Silence in the art studio - moving house in progress!
I have been moving houses for what feels like an eternity and making art has taken a backseat to unpacking. I haven't picked up a paintbrush other than to paint walls in the new home.
Last year, we decided to take a giant leap, and have a new home built in town where we moved in 2020. We were excited to follow the construction all through the fall and winter until end of March, when we became the official owners of the home. And that's when the chaos began.
Over many months, anticipating our move, we gathered cardboard boxes and plastic bins, and gradually, our lives were packed away ready for the move.
Well, not exactly!
There is always a mad rush in the weeks before the move, and particularly the last few days when time is running out and things are thrown into boxes to sort "later".
Then the work begins anew to unpack, and place everything just so. Of course, as the former home empties, the hidden dust bunnies make their appearance. So begins the next phase in the move: cleaning and preparing the former home for its new owners.
Making space before art.
So you can understand why I have been MIA. The only brushstrokes I have made were the ones on boxes marked “Fragile” and canvases have become a distant memory.
Fortunately, as the former house is only 1.7 km from the new house, I was able to bring most of my art supplies over well before the moving date, which was Monday of this week.
Sadly though, I have no energy nor creativity left in me to paint…For now, the chaos remains mostly hidden away in the basement or in closets.
I did get one pet portrait commission completed a few weeks before Father’s Day - another Pug which I will publish next month. Pug in a Sweater remains among my favourite pet portraits just for practice. And then, there was Mr. Pickles, also painted for fun, but quickly claimed by a family member.
Art on pause for the summer
Honestly, the only masterpieces I want to create right now is a pile of unpacked boxes. It’s clear to me that between the closets stuffed with rugs, pillows, clothes, and the boxes left to unpack, that I am not going to be in the mood to paint anytime soon. And although my easels are in the studio, I still need to find a suitable desk for small works such as my wood slice art.
As of now, my most colourful creations are the post it notes, and to do lists telling me to organise this or that area. I feel like I am currently exhibiting a mess everywhere!
Meanwhile, here are a few glimpses of my new art studio with a big window facing the street.
Louise, all the best with your new home and studio. Packing up and moving is no easy tasks no wonder you are not yet ready to put paint to canvas just yet. You have a lovely studio, and isn’t it good to have a space just for you to be creative?
I look forward to having my studio all set up but it will still be awhile. I am tired by the end of the day and even if I had everything organized, I would not have the energy to do anything in there. We are still m ping odd and ends and cleaning the former home. But we are coming to the end of it. Thanks Vivienne.
Dear Louise I wish good luck for you and your family in the new home. I would like to bring you bread and salt . Unfortunatelly your home is too far away from Germany. One thing let me marvel. On one photo I can detect a similar little white dolly for different art material. It’s from IKEA….. Isn’t it?
I read about this tradition of bread and salt – thank you Birgit. Yes, that little cart was purchased from IKEA almost 10 years ago. It has always been very useful. Have a great week!
Best of Luck Louise. They say it is one of the most emotionally draining things you can do and damn hard work to boot
I was surprised to find that I don’t really get as emotionally attached to homes as I thought I would. We lived in one house for 28 years and the decision to move was quick and there was no looking back. As you said, moving is hard work, especially as we downsized from 5 bedrooms to two. So the emotionally draining part is deciding what I part with and I still have decisions to make regarding some possessions. Thanks Graham.