In my May blog, The Drawing That Started Everything, I shared the unexpected discovery of artwork from my childhood while sorting through decades of accumulated treasures before moving to a new studio space.
What I didn't anticipate was how emotional this move would be.
Twenty eight years
For twenty-eight years, this studio served many purposes. It was first the headquarters of my art-dealing business and later became the place where I returned to my original calling as an artist. After all these years, I never imagined I would feel so attached to the space itself.
Memories
As I packed boxes and sorted through files, I found remnants of an art-dealing career that spanned nearly forty years. Each folder, photograph, and piece of correspondence brought back memories of traveling through France and Italy, searching for exceptional works on paper. Those trips were fueled by curiosity, determination, and the thrill of discovery. Looking back, it's easy to romanticize those years. While I occasionally miss the excitement of the hunt, I also remember that it wasn't always as effortless as memory sometimes suggests.
The detour
The move also brought into focus something I hadn't fully acknowledged. When I completed graduate school, I fully expected to pursue life as a working artist. Instead, opportunities led me into teaching, gallery work, and eventually the art business. What I thought would be a temporary detour became a nearly forty-year career. It was rewarding, intellectually stimulating, and filled with remarkable experiences, but it also delayed my return to the studio as a full-time artist far longer than I ever imagined.
When I stepped away
When I stepped away from the business in 2016 and returned to making art full-time, I was focused on moving forward. There wasn't much time for reflection. I simply got back to work.
It wasn't until I closed the door on this studio that the significance of that transition truly sank in. You would think that after ten years, the shift would have been fully resolved. Apparently not.
Saying Goodbye
Leaving this space felt like saying goodbye not only to a studio, but also to a professional identity that had shaped much of my adult life. At the same time, it affirmed something equally important: I had finally found my way back to where I began.
Journey completed
Moving into a studio dedicated solely to creating artwork has brought that journey to a close. This new space represents not what I used to do, but what I do now. It feels less like a move and more like an arrival, a return to the artist I set out to become all those years ago.
Thankyou with gratitude
Many of you have been part of this journey through both chapters of my professional life. Whether you knew me as an art dealer, an artist, or both, I am grateful for your friendship, encouragement, and support along the way.
An invitation
Now that I am settled into the new studio, I'd love to share it with you. If you're in the area, please stop by for a cup of tea, conversation, and a look at what is taking shape in this new creative home.
