The Land of Ardithian Studio

I have been so lucky to have worked hard and had doors open that led me to my own studio space after 13 years of not having one. My kitchen table, my son's room, even outdoors was where I created for the first long part of my creative journey and now, what a change in scenery. Last year I met an amazing group of humans at Central Presbyterian Church who were beginning the process of renting rooms out to artists and businesses. The only requirement besides rent was to be willing to give back and serve the community in some way. 

 For most of the year my 1700 sq. ft. space upstairs was glorious! The natural light was so lovely, the space was perfect, and I began to expand my business because I finally had space. The only draw back was the stairs in this older building, and with no elevator, my orthopedic issues revealed that the space was not a long term option for me. Once again, doors opened, literally, and the chapel and a smaller space came open downstairs. My heart broke at the thought of moving again, but I knew it was going to be just fine. 

 

One month ago I gained access to this space after the previous tenants moved, and my wheels started turning about the potential of the chapel. It is about half the size that I had upstairs, but I knew being a whole space would give me options I didn't have upstairs. Because multiple revenue streams are so important these days, I knew this room had to serve three options: gallery space, working space, and workshop space. I also added rental space because it is such a magical experience here, hosting dinners and small, intimate events connected with my desire to build a place for making memories, not simply making money. 

Because I am a colorist I knew my art would bring a huge amount of color. I didn't have a budget to change the floors, so I found really affordable rugs and tar paper which I could paint. I scoured yard sales for inexpensive chairs, got a lot of furniture donated from the church, and scored some huge deals on fabrics at discount "time to get rid of" prices. I also grabbed the china from a 'long' time ago that sits and never gets used, along with some discarded pieces I found through friends, and began to build my place settings for dinners. It was exciting and exhausting but I wouldn't have changed a thing. 

With my design sense going, I also had a short time frame, two weeks basically before my first week long workshop and 50th birthday. Yes, it was a bit nuts but the timing was essential for many reasons and with the help of so many friends and family, we go it done. 6 dear friends and artists flew in and spent a week with me, painting, laughing, learning, and celebrating a mid-century turning point for me! Thrive Catering fed us well every day and we were able to use the space as it was intended, to build experiences and memories. 

 Since opening, I have be blessed with having friends and family and strangers walk in my space and express an instant sense of joy and uplifting. This makes every single exhausting minute worth it. As a working artist, I have come to understand that long days and tireless effort are both part of making a beautiful living as business woman. I have also learned that all of the work and the spaces we create in can be so much more than simply 'work spaces.' They can be places of connection, of learning, of beautiful things, and spaces to share friendship. These are the reasons that make me most proud of this space. 

I am so looking forward to bringing groups together here, to building creative things that are beyond the ordinary, to teaching others how important their own marks are, and of helping other artists learn about the business of making a living as a creative. There is so much to learn, so much to share that we all hold dear. I have finally carved out a space to facilitate that. A bit of Alice goes to church but lives in The Land of Ardithian space.

Today I had a chance to sit in my space and just take it in a bit. It has been a monument task pulling this off, but my heart couldn't be more full. I love being a painter, creating things out of other things, and impacting the human hearts of those in front of me. This space gives me a home to do that in big ways and I couldn't be more proud of where I have come and what is to come. 

Open House is on December 9th from 9-4 pm at 1260 Dauphin St. I do hope to see many of you there as the amazing studios of the other artists at Central as well as a Christmas Maker's Market will be held as well. Ring the bells of a beautiful season friends! 

 

In Search of Cohesive Mark Making and Style

One of the very best ways to refine and develop consistency in your visual language is to work with multiples and in small/large studies. This week I spent some time really thinking through instinct composition, finding the core marks to build on, and pushing my understanding of how to narrow down those marks to their basic impact. It was such great insight and moving through the layers, the gel coats, the muted palette and the pops of color to move the eye. I do love painting large, but these 9" by 12" smalls really prop up and support those large skill sets! 

I started 13 and have 3 ready to go! Will post the others as they develop. 

All of them are on panels and will be $165 with free shipping! (message me at ardithgoodwin@gmail.com to purchase)

 

Today I actually took the finished versions and deducted them down to their most basic marking structures. This helps me really grasp which marks work well for me and which add to the strength of the composition. 

 

"Meiriment Three" 9" by 12" mixed media on panel 

 

"Meiriment Two" 9" by 12" mixed media on panel 

(this one has sold)

 

"Meiriment One" 9" by 12" mixed media on panel

 Some pics of what the studio looked like as I worked on multiples, from gessoing to layering the glazes in~

A Bit of Gratitude Today

Time has been whizzing by and lately it has felt heavy, almost suffocating at times. I know what creates the weight of this feeling, and am spending time with that, but in the midst of creating and working and slinging paint, I felt a deep need to take a breath and swallow a much needed dose of gratitude. 

I am living my 50th year walking this planet. What an incredible journey it has been, full of enormous joy, incredible pain, moments of clarity, and days of fog. To put into words the enormity of gratitude I have though comes as daunting and impossible. Still, I recognize this life I have lived as extraordinary, to to the point of becoming a star in my own Ardithian universe. 

Today, I sit in my studio, so lucky to have it, and contemplate in reverence what the point really is, to my days, my gifts, my time here. Is it to serve, to create, to exist in harmony? Yes, and yes, and yes. I am not sure though if complete understanding will ever come but I seek it out with great fervor. More so, I have come to believe that standing witness to so many different and creative beings is what I am called to do, at least for these current days, and I secretly get a sense that this is what heaven must be like. 

To love so deeply and be loved so greatly. 
To wonder and fill one's heart with layers of inspiration. 
To question everything in seek of my own truth. 
To stand in the face of discord, of heart break, or complete injustice and still believe in the worth of so many unanswerable things. 
To give rise to the ideas through my imagination and truly grasp that my mark matters. 
To view the worth in a raindrop and the healing that comes from tears. 
To not buckle under the weight of figuring it all out, but to simply live in the moment. 
To be connected to the hopes, dreams, experiences, and spirit of those who made way for my time. 

These are some of the things that give me pause today, in the busy life I have created as I create, and that are breaking me out of the mundane steps of an ordinary life. I have no clue how many days are left in the hands of my time keeper, but for today I am content in knowing that I have lived so well and that this life has been deeply beautiful. 

There is time for work and business and connecting with others to make a living, and then there is time to slow down and acknowledge how very precious this human experience is to simply be alive and living in this very moment. Today is one of those days, very grateful to be present.

 

Push Past Ordinary Creativity Awareness Class

Moving through the world creatively is something we all do, we just may not be as aware of it as others. When we problem solve, when we think outside the box, when we organize our worlds in a way that produces unique outcomes, our creativity is engaged. Many folks feel that they are not creative because they cannot draw. Not so. Being able to draw is actually a technical skill that can be learned. Being creative, thinking creative, living creative, we all can do that, we just need to believe we can and practice it. 

Push Past Ordinary is a year long, online class that I have taught for two previous years. This year we kick off Round 3 in November! 

So who is this class for? 

Push Past Ordinary is for anyone wanting to improve your creative awareness as you develop your own, creative voice.

It is for anyone looking for specific creative behaviors to improve your creative thinking ability. 

It is for anyone looking to view the ordinary world through extraordinary lenses and use that way of seeing to serve you creatively.  

It is for anyone looking to improve their problem solving skills and become more adept at making connections, solving problems, and applying concepts in unique ways. 

It is for anyone wanting to live the question: Well what if I do this instead? 

Painters love the class because "learning to see creatively" is quite visually based, and they gain a ton of insight about the visual world around them and how they can use that to serve their own voice. 

Photographers love the class because it helps them see through their lenses in very unexpected ways, then apply those captures with different mediums and outcomes. 

Writers love the class because it challenges them to take visual cues and convert them to painting with words. 

Ordinary, beautiful humans love the class because it gives them the questions and behaviors to share with their kids, to inspire conversation, and look past the ordinary day to day processes of life. 

Thinkers and business folks love the class because it gives them strategies, vocabulary, and action plans to help them see connections, problem solving options, and perspectives that they can use creatively in the corporate world. 

I developed Push Past Ordinary because after teaching the young for many years with a Masters in Education, and using these behaviors in my own practice, I found that my creativity grew by leaps and bounds. This class is designed around what worked for me and it has worked for many over the past two years. 

There are a couple of things that make it work even better! 

Push Past Ordinary is built around creativity modules, weekly challenges, and an online community on FB that encourages accountability, offers tremendous support, and builds creative connections between people. Our community is a huge part of what makes this experience impactful and the more you choose to engage, the better your experience will be. 

(You can opt to take this class as a stand alone group. Message me for details.)

Changing behaviors over time takes consistency and practice. The challenges are built so that they can be simple or as complex as your creativity chooses. The timeline of the course builds understanding over time and that matters a great deal in the outcome. Like any important skill, the more we use it and practice it, the better we are at it. Creativity is no different. We gather for a year, with breaks, because that commitment pays off. 

The Details!
The yearlong course comes with: 

7 Creativity Modules containing 4-5 challenges

Each Module goes for 4-5 weeks, one challenge per week. 

Each challenge comes with an instructional video and PDF. By the end of the course, the 'Ebook' is approximately 200+ pages

There is a weekly Webinar for students to engage with me and discuss each challenge as a group. 

There is a secret FB Group where we share our progress, engage in classroom discussion, support one another, and explore the concept of creativity in all its glory. 

As an instructor, I choose to be highly engaged with my class every week!  You will need to friend me on FB to join.

Round 3 begins Nov. 19th, 2017

ROUND THREE IS FULL!

  I do offer refunds up until the beginning of the course. Once the course begins, all sales are final.