Twenty years ago, I decided to build an art studio. I was inspired by a drawing of Norman Rockwell's studio (in one of his books) and started with that basic idea. I wanted a great working space, tall ceilings, natural north light during the day and plenty of good lighting to use for the all-nighters. Lots of shelf space for books and storage for whatever else I picked up as inspiration.
I made a cardboard, to scale model of the building and put it on the driveway, near the spot where we planned to build. That gave me a good idea of how the daylight would come through the windows. I gave my cardboard model to a local builder and they drew the plans to build the structure, next to the house.
I've worked in a variety of spaces and this was, by far, the best place to work. Not all of my best work was created in that studio but it was a really nice place to use for those twenty years. There were some really beautiful sunsets behind the studio. In the winter, I didn't have to drive to work but I had to shovel a path to the studio door before I could start painting.
We recently moved and my new studio is in a different space. A much different surrounding but I will fill it with things that inspire me, make sure the lighting is good and start anew. There are plenty of ideas, waiting to be painted. New stories to be crafted and opportunities to grab ahold of. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Here's to the new adventure, the next chapter... 2018 will be a great year!
