My first studio downtown was in the Gault Building on Water Street. They made work clothes and overalls during the depression and Second World War; my uncle told me that one of the workers was killed when he fell down the freight elevator shaft and the next day there was a line-up of people out the door and down the street, hoping to get the job.
One brave day in 77 or so, when my kids were finally in school full time, I ventured down to Gastown to meet an agent about renting a space for a studio. This building eventually became a fine part of the Gastown restoration project, but at the time it was pretty empty above the bottom three floors.
For around $75 a month, I was able to rent a great space on the top floor and my husband came down and built a wall so that I could lock my door. The view out the window was the Vancouver waterfront and the North Shore mountains.
When you are painting that much, eventually you build up a body of work that you would like to exhibit. In 1979 I approached The Studio Shop in West Vancouver and they gave me my first solo exhibition. Recently I counted up and I have had 55 solo exhibitions since then and participated in over 65 group shows.
I have had some nice studios over the years, but I think that was my favourite.
