The Studio is Up and Running!

It's been 6 months since I packed up the studio in Connecticut and moved 2,000 miles to resettle in Colorado. The relocation has been all things... fun, scary, exciting, challenging and just what we were looking for! 

The basement was unfinished leaving it ready to create a workable space for a studio. I am so thrilled to have a creative space that fits my style! 
 

Oscar and his crew were awesome - I would absolutely recommend them! 

Sheet Rock made it start to feel like a real space!

Sweet isn't it! 

Although not everything has found a home and nothing is on the walls it feels comfortable and the rest will eventually settle into place!

You have no idea how exciting it is to have supplies within easy reach! 

We kept a third of the space unfinished for my wet area - SO excited! 

Let the creativity flow! 

The Studio is Taking Shape and Creativity is Taking Over!

Our new community and my new inspiration!

I felt like my wings had been clipped with no creative outlet over the past few months! We moved our household 2,000 miles west, got the elderly cat settled, met the neighbors (they are lovely!), unpacked and got our living space set up. Next up... a sneaky respiratory bug that I am just about to shake! When I put my head up and take a deep breath I feel good about the progress and can't keep a smile off my face when I see those beautiful Rocky Mountains. 

I have temporary studio space set up that is the beginning of something grand! My ultimate goal is to have separate wet and dry work spaces so I can splish-splash with my dyeing and still have a clean designated space for inventory, designing and sewing. The builder quotes are coming in and I look forward to a full working studio in a few months! 

Happy 2017!

Studio - Reworking Space!

One morning I looked up and stared into my studio space... I mean really looked at it with fresh eyes. My first thought was, "why is that counter perpendicular to the sink?" and my second question was, "why do I have my work tables squished under the stairway?" I realized the space no longer worked well and it was time to rethink the flow.

Has that happened to you? One day you look into your living or working space and realize you set up an area and 10 years have gone by?!

I enlisted the help of my hubby to move some of the really big stuff like counters and fabric storage units. The rest of the weekend was spent organizing! At one point I thought it was hopeless with piles of things everywhere... but I kept going! 

Eventually the space started to jive and began to make sense. When it was 100% done I was smiling ear to ear. I now have a "wet" area with plenty of elbow room for mass creating. I also have a designated "dry" area for designing and sewing. There is even room for my hubbies bike and workout area... hey - I can share! 

The wet-side - time to get messy!

They dry-side - all set for planning the next project! 

The machines - crying for attention! 

I'm participating in the Bridgeport Art Trail - November 7 - 10

I'm excited to announce my participation in the 2013 Bridgeport Art Trail event! 7 local artists collaborated to rent a west side studio in The Nest Factory at 1720 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT.

November 8: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
November 9: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
November 10: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Meet the artists; tour the open studios, listen to poets and musicians, enjoy a gallery show, view short art films, watch a dance performance, and see a variety of demonstrations. 

Enjoy refreshments on Saturday and Sunday prepared by Carrot Top Kitchens of Redding CT. Admission: free.

My fellow collaborators:

Mary Lachman, Karen Loprete, Deirdre Abbotts, Kendell Storm, Pam Polling and Mayann Weinberg!

 

Artists Studio: Getting Organized

I was delighted to have had an opportunity to bring my collection of fabrics to a recent  meeting for the Connecticut chapter of the SAQA organisation. If you aren't familiar with the organization I encourage you to click on the links. You will meet other like minded artists and have a ball learning new techniques and making new friends! It was a thrill to receive such a positive response for my fabrics from the other artists. It helped with my confidence to have  my approach to surface design  validated, (yes - I'm still feeling vulnerable even into middle age!).

Whenever I have a big push to get a project out the studio door I return to a chaotic and crazed workplace. My personality requires calm so I took the opportunity to look at my space with fresh eyes. I framed my observations around how to get the most use of space and where to keep the materials I most frequently use. I emptied cupboards and bookcases moving things around until finally I felt like the environment was right again... my yin and yang were happy!

I can't wait to go down to the studio in the morning and start a new ice dyed project. I've had a color combination rolling around in my head for a few days and I need to get going! The studio won't look this tidy again until I go for another round of "purging" so I thought I'd document the cleanliness as most folks will never see it!

The studio looks out into wetlands. We have deer, turkeys and many other visitors each season. My gardens are just outside the windows providing endless inspiration!

This view looks towards my design wall which never seems to be empty. If I'm stuck on a design I'll leave it up and fuss with it over time until it feels done. I'm sure most of you work that way... tweaking here and moving an element there!