Studio Set Ups Past and Present

Studio in my basement of the house in Vernon, Connecticut.

Wow. In preparing to write about art studio setups, I took a major walk down memory lane.

Since leaving the east coast in 2006 and moving to the southwest, I have painted in many different spaces from a "real" art studio on an artists' ranch to my own living spaces to friends' houses, to gallery spaces to house sitting gigs. Whew... it's been a trip to say the least.

East Coast–Connecticut

When I lived in Connecticut, I painted mostly in the wild woman fashion and taught that in my Wisdom Painting sessions. Those were held in Vernon, Greenwich, and Hartford.

I did, however, attend a local community college going for a fine art degree before I moved to the southwest. You can see a still life studio set up in the basement of my house above.

A medicine pouch I gathered along the way. I cannot remember
now where I got it. I most likely acquired the pieces while
driving cross country from Connecticut to Arizona. Now
that I see the word "Integration", it makes so much sense.
The first painting I worked on was called "Passage" and
integrated symbology and landscape. Little did I realize
at the time, I would begin painting the landscape.

Studio Set Up at Rancho Linda Vista Artist's Ranch, Oracle, Arizona.

Southwest

For the sake of this article, I want to focus on my painting studios while living in the southwest. My fine art painting really began in 2006 when I made that move and fully committed to my art.

Arizona

Studio at Rancho Linda Vista Artist's Ranch
Oracle, Arizona.

My first stop in the southwest was Arizona. In Arizona, I have painted in Oracle, Tucson, Cottonwood, and Sedona.

New Mexico

I moved to New Mexico after about four months in Arizona. When I lived in New Mexico, I painted in Silver City in many different locations.

And now, I'm back in Arizona, in Sedona.

Back at the Ranch

My first studio painting experience in the southwest was a two-week stay as artist-in-residence at Rancho Linda Vista Artists' Ranch in Oracle, Arizona. I was still painting in oil. I had a one person show at their gallery in 2007. What a great experience.

Studio set up at a house where I was housesitting.
Oracle, Arizona.

After leaving the ranch, I house sat for the summer in the middle of the desert in Oracle, Arizona. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I fell in love with the landscape there and began painting southwestern landscapes.

And... that is where I will leave you until next week.

And You?

What about you, if you are an artist, where have you painted? What's your favorite studio that you have painted in? Do you have a favorite way to set it up?

Until Next Week

Brianna Rush (Mary Rush Gravelle)

Sir Kitty

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About the author: Brianna Rush(Mary Rush Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved cat, Sir Kitty.