Hey friends! Let me welcome you (virtually) to my creative space: My art studio!
My morning routine looks something like the opening lines of Dolly Parton's "9-5." Especially the part about stumbling to the kitchen and pouring myself a cup of ambition. Although she doesn't cover letting the dogs outside to go potty, rain or shine. Still... I'm NOT a morning person, so the fact that my commute to work is a short walk down the steps is really ideal for me.
Let's jump back a few years, shall we?
I started painting in earnest in 2019. At the time, I used some empty space in our basement. Painting between our freezer and the laundry pile wasn't exactly ideal, but it was all I had at the time. Fast forward to lockdown during the early days of Covid in 2020. While my husband and I were working from home, we made a list of projects to keep ourselves busy. One day, my husband suggested turning a storage room in our basement into my art studio. That way I would have a dedicated space to paint and be creative. (And my supplies would be out of the way.)
So in April we turned on Netflix's "Tiger King" and got to work turning a grungy, spider-filled storage room into my light and bright art studio. It required some new paint (a neutral white), updated lighting (something with a neutral color temperature), and a little bit of drywall work (thanks, leaky basement). But by the end of that month I had a new space that would become a catalyst for the growth of myself as an artist and my business.
My studio is a relatively small room, but it has space for a work table, an easel, and a large enough area on the wall to photograph my work. It is the epitome of efficiency - it serves all of the needs I have. As such, what I choose to have in it has to make sense. I can't have any extras, and everything that I have and use has to serve an important purpose. Here are a few of my favorite studio items:
- My worktable from Ikea. I wanted something large and sturdy, and I've been quite happy with it so far.
- Rolling carts. I have three in my small studio: my main one with paint and brushes, a second for my spray paint and mediums, and a third for tools.
- Storage racks. (Any will do. Mine are from Home Depot I think.) I can store a decent amount of work in my studio, so I use racks to keep it organized and off the floor.
- My trusty easel. This is where I do most of my work, and I needed something sturdy that could handle big canvases.
As an artist, I think it's important to always try to do the most with what you have. Whether you're working at the kitchen table, in a spare bedroom, or a repurposed garden shed in your backyard. I am immensely grateful for the space I have and the creative freedom it gives me.
Thanks for stopping by the studio!