I consided a different title for this, possibly “I’ve moved on” or “I’ve moved out”, but that just sounds so dramatic, as in “I’m fed up! I’m outta here!”. But, this is not what I’m feeling. Simply, I have moved to a different workspace for my art. This week, I left my art studio at the Stamford Loft Artists Association after 3 years and moved all my supplies back to my tiny apartment. Now it is more of a “creative corner.”

I enjoyed my time with the studio space. It allowed me a space to be messy, be inspired by other great artists, meet wonderful people, show off my artwork as a whole body to visitors. Also, I was able to store loads of crap that does not fit in my apartment, and leave projects undone and not put-away. The best part – I think my big brother thought it was cool that I had a studio and this meant huge points for me.

Particularly enjoyable was having that designated space to meet once per week with a few close friends and have “art night.” We would all gather at a set time and place every week to chat, listen to music and work on our own respective creative projects. Sometimes we talked a lot, sometimes a little, topics ranging from pets to employment, music, poetry, addiction, friends, family, politics, religion, tv, philosophy, books, the news, family, aging, and art. It was wonderful and I do hope we find a way to continue even though we will have to find a different space to do it.

My New Art Studio

My new “studio spot” is very small, just a corner in my apartment living room. It consists of a very comfortable bar stool that I found in a trash heap in the apartment garage and my A-frame easel. I purchased a “Farm Fresh” cart from Home Goods that is supposed to be for things like onions and potatoes. My apartment is decorated in a Modern Industrial style, so I have a locker unit in the living room. This is where I store my pens, pencils, small canvasses and sketch books. I only need 3 lockers for this – the rest of the lockers are filled with tools, cat toys, games, candles, foreign language dictionaries and a cat. All of my larger canvasses and paintings are stacked up against the wall in a bedroom. Probably every artist has a similar stack of paintings in their home.

My New Way of Working

My new space is great because I can turn on the tv or listen to music or my German lessons. I hear no complaints from other studio renters. I can look out the window while I paint and I can see my neighbors and the city happenings. There is easy access to snacks and drinks. Most importantly, I can leave my current project up on the easel and see it every day. I am trying to slow down with my creative process. Seeing my project daily will help me to work in smaller bites instead of trying to finish a painting everytime I sit at the easel. I was simply not going into the studio often enough to stay engaged with a piece. This should help me slow down and have some continuity.

I hope you will enjoy the few photos here of my new studio. Although I will miss some of the camaraderie of working in the Loft studio, this is a good move for me. I will just have to stay in touch by visiting the old stomping grounds and say hi now and then. I’ve moved my art studio, but I haven’t moved on.