6 Months In Review

Well, here I am 6 months after renting my studio at the Mellwood Center. To say things have been rocky might be putting it mildly. But that's okay. I've learned many things and have had the opportunity to get the ball rolling on things that had become stagnant over the years. So, here's a review of what all I have learned and where I see things going in the future.

First, let's talk about Mellwood.  I will be forever grateful to Mellwood for finally getting me off my keister and headed in the right direction. Before I had a studio at Mellwood I had knitting and fiber art supplies stuffed in drawers and boxes and coming out of closets. Before Mellwood I hadn't even thought about taking up batik again. Now I have a place to put all of those things and arrange them into some semblance of order. I've been able to start doing the batik work that I love again. All in all, Mellwood has provided with a spring board into the future.  

Second, let's talk about artistic direction. I spent the better part of these past six months working on small crafty type things. While this has been great and has given me a chance to practice smaller things before moving on to larger things, I think it's time to really focus my direction on larger projects. I have several batiks that I am currently working on with the hope that I can actually maybe do some art shows. You can see a few of them below.

Which brings us to my third topic, the future. The future of the physical studio itself is somewhat up in the air right now. As I mentioned Mellwood has provided me with a springboard into doing the things I want to do in a space that is conducive to doing them. However, I'm not sure that it is the right fit. It's too far from home to be convenient which leads to a whole host of problems that I won't get into right now. While I would like to keep a studio in the city, in order to do so some things will have to change. I have been kicking around the idea of converting my outbuilding into a home studio. I'm also thinking of either looking for a smaller and cheaper studio at Mellwood or moving to a smaller, quieter, cheaper and less visible place somewhere else. Perhaps in the Highlands, Germantown or Smoketown. If anyone has a line on such a place please let me know.

As far as my art itself, I will be using the next 6 months while still at Mellwood to focus on large pieces that are suitable for art shows. While I know this is the direction I want to go I have to admit it's incredibly daunting. All my fancy degrees are in arts administration and business which basically puts me on the other side of the table from the artist. My internships were at museums and galleries. I have not actually been the artist in years and let me tell you, trying to break into that circle is scary as hell. Not to mention, being a horrible introvert, the thought of gallery shows makes me a little queasy. However, I think that if I can build myself a bridge and get over it that the payoff will be worth it.

So, there you have it. 6 months in review and a plan for the next 6 months. I have no idea how it's all going to play out, but in 6 months I will tell you how it all went down. In the meantime I'll keep chanting Dax Riggs' quote to myself.

"I believe in truth. And I believe in magic. And I believe that what you want yourself to be you can be if you believe it. And whatever you want to happen can happen."