we are
all
voyeurs...
there is just something about the nature of the human spirit
that desires to know
what goes on behind closed doors..
to see thru the windows of a house at night..
to know the untold story...
I think for artists,
the studio is that personal place
that we most want to view..
we want to know, to see, to understand the creative process..
and though no photo can really give us that information...
we feel as though we can catch a glimpse of it
in viewing that sacred space..
if you are like me,
there is no studio that I do not like...
I find each one most intriguing...
if you have not guessed by now,
gentle reader, this will be a longer post...
so this is your libation warning...
if you have been following "the sweet life" for a while...
Before
 |
| studio right after new carpet... August |
you might remember that the moment we arrived at our new home..
we were lucky enough to stop a flood in progress in the room that was to be my new studio..
I had chosen the guest room with the pool bath..
and the leak in the bathroom
was pretty devastating..
the carpet was ruined but we managed to save the wood floors in the rest of the home...
.... it took months to restore
and so I have been shooting photos for you, over time..
different days and time periods, so you will see the growth...
After
 |
| After.....same shot as above but taken last week... this is the table where my art journal lives in the middle of the room, because I work on it continuously... |
the movement of things... new shrines and collections...
some things are still in boxes and I have several things to frame...
but it is improving...
and changing...
of course the nature of the studio is change...
nothing is static in a place that must be comfortable in
Chaos..
no matter how large the space...
I always seem to be able to fill it...
it is amazing how
I manage to collect things that speak to me...
and inspire me...
 |
| Pilar Pollock heart milage and Neva Gagliano's photograph... |
I found a little grey flat file above that my studio goddess
watches over... it is nowhere near as functional as the old steel case file
that I had in Fort Collins, but it functions better than the old
chest of drawers in the other guest room that is also filled with papers...
and I finally found a large bookcase so I can start collecting books again..
I had to pare down my collection to what I absolutely needed...
and what I couldn't live without...
anything about Leonardo Da Vinci made the cut...
along with
Sibella Court..
and anything old and crumbly
moved with me as well...
"this is the place of creative incubation.. At first you may find nothing happens here. But, if you have a sacred place and use it, take advantage of it, something will happen."
Joseph Campbell
 |
Seth Apter's wonderful Pulse of Mixed Media on display.. "Muriel Babies, Assemblage shrine, Caterina Giglio |
the shelves are a magnet for treasures of course,
and one of my most precious pieces of art...
the little Dia De Los Muertos shrine
above
that I made a few years ago
for a collaborative show at
TWO GRACES GALLERY
"every artist dips his own brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures"
Henry Ward Beecher
and a small dish filled with mini sea stars...
starfish,
heart rocks and an arrow...
small treasures..
because they
live with tiny books...
about Joseph Cornell and the Book of Hours...
and a tiny glass book that I made a few years ago...
above
This photo above was taken a few weeks ago as I was working on
my latest article for Sew Somerset...
making collaged fabric quilts
stay tuned for that...
and then...
There is the walk in closet...
at least one side is ready for a photo shoot...
well.... mostly...
this side houses my online shop..
the boxes and shelves keep the work from the light and safe from
harm in the studio...
of course I need little shrines here too..
and lots of storage..
which is all full by the way...
"the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."
Aristotle
a studio is more than just a functional space..
it is place where function intersects with creativity...
and creativity cannot thrive without inspiration...
"without the studio, however humble, the room where the imagination can enter, cannot exist.'
Anna Hansen
a shot below of my new painting shelf, which I love...
I captured the table below which is opposite the table with the large Fleur..
on a day when I had just put all my print making supplies away...
it seemed a good time for a photo...
This is the first time I have had a studio that is not painted white...
I know many of you like to work with color..
but I find it too distracting..
for me, I find that I live and work more productively in a serene environment...
My mind is constantly moving and I have way more ideas than I have time to work...
the studio is...
"space for the spirit to breathe"
Rainer Maria Rilke
 |
| Works in progress, on the painting wall.. |
I can fit several boards on the shelf
and hang them on the wall to work
more easily in series...
and there is ample room below to add another shelf unit for more paint
in larger quantities..
"my studio begins at the art store, I imagine all those paintings trapped inside the tubes of paint."
John Ferrie
and room for more rolled papers...
in my antique bin...
 |
| I know I have more papers packed somewhere! |
which is next to the sliding glass door
that takes up most of the wall on that side of the room...
and
I would only put up with it...
the lack of wall space, that is ...
because...
I have a rather nice view...
even in the winter time...
I hope
dear voyeur..
kind followers, favorite artists, friends and lurkers
that you have enjoyed the little tour...
perhaps you have seen something you remember ..
or something that inspired you too..
a tiny glimpse perhaps...
I am off again
for a little trip, this time to St. Augustine
....
thank you in advance of your kind remarks
and your faithful readership...
ciao, ciao...
