Glenn Hendrick – Charcoal, Mountains and the Reverent Act of Paying Attention
On San Juan Island, in the far northwest corner of Washington State, Glenn Hendrick moves between many languages of making. She is a painter, printmaker, ceramicist and musician, and her work also spans drawing, photography and silk. In June 2026 she crossed the world to join our Nature & Perception residency, held in a monastery in the mountains of the Peloponnese.
What she found there was not a new subject so much as a new way of looking.
Glenn drawing in the river during Nature & Perception, June 2026. Photo: Hannah Morrow
Mornings poured in gold
Asked about a moment that stayed with her, Glenn goes back to the very start of the day:
"Waking up before dawn, as the moon rises and the impossibly starry sky begins to lighten to the sound of jackals yipping. Watching as the first light of the rising sun hits the top of the mountains, slowly pouring down the sides until it fills the walls of the monastery like a cup of gold."
It is the kind of moment the residency is built around: no schedule to rush toward, only the time and stillness to notice how light moves across a landscape.
Mountains under a restless sky, pastel. Artwork: Glenn Hendrick
Drawing with the land itself
During her stay, Glenn immersed herself completely in her surroundings. She made a series of drawings of the mountains, the trees and the river, and she made them with charcoal gathered from burnt wood she found on the land. The place was not only her subject; it was also her material.
Trees and branches, drawn in charcoal. Artwork: Glenn Hendrick
The experience brought her back to something fundamental:
"This practice reminded me of the essential importance of drawing, as a reverential act of paying attention."
Her drawings carry that attention in every line. Branches twist and overlap, water and hair become one current, and mountains rise under bright, restless skies.
A figure in the water, charcoal and pastel. Artwork: Glenn Hendrick
What comes next
Back on San Juan Island, Glenn is in ceramics production mode for the holiday markets, and she is preparing for two solo painting exhibitions in the spring. We can't wait to see how the mountains of the Peloponnese find their way into the new work.
A word to other artists
Her advice to anyone considering a residency in Greece is simple:
"If you can do it, do it. You won't regret it."
A red stone resting in moss. Photo: Glenn Hendrick
Find Glenn
Website: glennhendrickart.com
Instagram: @glenn.hendrick
Thank you, Glenn, for sharing your story with us. Artworks and photographs by Glenn Hendrick unless otherwise noted.
Inspired by Glenn's experience? Nature & Perception 2027 is now open for applications. Apply for free.
