In the tranquil misty light of Tao Hua Tan, Canadian abstract artist Robert Scott began his month-long residency program at The Peach Blossom Pool Holiday Hotel. From the very moment Scott and his wife Susan arrived at Shanghai International Airport, the pair were treated like royalty. A red carpet guided the two up the grounds of The Peach Blossom Pool Holiday Hotel, towards their five-star room and down into a banquet hall celebrating the arrival of 40 international artists attending the first annual residency program.
Inspiration came naturally to Robert Scott as the residency program offered a variety of activities such as artist talks, studio arts and printmaking workshops, as well as a tour of a local handcrafted paper and printmaking company: The Chinese Xuan Paper.
"Inspiration was found everywhere we went. From the traditional sculptures on the grounds of the hotel, to watching the practice of making handcrafted paper; some of which takes five years to make. It was truly an incredible experience."
Scott and the other international artists attending The Peach Blossom artist residency had the opportunity to select the location of their studio space from the grounds of the hotel. Built on top of a historic town in Tao Hua Tan, Robert Scott decided to work in The Peach Blossom Hotel's greenhouse. "I was very impressed with this artist residency's ability to bring together so many different artists and allow them to feed and thrive off one another's energy, it resulted in very interested art being created."
The culture and beauty of his surroundings gave way to three works of art that were well received during the public Xuancheng Exhibition at the end of his month long residency and is currently part of The Peach Blossom's private art collection.
