I’ve always had a studio in my adult life, and have come to appreciate the “solitary apart-ness” of such a place. Visitors may come in (or they could before Covid-19), of course…and are welcomed…BUT…the space is my space, arranged the way I want it, where I can work for hours, sit and stare, think. A studio does not need “decor” like a house does. It needs a place to work and a chair. In the pandemic the studio has been even more of a refuge than it formerly was…
The first space I think of as a studio was in my parents basement where I made a 6 foot long collage. (I threw it away a few years ago after hauling it around for decades…R told me I’d be sorry, and I am. It had Twiggy in it, the Beatles, Martin Luther King…it’s behind the young me here…)
My first studio in Salem 50 years ago was in a music practice room over Weathers music store. It was an old building that had been chopped up and my studio had no windows and 16 foot ceilings. Heat and sound went straight up.
I worked at home for a few years, on top of the washer and dryer which led to a series of lint pieces…
I rented a studio over Cooke’s stationery from Jim Henry, for a few years. I painted a tree on the window. (Rob Bibler has had that studio for 20+ years now).
When we moved to Court Street I used the back parlor for a studio for 5 years and made a lot of work there…
in the 1990’s I worked upstairs in a bedroom
I rented a little cottage in the neighborhood for a couple of years…it had roses outside the door…and inside the door…
I had a studio for 6 months in the Annex at SAA before it was enlarged and renovated, their first AIR…
We built a little studio in our back yard where for several years I painted…(but now it’s my sewing studio)
My first Mill studio I shared with Rollie
And then I settled into my second Mill studio where I happily worked for 5 or so years…(except during quarantine when the dining room table became my studio…)
And during the five years in the studio at the Mill it became jammed…so that moving out in January was a real project.
But slowly the room emptied…
Until only one thing remained…
But it all moved downstairs to my NEW studio at the Mill…
with the help of my friends
and where I am nicely set up…and just in time for the snow.
This room is the only historic space left in it’s original condition in the rag and wool warehouses in the Mill complex, and as such has several artifacts and the proviso that the original locking system on the “dye masters office” be kept…
and…a first…I have “signage”
I hope we’re all still standing when the pandemic eases and I can have some visitors…keep in touch…
On The Way 
Looks like you hit the jackpot, Bonnie….Good light and you can watch the weather and people go by, best place yet…. will look forward to seeing it, soon we hope. Thanks for sharing. You are the only person that I know who takes the time to actually communicate and share a little of your soul. Doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. XO, Sally
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Thanks Sally…I DID hit the jackpot…We get our second vaccine
shot next week and hopefully the pandemic will ease it’s grip by the spring and I can welcome people in!
Me too.
xxoo
What a sweet post. I love the history of your studio spaces and all of the photos. You have a rich and rewarding studio practice.
Thanks Dayna, and again for all the help with the move..xxoo
Loved seeing the progression of your studio life. It just kept getting better! And wowza!!!! You found heaven on earth…..the perfect studio (well, i
do love your backyard studio). Hope we can visit soon!
e too…I have a special chair for visitors///xo
Such a wonderful history of someone who knows how to live and work in the now! Many thanks for sharing your time line
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Thanks Corrie…here’s my trick: wake up, alive? If yes make a plan. xo
Fun and informative post with not only pics of your various studios, but of work you accomplished in them. The Washer & Dryer studio!!! With lint pieces : ) shows how much art is influenced by work space. We both loved this.
Thanks San…I’m in the settling in phase but the walls in this room DO speak. They haven’t said much yet tho…early days..:)
So cool that you documented all your studios! You are so right that you don’t decorate a studio like you do your house. Light is a big factor to me and having enough room to spread out.
I think when I threw the old quilt top over the curtain rod I veered toward decor, but it’s so cheery I’m leaving it.
It all goes to prove that you can’t keep a fabulous, creative person down.
Aw thanks Frankie, I look forward to a visit when things clear…xo
Super posting, Bonnie. What a trip through fascinating spaces. Ginny
What a lovely photo timeline! I adore that now historic collage. What a cool piece, almost as cool as catching a glimpse of you at that time. I’m so glad you have a historic studio now (with signage)…can’t think of a more fitting person to be there.
Suffice it to say, I loved this post. What a history of you! And it answers my question, “where is the new studio?” extremely well. The space looks posh and beautiful. And signage too! So happy you have this place. At least SOMETHING is sure to be good about 2021, besides the new regime in D.C., I mean. ❤️E
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I love the “curtain”in the window at the old mill! Enjoy your new quiet place … it is a beautiful studio.
Hi Bon,
One of your BEST!! The new studio is so wonderful. I can feel why you moved there. It’s stunning.
I am planning on traveling starting in July. I hope to make it up north, if that works for you. I well know that I’ll probably have to push that date out farther, but I can’t tell you how much it cheers me to think about getting out of town…
XOXO Mare
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