I discovered Prince Edward County through close friends who moved out here about 15 years ago. I didn’t really know the area at all prior to visiting them.
I bought my first piece of land in the county in 2012. It was vacant, so I was going out there pretty much every weekend, camping in an Airstream trailer. I realized I wanted to spend more time out there, especially in the off-season. So I started thinking about setting up something more permanent, which, in turn, led to me buying a small farm in 2014. It’s an old farm on a dead-end road, so it’s really quiet. I can’t hear cars or see city lights. The air is really fresh, and there’s lots of bird life. You can hear the coyotes howl at night, and it just feels very tranquil. It’s a very calm place to be.
After buying the farm, I realized I needed a place where I could actually create my art. So I built a studio for myself where I can work full-time when I want to. The views are beautiful. I sometimes find myself popping outside to take photos of clouds for a painting. I also designed the studio with this long strip of windows that frame the landscape. Each window is like a different landscape painting. All in all, I’m very comfortable in Prince Edward County. I’ve carved out a little corner of the county for myself, and having somewhere like this to escape to has been a huge relief to me. This place has changed my life.