On March 29th, my full time employment with CSL Plasma in Knoxville, Tennessee came to a close. I gave a 2 month notice, my replacement was chosen and I worked until that Friday morning. I had worked 6 years with a great group of folks and it was a mix of happiness and sadness when I turned in my badge and left my night shift crew for the last time.
On April 1st, I took possession of Studio Space 110 at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville. I had been on the waiting list for a bit of time and was so pleased to get the call in mid-February that a space had become available. I jumped at the chance to become involved in an active community of artists at a popular downtown venue.
Now, I am busy trying to go through twenty plus years of art supplies, paintings, frames, and the evidence of my ongoing artist life that has been strewn in every corner of my houses. I threw out much, but was sanctioned by my 25 year old daughter, Amanda not to throw away all of the old stuff.
Paintings from 20 years ago seem awful now. Maybe, in 20 more years my art will really be top notch, because I have seen some improvement in my eye for color and design. There is still so much to learn.
The moving van came yesterday and took all that I had packed to my new space. I have ordered some new furniture pieces for storage and decor from Bliss Home in Knoxville.
I have decided to do a mural on the far wall to echo the old exposed brick that is part of this historic building. The faux brick finish will serve as an excellent backdrop for showcasing my urban landscape designs which often have some varied appearance of russet color, which is my personal favorite.
According to its website: Built in 1898 as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium Building housed a wholesale goods distributor and later became a textile manufacturing facility that fulfilled military contracts. The two adjacent buildings and the vacant lot were the location of the “Parthenon of Country Music,” which served as the home of the WNOX Mid-day Merry-Go-Round
A click on the rendering of the building will give a preview of all the vibrancy of this old and new space in the 100 block of Gay Street in downtown Knoxville.
My next blog posts will be featuring the progress of the mural in my studio.
Congratulations on your new studio! I look forward to visiting you there. Best wishes as you set up shop and make this significant transition. I am cheering for you!