Two years ago, when we visited the Artist's Loop just outside of Gatlinburg, we stumbled upon a gallery called "In the Wild." When we walked in, I could almost feel my blood begin to fizz and hum and fill with energy–the walls were a brilliant shade of green, not quit lime but close. The store owner, Doreen, and her daughter, were the artists of all the fabulous artwork. Black bears with magenta and electric blue in their coats and poppies of every possible shade–all of them brilliant in tone! Raku pottery, altered books, handmade jewelry! Art quilts that would just make one fall in LOVE. Instantly and irrevocably. And I did! With all that magnificent color!!!!

But……

On the long ride home and in the weeks that followed, I talked myself out of painting my studio any of those rich, luscious colors. After all, being a watercolor artist I was very concerned what those colors would do to my art as I knew color that BRIGHT was going to reflect LOTS of color around the room. In addition to that, I could not imagine the hassle of dragging everything out of the studio to paint–no matter how bad or how deep it was getting in there! And what about my sanctuary? What would happen to the peaceful, calming, soothing, environment in there?

Fast forward to last month. While we were in Gatlinburg, we went by to see Doreen and those rich, fabulously luscious walls and vibrant artwork and art quilts. I visited the gallery twice, the first time just to see if the reaction would be the same–the quickening of my blood, the hum of energy in my mind, and sure enough, there it was! I could just feel this surge of creativity bubbling up and wanting to explode onto paper! It was an awesome feeling! As Doreen had customers, we wondered away to visit other shops. On our return, the gallery was empty and we went in to speak with Doreen. The hum and fizz returned–even stronger than before!

And you know, if it hadn't been for that blinking light in my studio, this never would have gone anywhere at all. But the light was blinking. And needed to be replaced. And we went to every Home Depot and Lowes and hardware and flooring and lighting store in the county. And they had paint departments. With luscious green paint. And lots of other rich, luscious colors just calling my name! Begging to be looked at, to be chosen.

And this time I decided to go with my longings for a bright, energetic environment in the studio.


But, what color(s), I wondered…………

We all have different ideas and definitions of the word "studio" and how we make that word fit into our lives. A studio can be a place more in our minds than of this physical world, it can be a something to hope for, a place to work or it can be a place to pile all the extra clutter when family comes to visit.

I am learning that my relationship with my studio is more complex than I originally thought and the definition is evolving. In evaluating the changes that we're going to be making in the next six weeks or so, it become apparent that the studio was quite a reflection of "who I've been" for the last ten years or so.

The first image of the studio is from Christmas 4 years ago. The set up is basically the same, but a lot of "stuff" has been added - mat board, foam core, paper, etc. Stuff stacked everywhere. Most of it tools of the trade and necessary, but highlighting the need for better storage and organization.


 The next image gives a good idea to the color scheme - calming, relaxing, soothing. And that's what I needed when I came home for Corporate America, strung out on stress, fatigue, and caffeine. A place to retreat to. I realized that the studio is (and was) as much about being a sanctuary as it was about being a place to create. It is my nest, full of objects and art that tickle my fancy and make me smile, my place for contemplation and for journaling. And for creating.

And make no mistake, this studio serves me well, but in the last few years, I found myself wanting something a little…different……more energetic, alive, more vibrant. These thoughts have teased around in my brain for a while, but I just couldn't quite see clearly what it was that I wanted to change or do differently. I kept thinking that if I made the changes that were floating in my mind, I'd lose my sanctuary. The question then became about balance. Then about change. Then balance. Then, oh, never mind! I decided it was fine the way it was. Except it wasn't and the Universe decided I needed a nudge.

To be continued . . . . .