Over the lastc 9 years I've moved...a lot. I've lived and worked in a variety of spaces from BIG mill spaces to itty bitty apartments to shared studios but the idea of having a real work space started with my very first tiny desk, office/studio space at Trader Joe's in 2003. Since then I've gone from space to space to space and city to city but, whatever space I'm in, I've continued to produce work - 100s of pieces in fact.
For a person who never wanted or expected to leave their hometown I'm having quite an adventure!
More info: becklaneartist.me
My first ever studio/work space. At Trader Joes, Hyannis MA - 2003-2005
I'd never had a formal place to develop work before this. I loved the job, loved my space, loved all the planning and independence I had. My boss was an arrogant, bully. He ruined it for me.
So serious
A full view of my office at Trader Joe's Hyannis, MA. I loved walking into my little 7ft x 7ft space and developing work. ....being surrounded by all that reference material made my heart happy
My 1st live/work - New Bedford MA Sept.(?) 2010-11
It was a stand alone, cinder block building with no windows, just a skylight. I Called this space "de Cave de la Hermitage" and all the wood came from an old, New Bedford sailing ship. The back door was 1/2 a hold hatch and 6" thick, the floor boards were extra wide and the ceiling was two things: planks and tar. That's it. FREEZING in the winter and broiling hot in the summer but I produced a ton of work for my first solo shows in NYC in my little cave.
"Stay out of the pool" is one of 11 paintings with Eden Fine Art, NY and was one of my transformative pieces. It completely changed how I approached the canvas - I learned to paint lighter and more methodically thru this image.
Developed in my New Bedford MA space for a show in Boston- Jan 2012
"I know you can see me" was an 8ft x 4ft multi medium, layered project. It's since been dismantled but I had a BLAST working on it in the Cave
My temp, shared, print studio space at AS220, June 2011
I've been working ona series of children's books since 2005(?), 2006(?). This was the first time I attempted printing the first book in the series - all hand pulled silk screens!
East Providence, RI 2012-13
I lived and painted in a tiny attc apartment in East Providence till the ceiling caved in then...time to go! This particular room was my studio. Before I moved in it was filled with bats - some came back to visit.
My first real studio, Studio 120, Pawtucket RI -Jan. 2018
Tenants called the place "Arbitrary Mills" bc nothing worked quite right plus rules would change from one tenant to the next but absolutely everything was completely arbitrary
Pawtucket, RI Sept. 2012- Jan. 2013
My first real studio - Studio 120. My Youtube videos are named after this space. Not well put together (those are plywood floors - you could feel the cold water freeze
Working in Studio 120, Pawtucket RI - Jan. 2013
Pawtucket, RI - Jan. 2013
My shared studio -summer 2013
After everything went south and I lost Studio 120, a friend offered to share his space with me. I was only there for the summer and man was it BROILING hot but I produced anyway!
In my shared mill space Aug 2013
I shared this space with my friend Jim, a photographer. He was never there so I could work with my pants off when temps hit 90F to 100F in the space.
Jim has since built the space out into a true live/work studio.
Pawtucket RI - Oct 2013
Moving in day
Fall 2013
Working in my mill space - Dec. 2014
Pawtucket, RI - Jan. 2015
This was an adventure - no heat, no kitchen, no bathroom (or plumbing), and no one else living in that huge mill building. A rug factory right below me. I got up when the workers came in at 6am bc there were holes in the floor and I could here EVERYTHING.
The pipes were connected to a another mill building across the street and when the pipes would freeze the fire alarms would go off. At one point that winter, the alarms were going off 5, 6 times a night, every night, for two weeks solid.
Central Falls, RI - March 2015- Sept16
Trying to start a 12ft long, 4 panel, 5 portrait project in a room that was feet wide exactly. I believe I produced about a dozen paintings there and started at least a 5 more in that teeny tiny apartment.
In my tiny, Central Falls apartment - April 2016
Central Falls - April 2015
Central Falls, RI - 2016
This is one of several 48" x 48" paintings I developed in my little 12ft x 12ft room
Central Falls, RI - 2015
Central Falls, RI - 2016
Despite the fact I only had a 12ft square room to work in I still put out at least a dozen paintings ranging from 24" x 48" (like this one) to 48" x48" to 12ft long, multi panel pieces. How I did it I do not know.
Shown here: my painting table & Christopher Hitchens which is in private collection in North Carolina.
Pawtucket RI - 2014
Pawtucket RI - 2014
Despite the constant cold I was able to produce DOZENS of paintings. 3 of the 4 the pieces shown here went to Artfront Galleries in Newark, NJ. My portrait of MA artist Jeremy Arruda is packaged up and in storage in RI.
Working on the sidewalk in Fredericksburg VA - Sept. 2016
Private residency space in VA -fall 2016
I worked in a two car garage but to keep out the cold & hold some heat in I sectioned off the space pictured with heavy duty plastic.
Making layered pieces in VA - 2016
Locust Grove, VA - Oct 2016
Starting a two panel, 3 portrait painting of Providence drag artist Jordan Mayhem
Locust Grove, VA - Nov. 2016
I had dozens of paintings going in this space - here are 3. One is prepped with black and white gesso, the other two have had a little bit of oil applied over aerosol shapes & colors.
Downtown Sarasota FL, summer 2017
This live/work was a converted garage so it was one room about 25' x 25' but in it I produced ....a dozen(?) paintings. Shown here: my two panel, 3 portrait of Providence drag artist Jordan Mayhem as it's being developed.