36 Chambers Studio: my new Toronto workspace

I thought I'd post some pictures of the art studio I'm working in.

my space: 8x10 = small and I'm struggling to keep it empty

There are at least 20 artists in here, maybe more. All the spaces upstairs in the main area are rented but there are more spaces being created downstairs.

washrooms downstairs, one level below me but one level above the other studios

My favorite things are the location: Queen St West, and the other artists that are working there, (though I have yet to meet them), and the access to the outdoors where I can work if I want to, plus all the events that Josh, the owner of the space and owner of Sleeping Giant Gallery, brings in to liven up the space. I am happy to be in an active artist space.

looking up to the door outside from my space

I found this studio space through the son of a friend and the friend of his friend.
It seemed meant to be. I wanted the space no matter what. I didn't even know where we would live for months, but I had my studio space. First things first.

picnic table outside with a view of Queen St West

So I've had the space since February but only actually got there to work on Wednesday.
I didn't even know how it would feel to be there.

artists and their stuff is everywhere

After being away from painting for so long now--it's probably been a good 6 months since I did any real Art work--it's tough to get started. My creative mind beat a hasty retreat when faced with packing/sorting/tossing and now on the other end unpacking/sorting/placing. I was not built for all this Organizing with a capital O.

doorway back inside

My studio space is 8x10 so I can't bring too many things there. My plan is to only have what I am actively working on. There will be some 2x4's up above my workspace so I can store some things. I need that. Last night some big canvases decided to fall on me in my sleep so I need to fix my storage situation. At least they are away from the bed. For now, they're in the kitchen.

*sigh*

But never mind that.

view from top of stairs of the shared studio space

My studio is a bus ride, a subway ride, and a bus ride away from me. About 1.5hrs if I go from my house and a nifty hour if I go with my new sculpting friend Doris. She has a sculpting studio downtown and is thrilled to have a second passenger in her car so we can use the commuter lanes.

Bathroom graffiti.
I can relate.

Spring Flowers For You, Faithful Reader.

lilacs picked today from the backyard

Hello. I've been meaning to post for months now. I send you these flowers as an apology for abandoning my blog for so long. Life just got in the way and while I have oodles and oodles of stuff to blog about it seemed I just never had the *oomph* to actually sit down and do it.

I've moved to Richmond Hill, Ontario, a mere 6 or 7 streets north of the Big City of Toronto.

I appropriately landed here on April Fool's Day, promptly twisting my ankle the same day. I was unable to walk for about a week.

I got better just in time to go on a whirlwind adventure to Florida because I won tickets to see the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on April 19th. We were there on the 29th, which was the first re-scheduling of the launch date and, sadly, not the last. I'll be posting about the trip we took later, so I'll save the details until then, but what's important is I came home and placed my suitcase and bag down at the front door and pulled my back. I was unable to sit up or move for about 36 hours, then I could move, but not really walk, then I could walk but it really really hurt and now I am back to normal, with a little reminder of my mishap now and again.

Starting in a new town is tough enough but adding the physical pain to it all is downright depressing. But I'm turning the corner on that and on EVERYTHING.

More soon.

PS. The flowers are lilacs. It's not even June and the lilacs will be done by June here. In Sudbury, my house had a fence of lilacs and they were just budding in early June. In Ottawa the lilacs weren't out until June either if I remember it right. So this is my first indication that yes, I am in a warmer, earlier, gardening zone. It's too bad I don't have a garden. I'll have to content myself with being a spectator this year.