From Sheds to Artists’ Studios….The Journey
It’s been a journey alright! Having managed to buy a house in Athens, Georgia (lovely, but with no studio space alas), relocate ourselves across the country from South Dakota, we set about working on creating adequate studio spaces for ourselves. When the bids for our original plan, to just add a simple, detached 2-car garage with a loft, proved to be about half the cost of the house itself….well, it was time to turn to plan B. We had begun perusing sites for the possibilities of turning sheds into charming and usable spaces, but now it was time to get serious. A local company had a number of good quality sheds that could be customized at an affordable cost and we found a contractor who was not only willing, but excited about helping us realize our dream for much needed studio space! He and his crew moved those basic structures through wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, painting, interior detailing, the adjoining deck and now, several months later, we are fully immersed in our space making art. We don’t think of ourselves as retired….we think we’ve finally landed our dream jobs!
The pictures above show a bit of progression from delivery to the site back in October of 2022 to the last couple weeks when we got ourselves moved in, settled and began working…at long last! Johntimothy and I were so anxious to be in our spaces back in the fall that we each hauled one of the patio rockers up into our studio and started drawing. Johntimothy brought a table and little homemade press out from the garage and cranked out a few prints while we waited for the action to begin.
As I sit typing now, on a blustery afternoon, I look into those woods, waiting for further signs of spring. I’m so happy in my space….it’s just perfect…my own little creative sanctuary. The star magnolia in the backyard is about to blossom and leaves are emerging on all the trees around. Spring comes earlier than it did in South Dakota! Our next step is to get the studio deck stained and rework the landscaping. That is another creative opportunity we are looking forward to with much anticipation!