The wonders of moving into an art studio above a gallery. You can visit the artist in action.
It’s already been a few months, and the space remains relatively bare. It feels incredible because the amount of stuff I have moved out of my home to fill the studio perfectly fits into the new space. I now have ample room to create and no longer feel cramped or pressured to do other stuff when I want to concentrate on my creative process.
The space is shared with some fantastic artists, and I can share my creative journey with them and bounce around ideas with like-minded folks.
Is it worth investing in an Art Studio?
One of the thoughts that have been bounced around is whether investing in an art space separate from the home environment is worth investing in?
I would say that, on the whole, it is! I enjoy going to my studio, which is well away from home chores and other work commitments. In that space, I am working fully connected to my creativity. There is the smell of paint and craft infused into the very fabric of the building.
While discussing this experience with another artist, Jill Crowther, we also unearthed the genuine advantage of having people around who get us. Working in a home with little contact from the outside world can get a bit tedious. There is no chance of that in a vibrant art space, you can also choose what level of interaction you can get into, and everyone is respectful when the artist retreats into their zen mode.
Another advantage is cake; the delicious homemade cake is available for the artists in the studio, which has occasionally been the prime attractor that gets me to the canvas.
So where is this studio?
It’s Studio 9, on the first floor of the Apple Store Gallery, 1 Rockfield Road, Hereford HR1 2AU. Find yourself at the bottom of Aylestone Hill and turn into the industrial estate opposite Bars Court Road. You cannot miss it. The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday, and you can tour the studios and view the latest art exhibition or even get your picture framed.
My studio is upstairs, above the Gallery, right at the end of the corridor on the left. You can also see my artwork in the window facing out over the car parking area. I rotate the artworks on display in the window on a weekly basis.