Excerpt from 'Art, Life and Everything' (unpublished memoir)

"Two dogs, a cat and an iguana (the landlord's pets) also resided in the studios on 14th Street, alongside the working artists. Marijuana plants grew in pots on the windowsill of my space.

It was a rather chaotic atmosphere, controlled by the presence of the landlord who lived on the premises with his wife. Many of the other artists who worked at the studios didn't come in until late afternoon or the evening so I usually had the space to myself during the day.

The studios were just a few blocks away from Union Square and close to the Meat Packing district, which was fast becoming a hotspot for artists with new galleries springing up all the time.

If the weather was fine, I'd walk down to the studios in the morning; if it was raining, I'd take the bus. At lunchtime, sometimes I'd go into one of the nearby lounges to buy coffee and bagels and watch the TV, relaxing on big velvet sofas.

It was the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and I clearly remember Bill Clinton's impeachment proceedings being played out on the big screen in the bar.“

To read further excerpts from my memoir, please see:
http://julieumerle.com/memoir.htm