From Dining Room Table to The Alameda Artworks

Studio 5 - Day 1

Hey there "sister", I have a new studio. That's my big news. It is light and bright and big. I mean BIG. I have never had anything close to this size before. You know I started out painting in my dining room. It wasn't long before I discovered I'm not very neat. A painters tarp draped over the dining room table wasn't going to cut it.

I headed out the back door and set up "shop" in the garage. I stayed for five years. I was messy and loved it. I learned how to paint in my garage. I'm still learning of course, and will continue to learn for the rest of my life but that's where I really learned how to paint. You know what I mean.

After five years in my garage a very scary yet exciting opportunity came up - my friend Lorraine called to let me know that she was moving out of her retail space in Campbell, CA into a new space a few doors down - her space was available and did I want it? OMG. I was scared to death. I would be leaving my garage, my privacy, my sanctuary. I would be gaining exposure, retail sales and experience and a very public studio space. I wanted to try.

I was in Campbell for about a year and a half when I realized that I'm just not a retailer. I'm an artist. I struggled with keeping retail hours. I struggled with painting in public and never completely got comfortable with that. I struggled with event after event that were interruptions to my creative life. You name it Campbell does it. There were celebrations of holidays, parades, sidewalk sales, barbecues, concerts, cinemas, Santa Claus and belly dancers (now that's a visual). It is a great city with great volunteers and merchants. They give incredible amounts of time, effort, money, and their selves. I met interesting people. I also met boring people. I dealt with a couple of drunks, welcomed the mentally ill, smiled at homeless people. I bought flowers weekly from the flower vendor. I met a lot of artists. I made new friends. I saw babies and grandpas, young lovers and art lovers. I worked in a public place and I knew it was time for a change.

I made several visits to my friend Lucy at The Alameda Art Works (an artist studio complex with 34 artists in San Jose) during my last six months in Campbell. She would point out studios that were available or nearly available. It was enticing. The studios were private and bright. I didn't just want one - I craved one.

Another friend enters the picture. Lisa. Lisa took her son to summer Art Camp with Lucy at The Alameda Artworks. Lisa discovered the same thing I did. There was a very large space available but who could rent that? It was way too big for one person. Lisa was also looking for a studio. She was working out of her home and was ready to begin the search for a real studio. Our paths crossed when we both discovered we were looking for a new studio and that we could share the large space that was newly available at The Alameda Artworks. Long story short - we are now mates in Studio 5.

My reflections on being in Campbell is that I feel good about helping to get the artists unified by offering to design a brochure listing the artists' galleries. The city was against it because it would soon be out of date. We (the artists) didn't listen and produced the brochure anyway. Turns out the city was right. The brochure was outdated relatively quickly when someone moved. As a result of a few rebellious artists, the city of Campbell now has a thriving Art Walk, and is on the third revision of the brochure. I imagine there has been tens of thousands of dollars added to Campbell's coffers as a result of the monthly Art Walks.

I had the best neighbors in the world in the Courtyard in Campbell. We cried like babies when I left. I will remember fondly our shared laughter and tears. I miss you already.

Now you know how I got from my dining room table to The Alameda Artworks.

Mary