I brought two cats to Citywide Studios with me. Oblong was a large gray and black short hair tabby, with an orange tint.  Dare was fluffier, orange and white. Both had always been indoor cats all the time I had them, but with the enclosed space of the studio that seemed no longer to be an option. I didn’t want them to live shut off from natural light and any kind of stimulation for all my long hours at work.

So I determined  I would live in the studio with my barred security door locked, but my heavy exterior door left propped open. And so it was, for two years, except for a few extreme weather condition days-my front door stayed open to the outside, a crack wide enough for the cats to enter and exit. They loved their new found freedom.

An ongoing description of my two years living in an art studio warehouse 2001-2003

The windows of the space were limited. Along the side that faced the street, the storefront windows had been replaced by opaque white glass covered by the heavy metal mesh, which allowed a dull glow but no real illumination. This was fine by me as it was the part of the room I used as living space, so it gave privacy. Unfortunately it was a western exposure, and really baked in the desert afternoon sun.

The only other window was in my half bath in the corner of the room , on the wall that faced the parking lot. It was a small window, about face high, that cranked open-a little bit. It also had bars. Since it was contained in the bathroom it let no light into the main room at all, except a little ambient glow if I left the bathroom door open.

Having this large room with no natural visibility left me with something of a dilemma-as it was not only me that had moved into Citywide Studios.

To Be Continued in Part 8: The Cats