After taking a trip back in time to studios past, you might be better able to comprehend my slack-jawed astonishment at the space I am now privileged to call my new studio. Hell, at least two of those previous spaces could be zipped through time and space, dropped in this place, and still have room to spare for my requisite Dalek cookie jar (which could really use some cookies to go with its tea, come to think of it).

Day 2

I’ll grant that the scale of the space is even a little intimidating, but I count that as a good thing. There’s definitely something highly motivating about the humbling fear brought on by this much studio capacity, not to mention the OAC grant paying its rent. It’s like a well-lit double-dog dare to either put up, or shut up.

Day 7

So far, however, I’ve been putting the relatively pristine white walls to good use by reflecting back upon older work that’s been necessarily holed up in storage these recent years. It’s been a useful exercise for recognizing common threads among individual works carried out at different times for differing motives, though I find that process a lot more enjoyable now that reflection is translating itself to a giant scroll of Fabriano on the north wall that I’m now giddily attacking with graphite and ink (and thanks to Dave at Mixed Media for reacting gracefully to my rather abrupt “I need paper. Big paper.” earlier today).

I had contemplated inaugurating the new digs with an open studio during this Friday’s Art Crawl, but it’s set to be a busy one already - more on that tomorrow - so that’ll have to wait for another time.

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• BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
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• » James North Art Crawl Preview: The selective, self-interested edition

• BROWSE / IN Studio Practice
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