Selina Masih reflects on her Nestival Residency

I had a great time at The Nest, A two-week art residency in the studio ‘Helloland’. It was painted in a cheerful yellow which made me instantly smile. Two whole weeks to fully immerse myself in this project, I was super excited! For over 2 years I’ve been waiting to find time to explore ‘paint carving’ an art-form I came across during lockdown, created by the Australian artist Hannah Jenson. 

I’m often left with old display cake boards, and I thought this would be a great way to upcycle them. I’m naturally a neat and tidy artist so it took a while for me to appreciate the natural drips over the edge of the board. I had to fight the urge to wipe my workspace clean every 15 minutes. I enjoyed watching the layers of paint build and the daily ritual of painting but hadn’t scheduled the time to draw a design and scratch the surface until now.

On day one I had a chat with staff member Charlie, and I talked through my plans and my lengthy ‘to do list’. I had a plan B too, to ensure I could maximise my time there and she told me ‘to take it easy’ and ‘don’t overthink it’. As a business owner productivity is the one thing, I like to focus on something but here at the nest it was unnecessary pressure… So I took my business hat off and I took it one day at a time! I was able to research, develop and create. Charlie helped me to go with the flow, this mindset also helped me to be less structured in my approach to the project.

It took 45 layers of paint before the boards were ready to carve, and on my first day of carving realised I’d missed the shared lunch break hour (at The Nest all are encouraged to eat lunch together). I was lost on the process and really enjoying it. I then set alarms for regular breaks and stretching, I learnt some valuable tips from the other residents there such as block working and how to utilise the workspace for different work tasks.

I attended the f13 meeting which was inspiring, being with other residents and fellow artist I felt connected. I was amazed at what can be achieved with being fully present. This residency has had a positive effect on the way work daily and I have a new confidence in my capabilities as an artist, even without my To Do List. The Nest is a very special place, a creative haven and I’m grateful to have had this experience and to be a part of the flock.