Gastatelier | Munich
My guest artist studio in the Municipal studio house at Domagkpark. // February to April 2016 // ©2016 Kelli Thompson
In the Städtische Atelierhaus at the Domagkpark, there are two artist studios for international guests, financed by the Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München. They are 19 square meters each and are free of rent. The period of use is generally between one and three months. Applicants from abroad, who are working on projects in Munich, can apply.
I am honored that I was chosen for a 2 1/2 month stay in one of the two studios. It was a groundbreaking time of my painting process. It will always be a very important event in my artistic career.
My time at the studios was: February 15, 2016 - April 30, 2016
This was my first real and legit art studio!
I've had "work rooms" (as I would call them) during the years with my painting and interior design business. I would reserve a room in my different apartments where I would create sample boards for wall finishes and collect fabric samples and store all of my ladders and wide array of home repair tools. Basically, it was a glorified storage room.
With this new art studio space, I had a place that was concentrated artistic energy. I was able to let loose, experiment and explore.
This studio represented many freedoms - freedom to make a mess, freedom from owing rent, freedom to be totally in the artistic moment.
... but it came at a cost. Making my way to the studio started to feel like work. You know, a job. And the best part about being an artist is that it's play. What I learned about myself as an artist during my time at the guest studio is that I prefer a space at home. I make the best use of my time when I can hop around different tasks while I literally wait for paint to dry. The pairing of prepping and cooking a meal with creating a painting is so very satisfying to me.
After 2 1/2 months, this surreal moment to explore my art and myself came to a close. I packed up my paintings to send off to meet me in Chicago and said good bye to the studio. I had often called this time "suspended reality". It just felt to good to be true. My super smart, self actualized friend said, "No, it's not suspended reality. It's YOUR reality."
She was right.
