Bring a friend, or make a new one here!
Self-Care's Valentine's Day Open Studio
The Beehive 3.0... 4.0?
It feels like I've had my Studio in so many different places over the years. The last place mentioned in this blog (in 2018) was at the Concord Community Arts Center on Thorndike Street (in Concord, NH). By 2019, I had moved it back to my home - new paint, lighting, signs, and lots of great plans! Then WHAM! Covid.
Between then, and now, I applied and was accepted at the Western Avenue Studios and Lofts in Lowell, MA (and waitlisted forever). I also looked at spaces in New London, Penacook, Pembroke, Main Street in Concord, Dover, and Portsmouth. I had pretty much given up when, after an appointment in The Brookside Building in Warner, I saw the door open to a very cute bagmaker's studio/shop and made instant friends with its owner, Stephanie Flanders. She mentioned the front studio space was empty and I immediately contacted the landlord for a visit!
It was a pretty big leap of faith to sign a year's lease with absolutely no plan... but I really needed an excuse to leave the house, and a place to go. Looking back, it was the best thing I could have done. My Grand Opening was a total bust - no one came - but it was also one of my best Open Studios ever. The three of us who have our businesses on the first floor, and our names all start with "S", sat out in the hall chatting for three hours before we realized that no one had come and it was after closing time. We had been laughing so hard and munching on Lindt chocolates... what more could I have asked for!?
So what's the Plan? I'm still working on that, but my top priority is to give myself a place to focus on only my art, no grown up house stuff (my house is a disaster right now), and give me and Elsa Bear the chance to work on our social skills and confidence. Make all kinds of art. My art, not freelance.
The second Priority is to build my Art Tribe from scratch - with workshops, open studios, and play days. I can't be the only person who is dying from loneliness - anyone else out there want to draw and color with me?
And the third priority is to make money! I need to find a way to support myself, and quickly. I need a studio/business manager, a grant for drawing mental health comics, someone who isn't afraid of Shopify to handle sales, and a Patron to help me get going.
My Business Plan: Make Art. Make Friends. Make Money.
I'll post lots of pics soon, I just wanted to resurrect this blog ASAP. If you'd like to visit Beez Ink Studio, I don't have set hours yet, but I am usually there on Friday afternoons, and other days by appointment. Join the mailing list to hear updates. (Use this link for a special deal).
It feels so good to be back!!
Trees! And a Sign!
I repainted the studio's sign (it was faded from being outdoors) and gave the bee lady a facelift...
Then it was finally installed above the bulletin board.
All the trees are safely attached to the walls - hurrah!
And awaiting some leafy, tangled murals between their branches.
Here are some warped, panoramic views of the studio!
It looks even better in person!
Then it was finally installed above the bulletin board.
All the trees are safely attached to the walls - hurrah!
And awaiting some leafy, tangled murals between their branches.
Here are some warped, panoramic views of the studio!
It looks even better in person!
Now There is STUFF!
We moved the fixtures and furniture from the old Wingdoodle shop to the new Studio space at CCAC on the windiest day yet. But now the room doesn't echo and it's starting to show its potential.
The big Mannequin was resting from the exhausting trip and climb up the stairs.
It's going to take some more moving around of furniture until I figure out exactly where it all fits, but the space is sorting itself out into five or so sections. The entry/shop, the classroom, the resource library, the storage area, and my mini studio.
Today I repurposed a pretty grubby, but HUGE, fabulous bookcase from the gymnasium (the art center is in an old elementary school). It started out as a beat up cranberry color with a pressboard type back.
I painted the back as a chalkboard and the rest matches the blue of the felt I put over all the cork boards.
I was inspired to use the same color to paint a nasty little cabinet that had been left in the room. I covered the icky pink interior with a cheerful yellow.
Now I am moving the furniture around again! It's like a big puzzle but it's starting to look really nice.
The big Mannequin was resting from the exhausting trip and climb up the stairs.
It's going to take some more moving around of furniture until I figure out exactly where it all fits, but the space is sorting itself out into five or so sections. The entry/shop, the classroom, the resource library, the storage area, and my mini studio.
 |
| Entry space |
 |
| Classroom-ish space |
 |
| Resource library/meeting space |
Today I repurposed a pretty grubby, but HUGE, fabulous bookcase from the gymnasium (the art center is in an old elementary school). It started out as a beat up cranberry color with a pressboard type back.
I painted the back as a chalkboard and the rest matches the blue of the felt I put over all the cork boards.
I was inspired to use the same color to paint a nasty little cabinet that had been left in the room. I covered the icky pink interior with a cheerful yellow.
Now I am moving the furniture around again! It's like a big puzzle but it's starting to look really nice.
The BeeHive is Back!!
The Wingdoodle building will be sold soon, but The BeeHive has found a new home at The Concord Community Arts Center at 40 Thorndike Street in Concord, NH! I'm in the process of painting and setting it all up. If you'd like to see the posts on my Beez In The Belfry blog, just click on the links below to see the progress.
Hello Universe. It's Me, Sandy...
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