July 13, 2020

A new studio, a fresh start

Sometimes all we need is time to stand still and listen to our heart. I found myself doing this, at long last, while all the world has been upside down and back-to-front these past months and days.



You might remember way back in 2016 I took on a bigger studio space a few miles away in our local town. Well, for a good while it served me very well and helped me move forward as an artist. But gradually over time I began to feel something wasn't right, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. I was struggling to produce new art work, got lots of headaches, just felt very detached somehow and would arrive back home at the end of my day feeling exhausted.


Whilst we were all in Lock Down I couldn't get to the town studio so I spent more and more time in the little studio in the garden and it began to dawn on me what had been missing all the while. It was my connection to my inspiration, my need to be surrounded by nature, space, peace and quiet. So, I have returned to my roots as it were, given up the town studio and moved lock, stock and barrel into this tiny garden space.

It's had a bit of a re-vamp inside to fit everything in and now every corner is filled with arty things and crafty projects and all of my treasures. But I love it. Now I can pop in and out whenever the mood takes me, I can open the door to let the fresh air in, I can sit snug inside and listen to the rain drumming on the roof or feel the sun warm my toes as it creeps through the open door and I'm there to welcome all the wee visitors to the garden too!

I'm starting to feel the stirrings of inspiration again and there will soon be new art work on my table. The headaches ( a result of my being hyper sensitive to the strip fluorescent lights in the old studio) have completely vanished, and I feel my energies gradually returning.

At the end of the day, it feels like coming home to myself at last




12 comments:

  1. What a sweet little place !!! lots of creative success there !
    Love the garden and all your visitors ;-)
    (had a wren with two youngsters in the garden this afternoon !)
    So out of something bad came something good ;-)

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    1. Dear Els, how lovely to hear from you! I've so missed blogging and my blog folk. I adore wrens they are one of my favourite birds, so delicate, how amazing that you have her bringing her babies to see you too! x

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    2. Our (rather) small garden is like an English cottage garden ... three trees, shrubs, and perennials (no space for grass just a terrace) So we have lots of birds, butterflies and other insects, And toads (fingernail-big at the moment) and even frogs, because there is water at the end of our garden

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    3. My favourite kind of garden, we are so lucky to get lots of birds here too x

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  2. Glad to hear of the consolidation and return to your charming studio. When Susi and I visited you last fall we both were enchanted by your magical studio, home and garden. Fresh energy always is so good. During this pandemic isolation I have also been finding new inspiration looking a bit deeper into our own garden.

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    1. Hi Richard, good to hear from you, how lucky we are to have our gadens for inspiration, I would have been quite lost without mine. I hope you and Susi are both well and staying safe.

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  3. Hi Ruthie -- before i forget, thank you so much for coming to Marmelade Gypsy. I loved and appreciated your comment and I hope you will return. I know I will return here because I just clicked follow!

    This is such a smart thing to do, moving to a more healthy and more motivational space. And it looks terrific, even if you think it's a bit tight. It seems to have a good feel, good energy and I would think it would offer exactly what you needed. Looking down your page I see felted mice -- I've been doing a lot of needle felting too and those were inspiring me, so maybe tonight I'll be picking up the needle again!

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    1. Hello Jeanie, how lovely to see you here in this wee corner of the wrold, thank you for visiting. I certainy will return as I found your blog fascinating reading.

      You are so right about my studio move having a good energy,it certainly does. I look forward to seeing your next felted creatinons :)

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  4. I am glad you found your art home. It sounds cozy and inspiring.
    Lovely to hear from you Ruthie.

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  5. Lovely to see you blogging again - returning to your studio is certainly a wise move x

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  6. What a beautiful a blog you have here dear Ruthie... a wonderful inspiring place to visit. Your garden studio looks a perfect place to get inspiration in creativity and artwork from nature. I imagine a studio in town with the wrong lighting and atmosphere isn't the place for you, as I cannot imagine it would be the place for me. You have a beautiful studio - enjoy to the fullest and regain the creative artist you are. All the best to you :)

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    1. Hi Bren, thank you for your lovely words, I do feel very blessed to have my wee studio to work in. :)

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Thank you for stopping by my wee corner of blog land, I love to hear from you all and will visit as soon as I can.