Finale.

It's my final week here at Gage. Next week, I'll move out of this studio and begin to work independently at my very own studio. My little space here will get a bit bigger. I'll have my own key, my own door and my own window. While I'll miss my little community here at Gage, I'm looking forward to working on my own terms. Playing music as I paint. Listening to NPR. Painting without unsolicited critiques. Enjoying quiet when I want it.

My new space is small, with a limited view. I won't have a computer there, so I'll have to make time at home for email and blogging. I won't have a fridge or a freezer like we have here, so I'll have to plan lunches a little more carefully. But I will have North Light and privacy. I will have independence. I will have the freedom to figure out how to be a painter on my own. I will also have a 10 minute walk from my house, rather than a 40 minute bus ride. I will have more opportunities to meet friends for lunch, or walk for ice cream at my new favorite neighborhood place.

I can't wait.

Meanwhile, I'm going to paint. And I'm going to pack. There's a lot of stuff in this small space...