Today’s blog is an interview with one of the Members of Creative Nomad Studios. Gillian Lowry gives the lowdown on CNS and her business, below:

AP: Hi Gillian, tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

GL: My name is Gillian Lowry, and I am an artist and entrepreneur in Orillia. I work primarily in printmaking and illustration, and I love sculpture. I studied Studio Art and Geography at the University of Guelph, focussing on printmaking and sculpture. I am fascinated with where art and geography meet. My love of the environment and place is reflected in my work, and I draw a lot on nature for inspiration. I also have a business called Little Tigers, where I make large-scale colouring posters for kids, again drawing on nature for inspiration. I draw large images in Adobe Illustrator and have them printed out in large format for kids to colour. My hope with this is to help kids get away from screens and learn about the natural world in the relaxing, meditative way that colouring offers.

AP: Why Creative Nomad? What encouraged you to rent studio space there?

GL: Creative Nomad offers me a place to work that suits all of my needs. I can keep my work separate from my home, which is where I was working before- and for me, that wasn’t working. The distractions of home life always got in the way of my creative flow. At Creative Nomad I can be more focussed on my artwork.

The space itself has all the amenities I need to do my work—an area to print, a new press (which I am excited to use more), space for all of my equipment, access to sinks and water necessary for my work and clean up; as well as all the other things you need but often forget about, like internet, heat, electricity—all covered in one cost. 

I also have the option to run workshops and sell my work and products out of the space, so it is wonderful to have that all available in one location. Plus, Anitta is a huge cheerleader and supporter, so it is great to be in that energy of a supportive environment and surrounded by other artists and entrepreneurs who are in that same creative spirit of growth.

AP: That sounds amazing! How has your business grown and changed since moving to CNS?

GL: Since moving to Creative Nomad Studios I have started a business and expanded my work in multiple directions. Having the physical space to encourage the growth in my mental and creative space has been incredible and very necessary! Here I can spread out and play around more with my work, where previously I felt confined and restricted by the limitations of my space (working from home with kids around, or the crawl space above our garage that was only accessible by ladder!) 

At CNS I feel there is even more potential for growth in all areas, business-wise and creatively.

AP: Aside from your space, are there other perks of being at CNS that you would like to share?

GL: The building itself is beautiful and inspiring, so it is great to work in that energy and vibe. The art on the walls is always changing, so you organically are immersed in ever-changing creativity. There are lots of other perks: coffee, easy parking, Eclectic Cafe down the street with delicious food, popping over to the library for books and inspiration, and walking downtown and supporting other local businesses. 

It also just feels good and more professional to be in a ‘real’ studio, so it has been good for my self-confidence in that I take myself and my work more seriously, which has always been my main intent.

Gillian recently had a successful stint at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto with her Little Tigers business, a coup that likely would not have happened without her dedicated studio space at Creative Nomad Studios. 

To check out all the spaces that CNS has available, go to www.creativenomadstudios.ca.