A room of my own

Every artist, I would guess, longs for his or her own space. I am no exception. Living in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico means that acquiring a “room of one’s own” can be possible financially. Today I completed the final move into my new oil painting studio (pictured here). It is small (4M X 12M) building with two levels. The first has a space for our car and a small kitchen/bath. The studio is on the second floor.  The finishes are simple including the original pasta tile flooring (in grey/pink swirls that I am learning to like). I have installed new lighting along with simple shelving and a epoxy painted concrete counter top (typical here in Mexico) with washing up sink.

The sensation of having a space of one’s own is strong. Ever since I read Virginia Woolf’s book A Room of One’s Own I have known that in my lifetime I wanted to have such space. Of course, over the years, I have had some luck in carving out space for myself. However, these spaces were always still part of a larger domestic or business domain. It is an interesting emotional experience having a personal space that will not be shared nor trespassed without permission. We shall see what effect it has on my work.