Studio Setups Past and Present Part Three

2007. College Avenue Collection. Silver City, New Mexico.
Artist-in-residence painting toward a show.

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.

Last week's blog post ended with two studio spaces in Silver City, New Mexico where I lived for six years. There, I painted in my own art studio and that of a friend I was house sitting for.

This week continues with more opportunities to see my studios of the past in 2007.

The first studio stop is a studio set up at a gallery location where I was artist-in-residence painting toward a show. Miriam Cwieka of College Avenue Collection took a liking to my work and went on to host two art shows for me at her gallery. And, that is where I'll leave you until next week.

Please leave a comment on anything in this article that may have inspired you.

This was her entryway which I made into my art studio.
Painting in process is Dawn's Light, 22 x 28 inches,
acrylic on canvas. It sold at one of those shows.
Prints are available. Now called, Dawn on Boston Hill.

This was her entryway which I made into my art studio.
Painting in process is Datura close up which I never finished.
30 x 60 inches, acrylic on canvas. 

This was her entryway which I made into my art studio.
Painting in process is Sweet Energy, 22 x 28 inches,
acrylic on canvas. It sold at one of those shows.
Original is available. Prints are also available.

Until Next Week

Brianna Rush (Mary Rush Gravelle)

Sir Kitty

• Create art
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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.

My Art Studio Set Ups Past and Present Part Two

My 1st Painting Studio in Silver City, NM.
The red toolbox belonged to my late brother.
It made a great place to store paints and brushes.

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.

Last week's blog post ended with my studio spaces in Oracle, AZ. There, I painted at an artist's community during my first two weeks in the Southwest and in the middle of the desert while housesitting. This week, I'll share two different studio set ups in Silver City, New Mexico, where I lived for six years.

Silver City, New Mexico

My first studio in Silver City, NM was in my first apartment. What a perfect studio set up that was! It really was a beautiful apartment and studio set up for me. I painted the first six Oracle, Arizona southwestern landscape paintings there. The studio was attached to the apartment. All I had to do was walk through the door from within my living space. I miss that studio tremendously. See photo in the beginning of this article.

Wind Canyon

Wind Canyon, Silver City, New Mexico
Working on "Nature's Embrace"
22 x 28 inches, Acrylic on Canvas
Original painting is available as are prints at this link.

Wind Canyon, Silver City, New Mexico
Working on "Nature's Embrace"
22 x 28 inches, Acrylic on Canvas.
(see the completed painting top right of this photo)
Southwestern landscape painting.
Original painting is available
as are prints at this link.

Another house sitting gig for an artist friend and husband, found me setting up my studio in her studio space while she was gone. Their home was beautiful and located in the gorgeous Wind Canyon section of Silver City, New Mexico.

Wind Canyon, Silver City, New Mexico

The paint table, acrylic paints.

And, that is where I'll leave you for this week. Next week, more studio spaces in Silver City, New Mexico.

Until Next Week

Brianna Rush (Mary Rush Gravelle)

Sir Kitty

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

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

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

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

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

Movie Review of The Painting is a Must See

The Painting is quite an interesting movie on many levels. I saw it on Netflix last night. I have a feeling I will watch it several more times. I highly recommend it to all the painters and creators of life out there.

Art Level

On the art level, the Sketchies are barely visible and constantly being haunted by the Grim Reaper. The Halfies are taunted and exiled by the Alldunns.

Isn't this true in the painting process? The sketch dies to the in-process painting, and then the half-done painting is all done. Once the painting is finished and complete, it has value because we can then turn it around for money, if we want and have the skills or resources to make that happen.

Making art is a violent process when looked at from this perspective. Our goal, as artists, is to complete the work. Each layer of the process must give way to the next. Many deaths happen along the way. Even the love we feel toward our creation and our process cannot belie the fact that we were murderers along the way, even if only with pencil, charcoal, and paint, or whatever your media of choice might be.

Human Level

As an intelligent being, you can already gather from the aforementioned, that on the human level, there is much food for thought here.

The Alldunns believe that because the Painter completed them that they are the Chosen Ones. The Sketchies and Halfies have no right to anything. The Alldunns justify their violence against the Sketchies and Alldunns because there is no value in being different and incomplete.

The Alldunns live high up in a castle. They throw extravagant parties, eat great food, dance, and make plans for annihilation of the Sketchies and Halfies. The Sketchies and Halfies are not allowed into their Kingdom, their Paradise, of richness and indulgence.

Personal Level

The movie gets to the point of all of our spiritual seeking. Each of us goes on our own hero's journey into the heart of what matters in our own life. We search for evidence of our own self-worth and long to be valued as a human being. Our personal quest for meaning often reveals that everything we thought we needed, everything we have longed for, searched for, was as Dorothy discovered, already inside us. The challenge is to love ourselves just the way we are. And furthermore, accept others for who they are.

Summary

There is so much more to this movie on so many levels.

The movie is created animation style, I think, to be able to deliver its deep message in an almost light-hearted but real way. The movie is a true work of art. Great art, points the way. It sheds light on the dark aspects of our humanity. It makes us think differently. It leads us to new vision of how our life could be.

And You?

Have you seen this movie? What are your thoughts?

Until Next Week

Brianna Rush (Mary Rush Gravelle)

Sir Kitty

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

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