Working in collaboration with another artist stretches the mind

It’s a good day in the art studio even when I don’t pick up a single paint brush. Working in collaboration with another artist is very rewarding.   Following on from my last blog post, Susan Zeppellini came to join me the other day for a session of exploration of nature through the lens of a microscope. There is so much to explore. So far together,

"Update - Open Studios and Art Week/Trail has been postponed and will possibly be scheduled beginning of December.  I'll post again about this when I know more."

When I'm creating, I lose myself completely in the process. Time stops still and the random thought chatter of daily life fades away to a silence that I can only describe as "the zone".

I drew and painted my way out of a dark hole when I was ill 15 years ago and I hadn't stopped until recently when I lost the space to create. After a few delays, my studio has been given back to me and the last remnants of the kitchen are in the kitchen. Now I need to clear the space

It is surprising just how far reaching the impact can be when building works are going on at home!  We moved into our bungalow for the pleasure of having no stairs to contend with. We also knew it needed a bit of updating and extending. Project management though doesn't always go to plan. The kitchen was delivered before the extension was ready and my studio has been floor to ceiling with boxed kitchen units for the last six weeks.

All that's needed to create ACEOs or Artist Trading Cards is a little space

It's been a difficult few weeks and my studio is stacked full of large boxes from floor to ceiling. But I do have a little space to work. It actually reminds me of my imaginative childhood when we created little dens out of boxes to play in. So, I am for the time being working in a little den!

I love my studio. It's not the biggest, but it's big enough for me, and big enough to share with a fellow artist during a studio event. It's light and airy, and insulated enough to keep lovely and warm in the winter. But oh dear... the view leaves much to be desired. A digger and a heap of building materials does not lend itself to having an Open Studio event!