View from my room last week, on the “Penthouse” a.k.a. rooftop. Hot summer winds whistled through three walls, it was the breeziest room I’ve had there yet

It’s always good for a chronic travel artist to have one or two familiar spots as touchstones during an extended trip. Here’s a selection of photos from my favorite pied-a-terre in Bangkok, The Artists Place.

The Artists Place is in Thonburi, the oldest part of Bangkok. Life’s a slower pace here; more khlongs (canals) and wooden houses have survived modernization.

The entrance has plenty of sunshine and mosquitos, unexpected sculptures, a ceiling that’s grown organically into a spectacular fire hazard, and every corner at the Artists Place holds an eccentric surprise.

Charlee, the owner, is usually around to welcome visitors. His english is charming and flawless, and the house is full of paintings by Charlee and other artists (including one by me)

The Artists Place isn’t for everyone – the shared toilets with their 3-inch cockroaches are an affront to most notions of hygeine. But if you don’t mind some creepy company during your showers, it could make for a memorable stay in Bangkok.

More photos of my Bangkok studio over at Flickr