The Treasure Hunt Project: Part I of II

Amelia Blair Langford

Richmond, Virginia

July 2015

The Treasure Hunt Project: Part I of II   

My name is Amelia Blair Langford, 24, from Richmond, VA, US. I am an illustrator with a concentration in ink and graphite studies as well as the creator of "The Treasure Hunt Project" series. I have honorably been an Artist-in-Residence at The Rensing Center for  two of the four weeks I will be here. I have grown to find this place to be a book filled with deep stories, remarkable heritage and passionate history.

May the treasure hunt begin.

Day 1: The Rensing Center is an oasis for reflection, meditation and absolute inspiration. When I arrived, I knew that the Rensing Center was going to be a treasure worth seeking, a shooting star worth watching, and a story waiting to be told.

Day 1: Our first evening together was filled with a delicious potluck with recipes created the farm's gardens and artists in residence evening, social gatherings. And of course, I had to include The Rensing Center's intern, Katie's beautifully, homemade chocolate moose with whipped cream and blueberries.

Day 2: The Rensing Center's pasture is a treasure within itself. It is occupied with goats and cows that are both very social and photogenic. There were new 5-week old babies upon my arrival and it has been a wonderful experience seeing them grow over the past few weeks.

Day 5: We went on a four hour hike and got a nature tour by Jon. The trails, vegetation, wildlife, waterfalls, and of course the views were absolutely breathtaking. We arrived at Glass Mountain in the mid morning and the breeze from atop of the mountain (shown above) was perfect. The treasures that I was looking for, were starting to be discovered.

Day 5: We arrived at Twin Falls mid afternoon. The breeze and cooling mist from the waterfalls were quite a treat. 

Day 7: The luscious sunset cradled the 150 old tree that stands next to the Rensing Center's pasture.

Day 7: We had an evening bonfire with star gazing and storytelling. The stars at The Rensing Center are remarkable and some nights you could even see Venus with the naked eye.

Day 6: My studio and bedroom space is located in the Rensing Center next to the library and I have enjoyed the presence of the animals here, especially Bob the Cat. He was great company while I worked on inking my first "Treasure Hunt Project" piece. 

Day 9 : A part of our contribution in being an Artist in Residence is that we participate in outreach. We got the opportunity to help out on the farm and laid some sod as a team. 

Day 13: I was honorably interviewed and photographed with the work I was completing at the Rensing Center by an Anderson, SC Newspaper. 

I will continue to share my experience with the Rensing Center in Part II in a few weeks where I will share my finalized work I've created for "The Treasure Hunt Project" illustration series. More adventures are to be had and more treasures are to be found.

So far it has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Written by Amelia Blair Langford