New Year Moves

2020 started with some nice new beginnings. If you’re following along with my work and process on instagram you may have seen my gushing post about renting my very first real studio. I’ve almost finished moving and the best way I can describe how I feel is like a plant being repotted. I’ve never had that much space to work with before or that much freedom. It’s a very exciting silver lining to a stressful few months. 

Way Out

Coupled with this move I have another move to act out by the end of the month. Long story short my landlord had tried to do something that has been dubbed a ‘renoviction’. It seems to be almost like a slow crawling plague in Toronto along with our skyrocketing rents. The back and forth went on for months with sketchy paperwork and shifting legalities. By mid-December the landlords didn’t get anywhere so they sold the building to a glossy development company. It was tough to concentrate and work from home when my comfort was constantly threatened and invaded by forces out of my control. I couldn’t take much more. Maybe they’ll demolish this place, maybe not. Either way I decided to negotiate my way out and not stay long enough to find out. 

Je suis prêt

My friends lovingly dubbed this apartment the family cottage. I hosted so many nice nights here: four New Year dinners, birthday brunches, my podcast club girls, my workshops, and of course painted many paintings. This past summer was like a dream, I paddle-boarded a few times a week, spent so much time on the water, took countless walks along the boardwalk, painting and drawing in the hot sun. This place is so special to me but I don’t feel sad that I’m going. It feels right in many ways.

There is a lack of separation working from home that felt heavy this past year. Coupled with the isolation of being a solo-artist it was wearing on me considerably. I wonder how long it would have taken me to look into a separate studio if I wasn’t pushed. All in all, through the stress and discomfort of the last few months I feel deeply grateful and ready for the next chapter. 

Here is my little home studio through the last four years. (And please enjoy my moving sale through the end of January on all works made in my home-studio.)