Over the course of the many years I have spent making art, I have always made studios where I've lived. In Buffalo, as a craftsman working in fiber, I took a small bedroom in our apartment. Surrounded by shelves of fabrics culled from the Salvation Army and Goodwill, I sewed away making dolls and soft sculpture, while my dog and cat slept nearby. In other places, I worked in bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and kitchens. Most of the time I took over the main living spaces. That was BK--Before Kids--before having to worry about crawling babies and exploring, wildmen toddlers (one of whom literally tried to swing from a chandelier and who also put French Toast into the VCR to see if it would play).
When we bought our second house I took to the basement. In the basement I first had a roughed out corner, and eventually a new 20 x 20 studio with a light well. I stayed down under for roughly 15 years until we did a second addition which gave me a lovely studio space on the main floor (!) right off the kitchen and in which I have worked since 2002. I love this studio and have illustrated more than 12 books in it.
As much as I have loved the spaces where I have worked, I have often longed for the kind of space where I could throw up several 4 by 5 foot canvases and really let loose. Now I will have one as I prepare to move into a brand new space in the Gorse Mill Studios building. The building is a 120 year old mill building, smack dab in a residential neighborhood here in Needham, MA. My space is a little more than 500 well lit square feet. I should be totally in it next month, keeping my home studios for writing, digital work, and office work.
Of course, good things do not happen n a vacuum. In my case good things usually come about with the help and support of my husband. Here are some shots of the "still in development" space, with the best guy in the world taking charge. He actually got up before I did yesterday and went over to the studio and began painting. THAT was the BEST Valentine's present a gal could ask for!
Phil taping the corners, above and below. he had just painted the corner and walls covered with Homasote.
A view of the sink and looking off to the "thinking corner."
Close-up of the thinking corner. Those are some of my older, editorial pieces on the walls.
Bitty makes her first visit to the studio! It's tiring watching all this activity, so she settles into her new bed.
Phil, doing yet more painting of the homasote on the other end of the room.
What a guy! And with a bad back,to boot! Is it any wonder that the man needs a rest afterwards?
Thanks, Honey. I'll catch ya later. ;-)
OMG- it looks fabulous! I cannot wait to see it for real, it's actually a lot more "finished" than I was expecting. I guess I was expecting it to be a raw mill building inside!
Way to go, Phil!
Posted by: Liz | February 16, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Phil - why did you tape the corners to paint the walls?
Mike (former house painter)
Posted by: mike | February 22, 2009 at 11:31 AM
The studio looks great..can't wait to see it, and perhaps eventually "squatting" there when we join the ranks of the unemployed.
I think you'll do good works there.
Although I did notice one thing missing. The place calls out for a computer system....
Posted by: Diane | February 22, 2009 at 11:37 AM
OMG! OMG!! Your home work space is fantastic and your new studio is sublime! I officially have office/studio envy. Phil did really, really good.
Congratulations!
Posted by: Vivian | February 23, 2009 at 01:15 AM