A typical day at Chashama North

I've arrived at Chashama North and have quickly settled in. I have my own bedroom in the "bungalows", and a studio in the main house, which is an old farmhouse.

All the studio/bedroom pairings are different, and are assigned based on artist needs. Each has a balance of positives and negatives. For example, my studio has the longest wall of any of the studios, a good feature. But my bedroom is one of the smallest bedrooms. Another studio has a smaller wall, but the matching bedroom has a chair and desk, so there is more private space. So far, everyone is happy with their allocated spaces.

My bedroom has a small leak and I had to air out my mattress on the first day, the phone line was down when we got here, and the washing machine appears to be on the blink. But these things are pretty minor and everyone is so happy to be out of the city with a month to work on a project. Spirits are high.

So far I am settling in and doing prep work. Here's a typical day:

Up at 9. Home-made bread and coffee for breakfast.

An hour of drawing exercises (currently drawing lots of shoes and chairs!), sitting outside by a field.

Quick walk into town to buy newspaper. Read newspaper, catch up with email.

At 2pm: we all gather for the big daily communal meal - every day two of us take turns preparing the meal. All with local organic vegetables from a lot that we are responsible for tending. Amazing veg as you can see in the photo above.

At 3pm, go to my studio, which is a short walk across a grassy courtyard. I have a sixteen foot long wall in my studio that I plan to fill with a mural, using a vinyl cutter. Currently doing preparatory studies.

5pm, go to the nearby lake, take a quick dip with the rest of the artists.

7pm small snack, glass of wine, then back to the studio for a few more hours.

10pm - Evening reading. Currently reading a book by Rosalind Krauss.