in. It felt like a scream and a burst of laughter all at once.
I hope you’ve found a similar way to let some of the strangeness of the times out of your brain/body – a creative outlet or yelling into a pillow or some such catharsis. We’re all going along dealing so well, but what’s welling up inside us needs an outlet. I highly recommend hanging out with rocks and some alternative way to express yourself: singing, dancing, writing, scribbling, painting, making things with mud. It helps.
Rosie Carter Contact Info
