A few weeks ago I took a trip South on I-5 to visit Barbara Lee Smith in her studio in Gig Harbor. We have met several times over the years and I’ve always admired her work. She recently spoke at CQA about Journeys. She posited that journeys not only inspire us to make art but also that the journey we take to the studio itself is the first step in making. Because her work is so steeped in a sense of place, I really wanted to see where she works. She graciously extended an invitation to me to visit.

Wow, did I develop a strong case of studio envy! Her space is large and bright with lots of windows that bring the natural beauty inside. There are high ceilings, a design wall about 18 feet wide and space to get back to look at the work from a distance. The storage is well thought out, there is very little visual clutter, and there are big bookshelves loaded with inspiration.

And, oh, that view. The studio is set into the hillside with high clerestory windows letting in the green of the surrounding trees in the back and opening onto a spectacular view of the water and their gorgeous modern home in the front. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to imagine it because I didn’t get any good pictures.

I wonder how my work would be different if I worked in a studio like Barbara’s. In my younger days I house sat for friends when they were out of town. A couple of these houses had amazing views. I know that my life had a larger feeling of expansiveness when I spent time looking out at the horizon every day. I rarely watched tv or even read, just sat and watched the light change and the clouds move across the sky. I love living in the city, I’m really am an urban creature, but I’m also drawn to nature and specifically, the water.

An old friend of Barbara’s, Sue Pierce, is living in Seattle part-time and she rode down with me. I prowled around the studio while they caught up on old times. Barbara showed us some of her newest work and asked for our opinions on format, color, and composition. She seemed thirsty for feedback. I guess the downside of all that space is the lack of an artistic community and the dialogue that artists share about our work.

 

Although I am definitely jealous of Barbara’s space and beautiful location, I think I would get lonely living out there. I keep my schedule busy meeting friends, going to shows, working with my interns, and lunch with my studio-mates, and of course my family life. We all have to find our right situation to create. Mine depends on the inspiration I find in nature but also community and the pace of city life.

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about studios and spaces and it was delightful to get an inside look at Barbara’s. My only wish is that we had more time to talk “art talk.” Barbara has a much wider experience of the fiber art world than I do. I’d love to “pick her brain” and hear more about her views. I sincerely hope this is just the beginning of a long friendship with a conversation that is measured in years, not hours.