Amanda Hamilton

Amanda Hamilton was an artist-in-residence at Prairieside Outpost in August 2022, traveling from Minneapolis, Minnesota. During her residency, Amanda, along with her family, explored, collected and experienced wonder. This exploration of the landscape and its quiet environments paralleled Amanda’s focus on the intangible aspects of her work during her time working at Prairieside Outpost.

As we drove closer to Matfield Green the remoteness of the town and the newness of the landscape was jarring in contrast to growing up in Southern CA and living in Minneapolis, MN for the last decade.  I had never spent time in the prairie and within hours I was captivated.  The first day we arrived we walked through the PrairyArt Path across the way, the sound of the insects was distinct and loud, flowers and grasses bloomed around us.

It was magical to gather wildflowers and grasses to pepper around the cottage & studio. I’ve always loved euphorbia but euphorbia marginata stole my heart and joined me in the studio. I worked on landscape paintings that are slowly glazed... the pace of being at the residency was a perfect match for slow work. My daughter often painted with me in the studio. 

I read about rocks and fossils in Kansas. We went on numerous hikes through Crocker Creek, Chase Lake Falls, and along Open Range Road, gathering unique specimens and trying to identify what we found.  I could hardly believe that after reading about fusulinid fossils (which can sometimes be seen in historic architectural limestone) we hiked through Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and found fusilinids at the Schoolhouse!

My time at the residency allowed for wonder.  Wonder at the miracle of deep time messages in stone, endlessly wheeling birds out the studio window, and night skies dark enough to make light visible.  The unique beauty and quiet of this place will stay with me, I'm deeply grateful for the gift of space and time at Prairieside Outpost.