I’m lucky to live in a quiet environment in a hand-built home that faces south, with the sun rising through the bedroom window and setting through the kitchen door. My studio is behind the house, and I wish to thank Harvey right here and now for helping to shape this space into what it is: a home for the two of us and our children, Kate and Sam.
I often use the phrase “My studio in the woods” when describing my workspace, and you may have wondered, “What does that mean?” So here is an attempt to convey what I experience on a daily basis while practicing my craft:
“My studio in the woods” means:
I have solitude while I work.
I have nature surrounding me.
I hear birds singing as I type/draw/paint.
At night, I hear the crickets sing.
When the air is clear, I can hear water rushing over a dam that is over two miles away.
If I am working at night and step outside the studio, I see an amazing number of stars in the sky.
My studio is small, and hand built. It means it is naturally “air conditioned,” except when it gets really hot, and then I use a new-fashioned air conditioner.
I am very lucky to have this special place to work.
I can take a walk in the woods - and not see anyone else - any time I want, right out my studio door.
My dog, Dexter, can lay on the stoop outside while I work inside, as he prefers watching the birds to sleeping inside the studio.
I have the space in my head to think expansively and to design.
Any anxiety I bring to my studio time is just that: imported, and I am learning to let go of it.
It means, in effect, I am living the good life, and very happy to be here.