this is the main wall i work on. most of all my furniture/equipment is on wheels or have gliders. things are always being shifted and moved around to suit my needs.
i recently was once again DENIED studio space thru LMCC Workspace Program - there's always next year! it got me thinking about the space/studio i have now. my studio is my living room. i work part-time so i can spend as much time as possible painting and doing the business side of it all as well. which leaves me no money to rent out a separate studio space. i don't know how artists do it - pay for rent and studio space, work full time and paint. some people even have kids too! there's a great building on broadway and 213th street that has mini storage/office space/studio space. an easy walk or bus ride from where i live. they wanted $750 for 150 square foot studio!!! what the fuck is that? my living room in bigger than that, nearly 200 sq/ft. and guess what - i have 2 windows that let in tons of light. their studio had no window!
i'm sometimes ashamed of my studio situation and feel inadequate. am i not a serious artist for not having a separate studio? am i missing out on building relationships by having a studio in a building full of artists? i don't know. sometimes the answer is no, sometimes yes. it depends how confident i feel about my work at the time and how much cash i have in the bank. and that's all pretty fucked up too.
so what's the point of this post? to just get it out there and share cuz people are curious about an artist's process. this is my situation, this is where i paint "professional" or not, this is my space and this is where i get shit done.
detail from first photo. besides the rulers and stencils i keep inspiring images here and my never ending art supply list.
me, hard at work making shit. that table not only has gliders on it, it's collapsible!
hi, i really love your job, so amazing colors!! Thanks for inspire me. mù
ReplyDeleteHello Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteRegarding your contemplation on studio space: "I made big paintings in the tiniest bedrooms, garages, you name it. You know, once I have my back to the room, I could be anywhere. I could care less." - Chuck Close.
thanks guys!
ReplyDelete@gonzales: great quote and one to definitely remember.
your artwork is amazing jennifer and even though it is sometimes hard - i work from my living room too and have two little kids - you just have to hang in there and keep pursuing your dream! you are having lots of success and produce wonderful work - keep it up and eventually you will get the studio that exactly fits what you need!
ReplyDeletexoxo
cry me a river, sanchez!
ReplyDeletetwo arms, two legs, health and wealth.
on to the next one.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@anonymous (yeah right)
ReplyDeleteeveryone suffers!
can't knock the hustle!
Jennifer-
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work.
I paint in the room that's supposed to be my bedroom-and sleep in my living room.
I think it's the work that matters - not the space it's painting in.You inspire me- thanks for your blog.
ps: Your studio is so clean! ;-)