For the last 7 months or so, I’ve been renting an art studio space with a friend. It has been a really wonderful experience.

The space itself is truly bizarre. For starters, it is only accessible by a hidden door down an ugly alley. Once inside, you walk up 3 flights of wooden stairs. They are creaky and full of cracks with chunks missing. Plaster is falling off of the walls, exposing many layers of paint and graffiti. You can see exposed piping over your head. Every time I’ve brought a friend over, I say, “don’t worry. I know this is a little creepy, but just wait.”

Then you reach the third floor and go through a giant metal door.

What do you see there? A huge open loft space. Bicycles everywhere. A kiln. Tons of sewing machines. Paintings. Tools. Piles and piles of books. A pool table. High ceilings full of light from huge windows at the end of the space.

You see an artist’s wonderland.

There are pillars every 15 feet or so down a long center space. These are the dividers between the stalls. Individuals rent the open stall spaces to do their crafts and the crafts are as varied as the people. There is a bike shop. The manager of the space runs the shop. They sell custom bikes and do repairs. There are a number of painters. A girl that makes beautiful wood carved earrings. A piano player. A photographer. There is a woman who makes cashmere underwear.

My friend and I have a space right by the windows. It is really soothing to be in a space with so many other artists working away.

However, the downside is that it isn’t terribly convenient. When I go to the studio, I have to make an evening out of it. I don’t like having all of my supplies so far from me when I’m at home. If inspiration strikes me late at night, I just have to wait until the next day that I can make it down there.

So, I’m giving it up. I’m moving apartments. I’m really excited.

The new place that my boyfriend and I have found is much more spacious. I’ll be able to have a room to myself for my own, personal, at home studio. I can act whenever inspiration strikes. There is even a large basement sink for screen-printing projects.

So, my artwork is on hold until we move. It has been on hold for a few weeks now anyways and I’m starting to get antsy. This is one of the many reasons that I just can’t wait to get into our new place. (On a side note, my earlier post about the silly hats I made for the Valentine’s photo shoot, the designer loved them.)

I’m going to miss my current studio. The atmosphere. The noise. The beautiful light through the giant windows. But, I look forward to working in my own space. My close space. My new art space.