My Backyard Marrakech

ACADEMY login

4/18/2020

Hi, all. I know I’ve been a little spotty with my postings lately. I confess I’ve been preoccupied with getting my new Art with Adele membership up and established.

Art with Adele has more than met my hopes, with more than 500 members! If you want to consider joining us, you can learn more here: https://adelesypesteynstudio.com/art-with-adele.

With Art with Adele well under way, I’m now able to give some time to another of my favorite projects, and this time with a twist. While Art with Adele is focused on abstract painting techniques and processes, I’m recasting my blog as An Artist’s Life. In An Artist’s Life I’ll be offering you my discoveries — books that have given me inspiration, other artists’ works that have done the same, and anything else that may be art fodder, from ancient walls in Marrakesh to the challenges of redesigning my backyard.

Which brings me to today’s blog…

Transformations.

Just for fun today I want to give you a glimpse into the transformation of my backyard storage area into a serene outdoor room where I sit and let my mind wander.

These days we have more time on our hands at home so there has been more time for reading, doing puzzles, doing sudoku and just plain thinking…..and creating.

My New Orleans home is a typical style for the south. It’s called a “shotgun.” This means that starting at the front of the house all the way to the back of the house each room is located directly behind the other. (Yes, one blast from a shotgun would hit each room…)

I have a SMALL shotgun, meaning that there are only 4 rooms, including the bathroom.

And only one, yes I said ONE closet. Oh my!

On the plus side, besides having 12’ ceilings and beautiful wooden floors, it has given me an opportunity to be very creative with space. Every piece of furniture has to be double duty. Functional with storage capacity.

Needing more spaces to retreat to while we all have to stay at home, I decided to take this as an opportunity to get rid of my large storage area right behind my house and transform it into a delightful place I want to go to.

I have moved houses more times than I care to count, and I had the pleasure of redesigning each one, including the garden area.

You see, whether you are creating a painting, a room, or an outdoor space all the same principles of design are used.

Please join me in taking a peek into my serene backyard room where I can listen to the birds, listen to the water fountain, smell the gardenias and the jasmine vines, all while rocking in my chair and letting my mind wander.