My new studio June 18, 2018 12:36
For years--decades--since 1971, when I was a student at the Art Institute of Chicao, I've wanted my own studio where I could just paint without any interruption or interaction with the outside world. Back in January, I brought this up to the rental agent here, and he got back to me around March with a basement room for rent in this complex about a two-minute walk away from my loft. It was 300+ square feet with three ten-foot-high north-facing windows. It is partially shaded by a retaining wall and a slope up to the front parking lot (on which a huge mass of Japanese knotweed is now growing). It was occupied by a sewing business, but the owner had given notice she would be out by the end of March. I looked at it through the mounds (and I am not exaggerating) of fabric, and said, yep, I am interested.
Well, it took a lot longer than the end of March for this studio to become mine. I gave up on it a couple of times. It seemed like the previous tenant was never going to get her stuff out of there. But finally last Thursday, the maintenance guy said it was done and he would drop by the key. He didn't (of course), but he did give it to me the next day.
I spent the next several days moving my art stuff over there. This includes two easels, a couple tables, two chairs, rolling carts for paints, and a ton of canvases. Two wonderful friends came and helped me with the big stuff on Saturday. Even so, I exhausted myself moving smaller things, cleaning, putting furniture together, and arranging everything. After everything was shifted, I ended up occupying only 1/2 of the space. This gives me ideas of using that free space to do some really large paintings, which I've always wanted to try.
Finally this morning I went over at 6:15 because my neighbor over there is a carpenter and has very noisy machinery. I figured he wouldn't be working so early, and I was right. I did hear the people in the gym upstairs throwing heaving things around, a small amount of street noise, and the machines in the carpet factory, but it did not bother me at all. Because I was in my own studio, painting. MINE.
I know that this studio will allow me to be much more productive than I could be working in my own apartment with all the distractions of computer, phones, cats, food, etc., etc., etc. Moving has also allowed me a chance to rearrange everything in the most efficient way. This is a huge help. And it is great to be able to have an entire area devoted to watercolor, so I can work on new cup designs whenever, without having to clear off my work table.
Happy!