A Beautiful Day at Western Avenue

D and I went to Western Avenue for first Saturdays open studios. The day was so pretty we decided to walk over there. We got coffee and tea at Brew'd Awakening and took our time wandering down the canal toward the studios. I still can't get over how close to us that building is. Because of the way the roads are blocked off at the train tracks, you have to make a huge loop around to get there by car. It was weeks after I visited there the first time that I realized the old mill is visible from Thorndike Street on the way out of town. You can walk by the car wash and slip through the Jersey barriers to get there on foot. I know they are trying to get the road reopened, but a railroad crossing needs to be constructed, so I know it will not be an easy task. But that would be an enormous benefit to drawing people to the studios.



Once inside, we took the freight elevator to the fifth floor and visited each open studio (not everyone was in) and made our way down each floor. There are quite a few people I know in there and some I met for the first time. I was glad to see some jewelers! And of course Sonja and Ole in the Friend's Fabric Art studio where we got to see her hand sewn wedding dress and a bridesmaid dress in process. Beautiful! She also has many, many useful and unusual art supplies for me to spend my earnings on in the future!

So of course we had a wonderful time and I was excited to tell people how I was coming in soon, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I even gave out a few postcards.

But the moment that really made the day was when we stepped into Mill A and saw that the studs were up and I could see the delineation of my studio parameters! THAT'S when I lost it. In a good way. And there was another artist looking at her future space and she seemed as excited as I was so that was very fun. They say June first, and I have signed a lease, so we'll just see!