The Big Move and Transformation

 

We moved on New Year's Day and for the past two weeks I have lived and breathed unpacking and decorating. We were fortunate to hire a painter and a handyman to take care of the painting and the odd things that needed to be done, but I was often up and going as early as 4:00 am. I guess it was excitement fueled by adrenalin and a bit of fear (fast approaching art deadlines). We not only moved from our smallish living space, we also closed up Alley Art Studio, my one-bedroom studio devoted to all things art and kitschy. So without much more commentary, I present the home we bought in NE Salem.

The BEFORE photos, a home that was lovingly and comfortably decorated by the previous owners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we moved in and mixed it all up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Onward, or downward, to the basement. My painting studio is on the second floor of the house and my assemblage/scrappy/supply studio is in the basement. Also in the basement is Howard's man cave, although he prefers to call it a game room. We'll see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with all homes, it's a work in process, but as of today, this is what it looks like. Come visit me!

The Artist's Way - Week Two: Recovering a Sense of Identity

My Artist's Way Creative Cluster met on Tuesday night to discuss how to recover a sense of identity. In addition to a lively discussion, we shared tasty snacks and a variety of teas. For their creative project, I had the ladies write about their internal critic/censor, then obliterated the words using oil pastels over the top of the words in a round robin approach. Cathartic. And kinda fun, too.

 

 

 

The Artist's Way-Week One: Recovering a Sense of Safety

I'm back in the teaching saddle and it feels good. Last Tuesday night I started a 12-week Artist's Way Creative Cluster after taking 2012 off from doing any type of teaching. I was still in the process of moving into our new home, so I was a little tired, but after our first session I was invigorated and energized. I had worked hard to get the dining room and kitchen ready to receive my first guests. Fortunately, I had put my packets together before we moved. It was a successful first night and the ladies were a perfect fit.