Danielle Nelson Mourning
2015-Present
San Francisco + Big Sur + Roscoe =
An original homestead river rock house built from the beds of East Rosebud Creek is now occupied by me, an artist from Northern California. I met East Rosebud in 2015 while living in San Francisco.
A childhood friend was going through a brutal divorce. I encouraged him to spend some time at Esalen in Big Sur. He did not want to go alone so he invited me to tag along and support. While in the esoteric workshop, we were instructed to let something go which had meaning to us. You know the drill; let something go to let something new in…
I took these instructions literally, walked down to the ocean, climbed a massive rock at the foot of the ocean and threw my favorite brass rings purchased in Paris into the waves. These rings were emulated into gold engagement rings which I never saw because I sabotaged the marriage proposal.
Our week at Esalen was great. We met some new friends; one being woman who owned a home in Roscoe, Montana. Janet invited me to visit and with some serious coaxing, I finally arrived with an immediate love. I had never been to Montana and had certainly never been much of a mountain mama but this valley spoke to me.
I returned the following year in early Spring to work on a performance piece about Vestil Virgins. I had begun looking for a place to live in West Marin ideally but was priced out with the tech boom. The homestead down the road from Janets’ just so happened to be for sale and the second owners had recently drastically reduced the price. I walked through the property which eerily reminded me of the homes of past projects. The house was an odd mix of homestead, 1950, 1960 and 1980’s vibes. I was sold. I kept looking out the window of the rock house facing the red barn. I was smitten. One month later, I turned the key to my new home in a place I had to look up on a map. I laid down on furniture left by the owners. I opened the bedside drawer to find a book of love letters to Georgia O’Keefe from Alfred Steiglitz. I went from bedroom to bedroom sensing where it felt nice to sleep. I named myself Goldilocks.
For months, I archived box after box in both the basement and barn which most likely would have been dumped had I not asked the sellers if it could all stay. Much of what I found turned into the artwork within my installation, Stay with Me.
Nine years later, I am living on the homestead full time. The stories of the spaces in between will be told but for now, I want to get to work on a new installation inside this sacred rock house. I want to fully immerse myself in the seasons.
The sun is setting at 3:30 PM as I write this.
The winter will be a trip but cozy no less. I have work to do so I am not worried.
I refer to a side of myself as Iris. She looks out for me and I need her now more than ever.
Thank you for being here and I look forward to sharing the Story. Hopefully sometime sooner than later, this homestead will be ready to share with all of you. Stay Tuned.
