{"id":10909,"date":"2024-04-18T11:56:10","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T15:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elizabethfram.com\/Blog\/?p=10909"},"modified":"2024-04-18T12:37:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T16:37:22","slug":"time-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elizabethfram.com\/Blog\/time-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Time & Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Within hours of the total eclipse (which was all that we’d hoped for and more!), my husband left on his merry way for a much-anticipated 10-day mountain bike adventure with buddies. About a nanosecond after the door closed behind him, I got out my day planner\/journal to brainstorm for an extended stay-at-home “art residency”. When have I ever had such an impressive, relatively chore and commitment-free span of uninterrupted time to spend totally immersed in my practice – not to mention giving myself permission to ignore pretty much everything else?
\nExactly never.<\/p>\n

\"Preparatory

\u00a92024 Elizabeth Fram, exploratory sketch<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s been a wonderful 10 days!
\nI’ve made serious progress on a new “Full Bloom”<\/a> piece, worked daily in my sketchbook – including life drawing sessions on Emma Carlisle’s<\/a> Patreon – and have made a point to write every morning \u00e0 la Julia Cameron<\/a> (if you only knew how many years I’ve been meaning to try that).<\/p>\n

\"First

\u00a92024 Elizabeth Fram, first layers<\/p><\/div>\n

I finally tackled Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act<\/a>, visited 4 exhibitions, and had some lovely one-on-one time with several friends. I was able to take a serious bite out of my much-needed website update and began the initial experiments for a couple of new projects that I’ve been mulling over for weeks.<\/p>\n

\"Lauren

Our Girl\u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0\u00a92024 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor, 9 x 9<\/p><\/div>\n

In the evening, I watched art documentaries: The Woodmans<\/a>, Georgia O’Keeffe: By Myself<\/a>, and several Waldemar Januszczak episodes on the Renaissance<\/a>. My 4-legged studio assistant kept me on the straight and narrow by making sure I got out for two walks every day, rain or shine. And there has been time to just think!<\/p>\n

\"Figure

Trixie<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a92024 Elizabeth Fram, Pencil and Brush Pen, 8 x 5 inches @theblushingmodel<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

It’s been a very sweet experience with the huge gift of a wiped-clean schedule that gave me the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted, for as long as I wanted. It’s crazy how liberating that can be.<\/p>\n

\"Cluttered

Glorious Clutter<\/p><\/div>\n

Even so, I doubt I could keep up this pace forever and it will be so nice to have my husband home again tomorrow. But if you can swing it, I can’t recommend this experience enough. The benefits of a traditional art residency are many and I totally get that often, for many, the only way to achieve this kind of time and space is to leave home – which admittedly also carries the stimulation of being in a new and different space. But if the circumstances allow – even if for just a weekend, I would definitely encourage you to consider setting up a “residency” for yourself at home some time. You’ll love it.<\/p>\n

\u2756<\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here are several things worth sharing that crossed my path this week:<\/em><\/p>\n