From Mountains to Hills
A Story of Finding Studio Agnew in Howey-in-the-Hills
6/10/20265 min read
Where Book Arts Take Shape
One of the most exciting parts of this new chapter is expanding what Studio Agnew can offer. At its core, it has always been about helping people feel comfortable creating—whether they are picking up a brush for the first time or returning to something they used to love. But now there is room to grow into deeper, more hands-on experiences.
Over the weekend, I attended my first College Book Art Association PIVOT(AL) meeting at the University of Central Florida, and it was one of those creatively energizing experiences that reminds you why community matters. It was a gathering of educators and book artists from campuses nationwide, both in person and virtually, coming together to share work, ideas, and approaches to teaching bookmaking.
The day was full of collaboration and exchange—presentations, handmade books, student exhibitions, and conversations that moved between craft, design, storytelling, and experimentation. We shared work, swapped ideas, and even created collaboratively throughout the day. I also had the chance to try a Risograph machine for the first time, something I had been curious about but never experienced firsthand.
A Risograph is part photocopier, part printmaking process. Originally developed in Japan in the 1980s, it prints one color layer at a time using soy-based inks, building up images in overlapping textures that feel both mechanical and handmade. It’s easy to see why it became closely associated with zines and independent publishing—the imperfections are part of the beauty.
There’s something powerful about spaces like that, where art, design, craft, storytelling, and experimentation overlap. It reinforces the idea that making things by hand is still deeply relevant, especially in a world that moves quickly and digitally.
Books have always been part of my creative life—as an illustrator, author, and someone who has always made things by hand—and experiences like this continue to shape how I think about teaching and creative space.
That’s why I’m especially excited to begin offering book arts workshops at Studio Agnew.
My first bookmaking workshop is already planned with SOBO Gallery in Winter Park, Florida. It will be a three-hour introduction to Japanese Stab Binding, one of the most accessible and visually striking forms of bookmaking.
Registration is now open, and all materials are included.
It’s not just about learning a technique. It’s about understanding how something is built, how pages come together, and how a simple structure can hold story, memory, and intention.
A Space That Felt Like Open with Possibility.
That’s what happened when I came across a listing that immediately stood out. It was open concept, but what really caught my attention was a built-in floor-to-ceiling shelving unit. I remember pausing on that detail longer than anything else in the listing. It wasn’t the original reason I was searching, but it became the reason I reached out to see it. I messaged to schedule a visit.
What made it even more compelling was that it was already zoned for studio use. That detail shifted it from an “interesting idea” to something that could actually work without forcing the space to become something it wasn’t. Before I even stepped inside, I was already imagining those shelves filled—art supplies, sketchbooks, works in progress, materials organized in a way that made creating feel immediate and accessible. There was something about that built-in structure that made it feel like the space already understood what it wanted to be.
When I finally walked in, that feeling held. It wasn’t an empty room waiting for definition. It felt like a space with direction already built into it. Within less than five days of seeing it, I had the keys—not because everything was perfectly planned, but because I could already see what it could become. And that clarity is what led me to Howey-in-the-Hills.
Why Howey-in-the-Hills
That sense of possibility is what led me here.
I didn’t choose Howey-in-the-Hills based on a checklist of business needs or traffic patterns. I chose it because I could immediately imagine the kind of experience I wanted Studio Agnew to offer.
A place where people could slow down. Take a day trip. Step into a creative space, make something with their hands, and let the rest of the world wait for a few hours.
One of the things that stood out to me right away is how walkable and connected the town feels. The library, Town Hall, the Police Department, and the nearby natural space of Little Lake Harris are all within walking distance. There’s a rhythm to it—steady, grounded, and unhurried in a way that feels increasingly rare.
Even beyond that, there’s a cultural layer nearby that adds to the energy of the area. The historic Howey Mansion and the Mission Inn Resort are close by, both places that already host events, gatherings, and community experiences. It creates this sense that people already come here to connect, to celebrate, and to spend time together in meaningful ways.
The studio, I could see more than classes. I could see someone arriving for a workshop, stepping out afterward to walk by the lake, or exploring the town, or making a day of it in a place that naturally supports slowing down.
That idea stayed with me—the idea that a studio could be part of an experience, not just a scheduled activity.
Seeing the Potential
Artists spend a lot of time looking at empty spaces and imagining what they could become. A blank page, a blank canvas, an empty room.
This space felt like that.
It wasn’t perfect or finished, but it didn’t need to be. I could already see it filled with materials, tables covered in paper and paint, and people working side by side. I could see conversations happening while paint dries, and that quiet shift that happens when someone realizes they can make something they didn’t think they could.
It felt less like opening a business, and more like building a place where creativity could actually happen in real time.
From Mountains to Hills
The more I sat with this decision, the more I realized something unexpected: this place felt familiar.
I grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a small suburban town where community mattered and life moved at a slower rhythm. It was the kind of place where people knew each other, where you spent time outdoors, and where there was a quiet sense of connection to both place and people.
My early life was shaped there, surrounded by a different landscape—mountains, seasons, and small-town familiarity that stayed with me more than I realized.
Years later, standing in Howey-in-the-Hills, I felt something similar. Not identical, but recognizable.
From mountains to hills. From one small town to another.
It wasn’t about geography as much as feeling. A sense of calm. A sense of space. A sense that things don’t need to be rushed in order to matter.
That’s when it started to feel right.
The Next Chapter
Opening this studio feels a little like opening a new sketchbook. The first page is always uncertain. You don’t know exactly what will fill it yet, but you know you’re ready to begin.
That’s where I am right now—building, planning, meeting neighbors, and slowly turning an empty space into something alive.
So if you’ve been wondering why Howey-in-the-Hills, the answer is simple. It felt like a place where I could see it before it existed. And now I get to build it.
Follow the Creativity
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107 E. Central Ave.,
Howey-in-the-Hills, Fl 34737
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Hours / Studio Access
Saturday
Creative Saturdays
Drop in to explore Studio Agnew through rotating hands-on art experiences, seasonal projects, and make-and-take activities. Browse, shop, create, and discover upcoming classes and workshops.
Studio Agnew is located in the heart of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida — a working creative studio for classes, workshops, and community art experiences.
Monday, Wednesday–Friday
Classes & Workshops
Scheduled studio classes and creative sessions.
Young Artist Studio
4:00-5:30 PM
Tuesday
Off-Site Workshops / Studio Closed
No studio hours. I lead pop-up workshops and creative programs at partner locations throughout the community.
Sunday
Private Group Bookings
Available for birthday parties, private workshops, and group events.