Wednesday, April 16, 2014

new studio tour and some thoughts

A few weeks ago Mike and I made the move from our cozy brick apartment in South Boston to a bright, expansive live/work art studio in Boston's Fenway neighborhood. Fenway Artist Studios is the country's oldest building built specifically for working artists and was deemed a national historic building a few years back thanks to the active artist community. I was walking on air when we first visited (prompting my now-landlady to remark, "You're surprisingly bubbly for someone from Seattle." Ha!) and was on the edge of my seat waiting to be approved by the board.

And wow… we love it here! Every morning, I feel like I've hit the lottery. The big 12' windows let in consistent north light and the huge studio space allows me to work on many canvases simultaneously. There are two bedrooms upstairs in a mezzanine-style loft, while the studio takes up the majority of the downstairs level with a living room alcove to the side. The building overlooks the commuter railroad tracks and is neighbors to Berkelee College of Music, Fenway Park and lots of funky restaurants, parks and shopping in between.

Here are a few photos from around the studio...


Three weeks of packing and unpacking gave me a bit of time to reflect on the last few years as an artist. Moving out of South Boston was a little bittersweet... it was our first apartment together, cute and charming, and my studio there was a nurturing place. When I quit my job and we moved to Boston three years ago to pursue painting full time, I had a lot of confidence that it was the right choice, but there are always risks and doubts -- a few people even said, out of love, "don't quit your day job!"). Boston is expensive, especially for an emerging artist and a graduate student, and the financial and emotional commitments were steep.

But… here we are! The risk ended up paying off and my dream flourished. I'm really proud of these last three years! I've sold nearly 8,000 pieces of artwork, was interviewed and published in Oprah Magazine, was hired to create original art for Madison Square Garden and Boston's top hotel and had artwork purchased for the set of a major TV show. I've turned down several lucrative licensing deals because I felt putting my work on particular products and projects wasn't "right" for me (and been turned down for projects that were.)

Most of all, my work has matured and evolved in a way that has allowed me to experiment with different subjects and materials, while remaining unmistakably mine -- and still selling! I assume most people reading this blog are artists or creatives so I'm probably preaching to the choir by saying art supplies don't grow on trees and it's necessary to make work that looks good and sells

Finding my style coincided with navigating the rest of my post-college, mid-twenties life; cultivating habits and relationships that worked, and saying the necessary goodbyes to those that were exhausting or unhealthy. Moving into this new workspace represents all of these successes, and all of the doubt and risk and unknowns being defeated by intuition, encouragement and passion.

These next few years will be an awesome challenge... I am energized just thinking about them! I have a lot of goals. As always, I want my painting style to evolve and represent my aesthetic as an artist and my spirit as a person. Truthfully, I'm not a particularly whimsical, joyful person... but I am curious, passionate, restless, questioning and capricious and I see my best work emerge when I embrace that. I want my work to represent my wanderlust spirit, that restless je ne said quoi need in so many of us. I want to focus on seeing more of my work make its way around Boston. I want to travel much, much more, make bigger and better art and have you come visit me in my studio to see it. 

So… here's to Studio 201 and the next three years! Thanks for being a part of it all :)

18 comments:

  1. I'm so happy for you! The new studio is gorgeous.

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  2. Bonjour Mae, merci de nous faire partager ces belles images, oui c'est vraiment magnifique.
    Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur dans votre nouveau "nid"" !!! Sincèrement. Brigitte

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  3. I don't even know you outside of buying a few prints for my daughters but it has been a joy watching your artwork business grow! You were in an even smaller studio than before when I first began reading your blog. I'm jus t tickled that your new space is so cheerful, can't wait to see what you share with us next!

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  4. This is great! It gives new artists hope for the future. Thanks

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  5. mae i read your blog religiously, but never comment. i love what you bring to the blogging world. your style is refreshing & lovely. what gorgeous poppies those are you've painted over the photo on the large painting in your studio. i'm delighted that you've shared your studio and i look forward to more!!

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  6. Congrats on all the hard work paying off! The new piece of art on the easel with the ocean and lovely orange flowers is GORGEOUS!

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  7. What a beautiful place Mae, and so reflective of how far you've come! Wonderful ~ huge congratulations, and looking forward to seeing where you go next in your incredible art career!

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  8. congratulations on your new space! it is beautiful :) and it seems that "everyone" has settled in ;) I'm excited to see what comes of your art as you move forward. I stumbled across your art on etsy years ago.. have purchased prints as gifts for friends- someday I will treat myself to one of yours! thank you for the inspiration- from one artist to another!

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  9. What a beautiful place! You and your work are such an inspiration. Congratulations on how far you've come and best wishes for the future!

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  10. Many congratulations on your new studio and home - it is beautiful! Your blog is always such a happy place to visit...thank you for the inspiration and all the best as you continue your journey!

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  11. Congratulations to you on your move and your success! Very inspiring post!

    Katie

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  12. Congratulations! I love your art and your blog, very inspiring and such amazing photos :)

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  13. It looks beautiful - huge congratulations on your new home and work space - i can't wait to see how you continue to grow as an artist in this new chapter beginning. Hooray. x

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  14. Here i am on the other end of the world (in Turkey:) but this art space of yours keeps on inspiring me. We share the love of the sea and the ocean, i believe it is one of the most fundamental and ancient things on the earth. It has no boundaries, no borders. I hope the water will always be a part of your creative journey. May your new space make all your dreams come true and even create more dreams to look forward to...

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  15. this post is super enlightening and real. as a fellow creative, i totally understand that restless feeling and the continuing pursuit of finding your own style.

    btw.. i also have that turquoise ikea cart.. i call it my "art cart". haha. love it!

    laura

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  16. Very informative post! There is a lot of information here that can help any business get started with a successful social networking campaign!
    studio backdrops

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  17. Hello Mae, your studio is beautiful and inspiring.

    Ragards
    Rupali from India

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