Yes... I am terrible when it comes to updating my website but I got to admit that I haven't made a lot of art lately. I apologize for that. With that said, I am happy to announce that I have a new art studio! YAY! I originally set-up a little "art space" in the spare bedroom at mother's condo in Vancouver, Washington just across the river from my house in Portland, Oregon. I was originally looking for an art studio to rent out at the time and heard a rumor that my mother looking for additional income. She is retired and on a fixed income so funds were tight for her. Being the big softie that I am, I suggested that I rent her spare room and use it as an art studio and she agreed. My mother is an absolute sweetheart and she would get sooo excited when I'd come to work on art. She'd bring me snacks and gossip about family dramas while I worked on my paintings. I really spruced up the room for her too. I repainted it white after one of my sisters painted it this loud green color and left it as is when she moved out. I love vibrantly painted rooms but the color was not conducive for painting and would definitely influence how I saw my paint colors. There were tons of holes in the walls left from when my brother stayed in the room too. He had a lot of décor and chachkies attached to the walls.
This set-up was fun while it lasted but I got to admit... the space never felt like my own. This same room was also used as a guest room for Mom to host family and friends. I'd often times find the space cluttered with other people's belongings and notice that my things were moved around sometimes too. This always annoyed me but I figured that this was her living space so I couldn't really protest much. I didn't really have a collective of active artists to engage with either. My art is also inspired by the male form, and erotic themes so bringing art models to pose nude or to get roped up in Shibari in a small bedroom at my mother's place was totally out of the question.
My new art studio is currently at Civilian Studios on the north side of Portland which is about a 10 minute drive from my home in the St. Johns neighborhood. It definitely needs to be cleaned up a little bit and is in dire need of my artistic flair. I'm really looking forward to creating new art, meeting new artists, working with new and familiar art models, and hosting small exhibitions at the space too! Stay tuned for more updates!
