Welcome back to...
SUNDAY STUDIO DAYS!
This week we jump into the studio evolution of Annie Murray. Annie writes about her studio growth and the impact it has on her art over the years. Lets dive in....
 |
| Annie in her old studio space |
I’ve had many studios over the years, each one reflecting a different stage of my life and my art.
My very first studio was back in high school on the dairy farm where I grew up. We had an unused garage that once held tractors, with a dusty attic and a big old paned-glass window. When I was sixteen, craving a quiet escape from my big and busy family, I cleaned it out, hauled up my dollar store paints, and sat on a blanket on the floor surrounded by a million very emotionally driven teenage angst paintings. I would paint for hours, lost in my own little world.
 |
| Annie's first studio in high school—a dusty attic above her family’s dairy farm garage, where she spent hours painting as a teenager |
Since then, I’ve always needed a space separate from where I live to create. In Toronto, I rented a 10x10 space at Akin Collective, surrounded by other artists. When I moved to Halifax, my first “studio” was actually a converted walk-in closet—wildly small but perfectly sufficient at the time. I painted it “Italian Ice Green,” and it was just too cute. After that, I rented a bedroom in someone else’s apartment, painted “Peach Parfait,” and filled with the most beautiful sunlight.
My current studio, though, feels like a dream. Before I moved in with my partner in Fairview in 2023, he fully renovated his unfinished garage into a spacious, light-filled studio just for me. It was such an incredible gesture, and I still look around in awe of the room I now have to create. It’s my oasis.
 |
| Here he is working hard installing drywall in the new space |
Having a dedicated studio allows me to “turn off” my artist brain when I need to. I can step out of the space and leave behind thoughts like whether the neon-green underpainting was a mistake, and just be present in the rest of my life.
 |
| The finished studio. Open, bright, and full of potential... |
Inside the studio, I work mostly in solitude, fueled by coffee, tea, and purple Bublys. Music is non-negotiable. I’m deeply affected by it emotionally, and the mood it creates often seeps into my work, influencing the depth, nuance, and boldness of each piece. My playlists range from pop and R&B to celtic folk, and when I find that flow state, it’s the best high. The privacy to be messy, experimental, and fully myself is everything. I’ve even got a mini-fridge and a couch in here, perfect for long Pinterest breaks.
 |
| The couch where I unwind, flipping through art books or scrolling Pinterest for inspiration. |
That said, I do occasionally invite friends over for wine-fueled paint nights. I’ve been teaching one friend the magic of the projector, which I honestly couldn’t live without. I’ve often thought about hosting community paint nights, live drawing sessions, or even teaching alla prima painting in this space. It hasn’t happened yet, but I can see it on the horizon.
My favourite thing in the studio might be my collection of art books. From Sorella’s Masterworks I bought after seeing the exhibition in Ottawa, to Mary Pratt’s biography (a gift from my mother, a fellow admirer), to a stack of Gucci art books my friend snagged from a gallery in Montreal (my favourite being the 2017 edition featuring Ignasi Monreal’s work) I flip through these more often than I expect, finding endless inspiration in their pages.
Right now, I’m working on pet portrait commissions (@petsbyannie on Instagram) and just wrapped up my “Girl Dinner” series at Argyle Fine Art. Next up is a new body of work that’s been brewing since spring—an exploration of my newfound love for gardening, combined with large-scale portraiture and touches of the hyper-realism I explored in my 2024 “Lips” series. I’m beyond excited to dive into it.
 |
| Annie Murray, Ear to the Wind, Acrylic on Canvas, 8"x8" |
Outside the studio, I’ve been gardening—mostly perennials like roses and hydrangeas—and recently picked up poetry again after a decade away. There’s something about both practices that feels similar: the patience, the quiet reward of seeing growth over time.
I sometimes imagine myself years from now, sitting at a small wrought iron table in a rose garden I’ve built, with a studio close by. A place where art and life flow together naturally. For now, planting those first roses feels like a simple, steady step toward that future, and something that keeps me creatively inspired outside of the studio.
 |
| Annie Murray, A Garden For the Ghosts in My Heart, Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20" |
Want to see what works we have available from Annie?
Check out more HERE!
Thank you for reading this week's Sunday Studio Days blog!
Stay Tuned for more behind the scenes & creative spaces next week!
