A New Blue Space

I can see clearly now...

Packing up my old studio...

Sorting through the work from my flat file...

My new studio...

Finding old pieces of and about my Mom, to bring into my new space...

George Saw Edna, 2005

photolitho with mixed media on paper

detail

detail

Blue Self, 2003

silkscreen

Night Window/Blind Contour Self, 2003

felt tip pen and watercolor on paper

The day before my mother died, my husband helped me pack up my studio. I was convinced that I wanted to come home and set up my studio in Woolwich - a bedroom had opened up and I told myself I would save money and resources by not paying rent and travelling the 50 minute ride. Besides, I had begun to feel very cramped in my studio. We rented a U-Haul and brought home everything but the work from my flat file. I got the call about my Mom's passing the next morning, and hit the road and spent the week in RI. Yesterday I drove to the studio to fetch my artwork. When I walked into my empty space, I thought, Wow, this looks good all cleared out. What am I doing?? I don't want to leave!!! I ran downstairs to talk to my landlord to see if it was too late to change my mind - I'd given my notice weeks ago, but it was still January. I knew that another artist in the building had his heart set and was ready to move into my space - my landlord asked would I consider moving into a new space? I looked at it. It's a bit smaller than my old studio, but it has more wall space to work on, has a view of the harbour, gets strong morning light, and the floor is blue. That felt refreshing. I said, Yes, this will work. (Whew! Just in the nick of time! I felt like Elaine running away from the altar to hop on the bus with Benjamin in The Graduate...)

I made the decision to move home in the weeks when I knew that my mother was dying. Maybe the little girl in me wanted to go home and hide, I don't know. But yesterday I could think more clearly, and I knew that I was making a mistake. I need the contact with the other artists in the building, and I love being downtown as much as I love being at home in the woods. I can work from my home space and my city studio. I teach in Portland one night and one morning - I can put in half days in the studio on those days, and my husband works in Portland everyday, so I can always hitch a ride with him on other days. I don't know what I was thinking. Hey, my Mom just died. I guess it's natural to feel discombobulated...

I just needed to empty everything out! Note to self: Do This More Often.

So, I will use my home space to store the majority of my stuff, and use my studio downtown for work only, and whatever supplies I'm currently using.

I sorted through all my work yesterday and gravitated toward certain pieces to bring into my new blue space.

Ideas are percolating...

It's Personal

Latest work in process. I might title this one Eighteen...

The Dark Side

The dark side, as in, I've gone over. I am now officially fully immersed in working from photos, and thoroughly enjoying it. (Sing: If loving this is wrong, I don't wanna be right...)

This portrait is of my cousin, how he looks now. Hmmmm. The eyes are too close together. When I do these portraits I see other family members' faces emerge at different times. I see my father and my brothers in this one. I felt like I was channeling Van Gogh and Gauguin while working on this drawing. I'm not done - I see things I need to change. It's so stylized, I just don't know...
I believe I'll give it a rest and go have a cup of tea in the sun...

Complicated Shadows

Another portrait of my cousin Keith Knost , made from another old photograph while listening to a new CD - a great mix put together by my daughter-in-law, Tracey, for my birthday, which includes this...