Brian Evans – View Work and Bio

Dianne Evans – View Work and Bio

COVID –19: Challenges and Successes in the Studio

When discussing our artwork, we normally address this topic as independent artists. Since we are spending much more time in the studio together, due to the quarantine, we thought that combining our experiences was a better approach in this case. The biggest benefit of working together is sharing ideas and asking one another for constructive input. One immediate realization is that we need a much larger studio. Adjusting to two people in a 400 square foot workspace has been a challenge. Thankfully our dog “Wagner” doesn’t take up much space. Wagner is enjoying spending every waking hour with us.

COVID-19 has also affected our work habits and creativity. We both have had more time to experiment with new ideas and to see those ideas evolve and come to fruition. In exploring new ideas, we have had successes, but we have also had some ideas that didn’t work out the way we anticipated. That is a part of the creative process. The unsuccessful projects can be positive by taking aspects that you like and allowing them to evolve in a new direction. Without the added pressure, we are able to explore all avenues of creativity.

Due to the quarantine, we have had to make adjustments to our daily lives. We have had show cancellations, galleries have closed, and Brian’s classes at Orange Street Pottery have been postponed. Dianne has been working from home for UNCW as well as working in the studio evenings and on weekends. It has been somewhat of a luxury to have the time to be more creative without having to worry as much about deadlines. We are building up inventory in anticipation of things opening back up in the summer or the fall. We are adjusting well, but we are looking forward to new opportunities.