Sue Schlabach
she/her
Plein air painter, writer and photographer
East Barnard, Vermont

I came to Sable to paint outdoors, but the summer of 2023 had other plans. I was on the hill during the great flooding of Vermont, which brought worry for my home and community located in the Broad Brook valley (which was mostly spared other than some significant road damage).

In my six days at Sable I found creative refuge in the stump hut studio where I coexisted with a nesting barn swallow who flew circles around me. I experimented with underpainting and tinkered with some textiles. I managed to paint for two days out in the garden with my easel (always keeping one eye on the building thunderheads on the horizon). I took a lot of pictures until my lens seized up from the excessive moisture (it has since recovered). I learned to paint in semi-darkness, trusting my instincts. I grew comfortable with little shelter. I walked in the rain, resisting the urge to run, finding four leaf clovers and one with five leaves. I did a lot more writing than I had planned.

My small cohort of six proved great company—along with Jessica and Maggie—to talk with into the night in the candlelit kitchen while rain beat down on the tin roof above us and rivers rose in the valley below. The sparks of ideas and generosity of encouragement made for a productive week during a challenging time.

Photos by Jaelyn McFadden (Sable 2023 Photo/Video Intern) and Sue Schlabach