Week 14 - Where my Art At?
“There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who transform a yellow spot into the sun” ―
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Art Studios... Where Dreams Become Reality
In an art studio, or on the kitchen table, wherever you "create", that's where the universe creeps in.
Looking back on my years of painting, I remember specific areas, or studio spaces where I've created my work. My first watercolour was painted on an old drafting table living at home with my parents. That table was 8 square feet of therapy.
I moved from that drafting table to kitchen and dining room tables later in life. At one point I took over the spare bedroom in my rented apartment. I've always made space, a place, to create.
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One of our first shared "studio" spaces, circa 2005-ish. Pastel painting by the White Rock Pier every weekend in Painter's Corner. In fact, you could say it was the first location of Cranston Gallery! Guy was painting back then.
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When we left BC, and moved back to Ontario, my paintings and studio space became larger. Every aspect of my art became larger, it began to define me to a point where now, I'm immersed.
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When we moved to Packenham, ON., we converted the garage into a shared studio/gallery space. It's looking exceptionally clean here during the studio tour.
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We had our first storefront Gallery in Westport, ON. It was like a bowling alley, long and narrow. Our shared studio space was at the back of the room.
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When we lived in Prince Edward County, ON., We started out with a shared studio space in the attic area above our gallery. We renovated that space to enlarge the gallery. By this time Guy was moving into creating his bird sculptures, and moving away from painting. This was the first, "my" studio which was located at what is now known as Base 31 in Picton, a training camp for British pilots during WWII. The downside of this beautiful spot was no water, no washroom, and no insulation. In the winter I painted in snow boots, and toque. I could only afford to keep the temperature high enough so my paints didn't freeze up!
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My studio moved into the back half of a small property we owned and rented out in PEC. It was much smaller than the camp, but much warmer! This was the last studio prior to moving to Nova Scotia in 2017.
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For the first 3.5 years in Nova Scotia, my studio space was in our walkup attic space in the house. It was convenient, but tight for space.
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A couple of years ago, we had an art studio built for me on our property in Lunenburg. It's more than a studio, it's my "place". A building that's all about creating, dreaming, and growth. I love my studio. I love being in my studio. If you're ever looking for me, I'm probably in my studio. Painting.
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During the warmer months, I paint more and more on location, au plein air, in the greatest of outdoors, the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Painting outside, can be intimidating, but it's the best of teachers, to be in the moment, painting from life can be exhilarating and humbling all at the same time.
Where do you paint? Comment below...
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Ask the Artists
Wendy Birmingham: My studio consists of 2 spare bedrooms in my house. One, I paint in, the other I use for gessoing, varnishing and storing my large panels. I always have music playing...nice a loud. I have two large florencent lights and a big window for lots of light. It's small but comfortable. Instagram link.
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Sheila Davis's Studio
Sheila Davis: I love my studio. It’s a separate building (our garage) that was converted. It’s bright and cozy (small ) and all mine. A larger space would be nice but I’d have it just as full lol. Instagram link.
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Jen Lawton: I live in a VERY SMALL basement apartment now, so I am limited in my space. I paint at an easel in the kitchen, and spread the wet canvases around the living room to dry, before storing them away in boxes, or shipping them off to a patron or gallery. This is by no means ideal, but reality bites. I can’t stop painting, so must make do with what I have. It has forced me to go smaller, and I no longer keep huge numbers of canvases in stock. Instagram link.
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Aili Kurtis: Up until 4 years ago I had the most ideal working environment in the world - a large sunlit studio with a huge balcony overlooking a beautiful lake.
But after “the big move” to a nearby village, I converted the garage into a studio. A concrete floor was poured and rubber mats laid down to protect the floor from paint splatters. New installations: a large window, a heat pump that provides heat in the winter and acts as air-conditioning in the summer, a sink for washing brushes, a new insulated garage door that can be raised and has a full width screen for extra light in the summer.
BUT, the garage is also used as a storage space for outdoor plants in the winter, kitty litter and cat food station, garbage and recycle bins, drying herbs, etc., so it is not the ideal space. Now I have realized that I am just as productive—perhaps even MORE productive in this space as I was in the previous “ideal” space. It’s not about the space…its about the desire to paint. I discovered I can paint almost anywhere. Instagram link.
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Until next week...