So we did actually move. The timing wasn’t great to be honest; the loading and unloading took place during a fairly decent snow storm…the week before had been wall to wall sun and unusually warm for the UK in March, and then it all went crazy and it was snowing and really stormy on the day of the move. Typical!!! Moving all your family home and your studio at the same time is definitely madness, anyway we are now over the worst, although still surprisingly shattered, to the extent that if I sit down for more than a minute or two, I just fall asleep.

Already the big thing for me is the ability to walk from the doorstep, just to stick some boots on and get outside….we’ve always had some nice walks around, but realistically needed to get into the car and drive to get there. This feels different; open, wilder and I just love the sense of space!

For the first few weeks it’s been about sorting the house, but I was itching to do the studio. For the first time ever for me, the studio was already there; a former office pretty much ready to go, with pale grey walls, two windows, vellux windows in the ceiling and lovely natural light. It has a practical wipeable floor and luxuriously loads of plugs! A bland but practical narrow box…

I think the studio set up will evolve over the next few months, as I get more opportunity to work in there. For now though, it seems to be working pretty well, with a few little adjustments., and it definitely doesn’t feel so bland now I’ve unpacked some stuff. I also know how very lucky I am, having a wonderful designated studio space.

I’ve also been trying to work out what to do about a painting wall; the narrowness of the space meant that I knew my easels were going to feel clunky and take up space I could do with for working…for instance space for an extra table when I need a large flat area, as when I’m varnishing lots of work in a batch. I’ve looked at various other options for creating a painting wall, but also realised I rather like the ledge you get with an easel. After a lot of thinking, John came up with the answer-we took the central mechanism of two easels, (the system which allows vertical adjustment), and dismantled them from their stands, and then mounted them on the wall. We hung them so they were at exactly the same height, a little apart, which means I can work side by side on two pieces up to around 1 metre square, or I can also work on one of my large canvases across the two.

So far this seems ideal, but the note of caution is that its only any good for those who like me prefer to work almost vertically-mine are at a slight backwood tilt, which I find really comfortable. If I need to work flat I tend to put work on the floor or a table anyway, and if I need a different angle I prop work up on a drawing table. A side effect of all of this is that they are really firm now, as opposed to slightly rickety before, and this hack has saved tons of floor space, which allows me room to move., and stand back.

^Saving space!

I’m also repurposing an Ikea trolley (sorry I’m sounding like an advert🙄)for my gels and mediums, with a space for my palette on top, which means I can wheel it into place, and it frees up loads of drawing table space for other stuff, like sketchbook reference etc…

There is a confession though, and that is that my head has been too full of solicitors, exchanges, mail redirects etc…and I haven’t been able to make any work. To be honest, I remember thinking I would get some done this month, and looking back I have no idea what I was thinking! Perhaps I should give myself a bit of a break, and I’m hoping to have proper painting time in May…fingers crossed anyway.

I have been walking a bit, and beginning to understand the new landscape around me, and then grabbing a few moments to make very fast studies. they are just notes really; very rough and loose, but its a way of thinking myself into new work.

And finally for this month, some paintings do mean more than others-because they are key pieces, breakthroughs or even outliers, or sometimes just because they capture something deeply personal or special. I sold one of these pieces this month, (almost reluctantly which is ridiculous!!!) and it went home with an absolutely wonderful family of people very committed to the arts. So if they are reading this, thanks so much and I couldn’t be happier that On the Nature of Water has found its forever home with you.

That’s all for me this month.

Thanks so much for reading this and taking an interest in my work, and also for all the lovely comments and good luck for the move messages!

Until next month take good care,

Jo xx

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