#35: Back to the Studio – Finding Quiet After the Show

The signs have been taken down, the paintings have come off the walls, and Holmfirth Artweek is officially over. It’s been a week full of colour, conversations, and quiet messages that meant more than I expected. And now? Now I’m back in the studio.

It feels like stepping into a room that’s been waiting for me.

The Echo After the Applause

Coming back to the studio after a show is its own kind of transition. There’s no countdown now. No urgent hand-ins, no wrapping paper, no labels. Just the space — half still, half restless — and a few stray paint rags where I left them.

It’s quieter. But not empty.

There’s an echo of what’s just happened — a sense of something having closed, but also left something open. The work that went out into the world came back changed. Or maybe I did.

What the Walls Taught Me

Seeing my work up on gallery walls (even if only in photos and video) reminded me of how much context shapes perception. In the studio, everything is mine — the light, the silence, the mess. But out in the world, the paintings have to speak for themselves.

And they did.

Messages came in. Faces paused. Someone saw something in a piece I’d second-guessed. That feedback — both spoken and silent — taught me what the work could be, beyond what I imagined.

Now, back in this quiet space, I’m holding those lessons lightly while I set up again.

Not Starting Over

I’m not starting from scratch. But I am starting again.

There’s something freeing about returning to a blank canvas after the intensity of a show. The pressure’s gone. The deadline is behind me. And I get to paint just to see what happens.

I don’t know yet what direction I’ll take. But I’m not rushing it. I’m giving myself time to settle back in. To clean the brushes. To prepare new canvas. To listen for whatever comes next.

Still Painting, Always

The rhythm will return. The walls will fill again. But for now, it’s enough to be back here — sleeves rolled up, playlist on, quietly grateful for the people who saw the work last week, and for the chance to keep going.

The studio didn’t go anywhere.

It was just waiting.

.M.

Be real.

Make art.

If you’d like to learn more about my creative process or see my latest work, feel free to reach out or check out the rest of my website.