Studio Tour
“When you start working, everybody is in your studio - the past, your friends, enemies, the art world, and above all, your own ideas - all are there. But as you continue painting, they start leaving, one by one, and you are left completely alone. Then, if you’re lucky, even you leave.”
Hi Friends!! One of the most important parts of art making is having a space that is designated for your work. In the beginning, it can be a desk top, a corner of the dining room, or nook inside a closet. It truly is important for the creative process, because you have to have a place to keep your supplies within reach at all times but not have to clean them up after each session. I know when I started, it was on the corner of my kitchen island counter at all times. I would stop by periodically throughout the day to work on a project or take on online class. But when I finally got the courage to invest in a significant workshop in a different state, I knew I owed it to my renewed artsy self to find a space to call my own.
My first studio space was a small portion of a guest house in my Naples, FL home. It was so amazing to organize my supplies in one space and really call it my own. I loved it and spent almost everyday in that space, with a candle burning and my music playing. The space quickly became too small over the following years and I eventually took over the whole guesthouse so I could produce enough work to be gallery ready.
Imagine my sadness when I had to leave my home and my studio in January 2020 because of my unexpected divorce. When I packed up my pod, I had as many art supplies and canvases as I had household things. I guess that is how it should be. Once I got in my new home, my studio went back to being a bedroom and half of my family room, and the garage, and anywhere I could find extra space. When David and I decided to get married in June of 2021, we had no idea what we were going to do about our living arrangements. There was certainly not enough room in my small little house for him to fit into with my studio with all his contractor stuff. The housing market in our area was through the roof and there weren’t many options available to us. We just prayed that some new opportunity would become available.
While we were on our honeymoon, my brother called us and told us that a new house came on the market in our neighborhood and that it just might work for us. It was a contractor’s opportunity, because every surface needed to be touched or replaced from differed maintenance. In the end, we took a 6 bedroom house that most people are not looking for in Florida, and turned it into a 3 bedroom house with a better living area and 17’ x 30’ studio for me. It is truly a dream!! The following is the before, during, and after of my studio transformation. Forgive our less than perfect videography, but lets be real here. We are just trying to do the best we can!!
So much work has gone into this home since these videos were taken. It hasn’t even been a year yet, but our hard work has really paid off!! We feel so fortunate to have found this home in our same neighborhood with my family just streets away. To say that it was miraculous that this home became available exactly when we needed it is so true. I’m so grateful for my contractor and his expertise. You truly can hardly tell that any changes have been made, specially in our great room. Here’s a photo of the outside after it has been painted, a shot after you walk into the front door, my adorable contractor putting new lights in my painting space, and a video of my new studio space in its working state today.
This studio is truly a dream come true!! I’m so excited to have the space so this studio can morph and change into whatever I need it to be. All the tables, racks, and shelving are easily movable, so this may not be the way that it always looks. It is super functional for now, and I will continue to decorate it to become a truly inspiring space. It will be comfortable to have collectors visit or open studios so that I can show my work as well. Most of all, I’m grateful!! I’m grateful for where I am in life and for every little thing that I’ve been blessed with along the way in my new town to make this happen.
We have truly been so happy to make this house our home together as we start this new life. If you’re in the area and would like a tour, I would be happy to host you.
