“I walk alone a lot, now with some more company, my little dog, but I still get out almost everyday. Whether it’s a familiar trail somewhere in town or a less frequented path somewhere in the state or beyond, I try to explore the region. Growing up in Western Mass, living my formative years here, and finally buying a home in the area, this work attempts to express the deep connection I have with this place.
There were times I tried to count my breath as I walked, or tried to identify as many plants, trees, fungi, or wildlife I could- now I just walk and look. Things sink in that way; it’s almost like the images have become my breath. Snippets of Owls, Porcupines I spotted along the trail, dead trees, cloud formations, our mountains and the way winter light hits them- they paint themselves for us really, I’m just trying my go at it.”
“Keeping a sketchbook has been a constant in my creative practice for a decade plus. It’s a grounding element that I can always come back to. Whether keeping a visual road trip diary or writing a few poems, I try to keep the expression open to whatever comes to me at a given moment- no limits. When going out on the road or just taking a walk down a familiar path, having a sketchbook on hand helps me put things on pause for reflection. I’ve made dozens of photocopied zines in the past, and these days, applying various media to the different format books I pick up brings the process full circle. I’d like to consider this Clouds Journal as a one-off zine in process.”
Sean Sawicki lives in Belchertown, MA and has lived in half a dozen towns throughout Hampden and Hampshire county. He has a BA from UMASS Amherst, where he studied literature and creative writing through a sociopolitical lens. Sean has a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Smith College, and works as a Special Education teacher with students on the Autism Spectrum. He has shown his work previously in Holyoke at the Guided Brick, has read poetry at the Headquarters, and has been a part of solo and group exhibitions at Flywheel in Easthampton.