It's almost the end of January 2020. I signed my lease in December for what will be my 3rd year here at my city studio. YAY!

Those who know me, know how much I love my home and homemaking. I was fortunate in my early mom days to be able to stay at home. I treasured those years. When I became a single mom, I quickly found I was better suited to work from home. The few failed attempts at working outside of the home affirmed this. Seemingly one of the many lessons of my life is to move a lot. I am really good at moving. I am very good at making a home just about where ever I am. Gosh knows I've proven this too.

When I moved west in 2015.  I thought I had clearly stated my life goals to the roommate I was going to share space with. I had a plan. Unfortunately, she misunderstood. What started out as a stepping stone living circumstance ended up becoming a "where will i live now" nightmare that lasted about 2 years. This post isn't about those years.

I want to celebrate how fortunate I am to be where I am living NOW. 

Dec 2017. I was awarded low income housing

2018 - I lost quite a bit of time to things emotional. I had no idea how the years prior had taken a toll on me. I was told I had PTSD.

2019 - I began having panic attacks. I got my cat.

2020. I am still here. I am still in my city studio apartment. I am safe. 

I uploaded a HUGE volume of city studio images well over a year ago, and then felt a bit overwhelmed with how many there were.  As much as I work and make art at home there will always be way too many photographs of where I live. I will try now and tell my home story as best I can.

View the entire portfolio of images that I collected here

This first image is an important narrative photograph to me. Each file folder in this file system represents a person much like myself who found their way into subsidized housing. I am just one of many. 24 months waiting. I am so grateful to be here.

The decision to take the place was easy. The apartment spoke for itself. 

The move was a nightmare. But I got to the other side of it. The collage shown here is part of the move story and will be in "birds eye view" - the 8th invitational group show at Smith and Vallee Gallery in Edison. opens 2/01/2020

much of the place is pretty institutional. and yet much of the grounds are rather beautiful. the spikey tree is a sycamore. 

MY two huge windows and west view from the apartment are core to my living experience here. I feel like I live in a treehouse. Sometimes it feels like the sky becomes part of my living space.

As an artist, the view and the light have been very motivating. This cloud inspired a similar looking collage.

The rearranging of furniture and a creating a functional living space has definitely been a work in progress. my infamous green chair is now gone. The configuration here is an early one and one of many. It's not 2020 current, but it gives you an idea of the space/ and the struggle to make sense of it all.

I love what I call "visual celebrations" or selecting unique ways of assembling items around the home or my art so that they visually please me. even everyday living like dirty dishes or cleaning the fan can be beautiful somehow.

There has definitely been plenty of opportunity to prepare home cooked meals. a favorite past time for me. I find meal prep meditative. 

I love it here. 

I have made great art here. these past 2 years have been rather prolific art making times actually.

I will have to author a second city studio post that shares images from 2019 and Amber The Cat.