For several years I've been telling Steve that I wanted to retire from custom picture framing to live in a giant warehouse that would function as my home and studio. It was a dream. I never thought Steve would agree, but he surprised me last December by locating a property outside Central, South Carolina. It's not a warehouse. It the former Cateechee Textile Mill Village's old brick church. The church hasn't been used since 2018. We made an offer. "Due diligence" took longer than anticipated in order to secure a clear title, a survey, find an architect and contractor, figure out the cost for renovations, and line up financing.
A couple weeks ago, we signed closing documents! Last week, the church got its new roof! In four to six months, the place will have a new, beautiful living area where Sunday school rooms and offices once were. The hardwood floored sanctuary will serve as my studio and storage area. We hope to be relocated in time for Christmas. What a celebration that will be!
Today is the official announcement! Why? Well, this coming Friday is Bastille Day, my personal day of independence! Why? Well, in 2001
on the French Day of Independence, we started down-sizing Mouse
House (established in 1987). Back in 2001, we had fourteen on payroll and worked
twelve to fourteen hour days, seven days a week, fifty weeks a year.
Since that time, its been just Steve and me.
It is now time for our next great adventure! So, it is fitting to start selling custom framed mirrors, antiquarian prints, and lots of my older artwork plus many pieces in our personal art collection. (My Found Object Mandalas, In Box Series, and Fiber Stained Glass pieces are NOT on sale. They have gallery representation!)
Now that this announcement has been made, please check back. I will be blogging about this experience to relocate to 320 North Church Street, Central, SC 29630. (For those of you who aren't familiar with this part of South Carolina ... well ... it is eleven miles from Clemson. Steve and I have no intention of cheering for those "Clemson Kitty Cats". We will remain loyal to The Ohio State University Buckeyes!
14 comments:
Congratulations! What an adventure!!!
How wonderful for you, wishing you both well as you move forward!
How exciting for you! Enjoy your new lives.
Wonderful news. Our kids live in Seneca so I look forward to visiting you when we are there.
So exciting for you and how wonderful to live in a church with all its history. Sending you best wishes for all your plans leading up to Christmas.
What good vibes and wonderful light it will be for you and your work!
That's exciting and a lot of work, I'm sure.
My Best to you!
This is so super exciting! The building looks fantastic, and what a wonderful studio space that will be. And I love the Bastille Day connection!
Congratulations! What a great adventure to go on. Will love watching all your alterations.
Exciting times ahead
Xx
Congratulations! This is awesome to have a church as your studio and home. I've always loved the old rock or brick school house's but never been able to buy one. Retirement is grand I love every minute of it. I still find I run out of time in a day because my list is to long. I did promise myself to dedicate 1/2 - 3/4 of my day to art and I do.
Congratulations! You will love South Carolina as I have visited there many times. The people are so warm and welcoming and the weather is great.
Congratulations and best wishes for your new adventure. That part of South Carolina is beautiful. It reminds me of the rolling hills around Slippery Rock, PA. Check out Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee as well.
Thanks so very much to everyone who has commented on this post! Steve and I visited our church yesterday. The thirty-foot dumpster was already filled with old duct work, broken ceiling tiles, and the massive amount of debris left by the old congregation which stopped using the building in 2018. The new roof looks great (and we've seen photos taken by our contractor's drone!) We met with our architect to define a few details in the renovation plans. This is indeed going to be an adventure! As for "South Carolina" ... well ... we are already living in South Carolina! LOL! We are currently in Columbia, the state capitol. The Cateechee Church is outside Central (about eleven miles from the area's better known city ... Clemson) which is about two-and-a-half hours away (if there isn't a traffic accident or other, common problem on the highway!) As for reminding me of the hills around Slippery Rock, PA (where I lived from age 8 - 18), I will never miss winter's snow, the incredibly cold slush of spring, gray coal dust, or the feelings that the "rest of the world" was beyond the area! I really do look forward to seeing autumn colors ... something common in western PA and something that really doesn't happen much in Columbia but does in SC's Upstate! I also look forward to exploring lake sides and the many waterfalls in the area. Most of all, I am so ready to be a full-time artist without the daily requirement of retail hours and custom picture framing. For me, retirement means more time for making bigger and conceptually deeper artwork! It's going to be exhilarating!
Congratulations! So happy that you are able to spend your retirement years doing what you love in one of the most beautiful areas of our state!
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