By Harrie Dearing. First published on harriedearingart.com.
I’m sat here in the bare bones of our studio. No supplies have arrived yet. There’s a mismatched dotting of furniture around the place, my horde of 300 paintings propped up against a wall waiting for the racking to arrive, and I have stolen Steve’s big poofy cushion to plop myself down on the floor with.
Today was my first full day in the space. The plan was to sort through my boxes, folders, piles of canvases, and try to get my head around creating somewhere that isn’t my living room. I think plopping myself on the floor with a big pillow is what’s making the space feel a little more like home right now. Frankie is here with me, Keeping me company and keeping me safe, settled in with a blanket and a pile of toys to help her get used to our new studio.
It’s been a challenging day. Physically tiring, mentally challenging, but in such a good way. Creating structure doesn’t come naturally to me. It’s not how I’ve ever operated. But there’s something genuinely rewarding in doing it anyway.
Before I got stuck into the boxes properly, I did a small blessing of the space. I’m a practising pagan, and I actively mark the turning of the sabbats and keep up small rituals like this, they matter to me spiritually, and a new working space felt like exactly the moment for one. I cleansed out whatever old energy was lingering in the room and charged the space with positivity, productivity, abundance, and creativity. If you visit the studio, you might spot a few small runes and sigils tucked around the space, quiet little remnants of the practice.
I got a lot done today. I even found some time to paint, little touch-ups on older pieces now that they’ve been brought back into the light after years tucked away at home.
For lunch I found a lovely spot to sit down by the lagoon just behind the studio. The space really is a blessing. We’re a bit out of the way from the town centre, but there’s a really lovely balance here between nature and an industrial setting. And honestly, the architecture of this building is something else. I’m going to have to do a separate post once I’ve dug into its design and history properly, because it deserves more than a passing mention.
For now: day one, done. Floor cushion secured. Frankie settled. Paintings still waiting patiently for their racking.
More soon. Follow studiobrut.art on Instagram to follow along as the space comes together.