Do you have a dedicated workspace for your art? It doesn't matter if you are a full-time professional artist or a hobbyist, a dedicated studio will help! My studio has gone through several iterations in the past few years. I started with unpacking supplies and taking my paints to the kitchen so I would have space to work on a full-sized sheet of watercolor paper until my painting was done, then putting everything away again. I don't recommend this method. It might take you 20-30 minutes just to get all your art supplies out and set up before you can work. What if you only have 30 minutes to paint?
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| Kitchen table "studio" |
Next, I moved my "studio" to the top of my dresser in my bedroom. But, as you can guess, it was soon overrun with clothing and miscellaneous items that seem to accumulate on our dresser tops. (ARGH!)
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| Dresser top "studio" |
Then I tried an old table set up in our home office. There was no storage for my supplies, and only one window. But, at least I had a dedicated work table that wasn't overrun with random items. It worked for a while.
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| Office "studio" - first room |
Finally, my husband helped me swap our kids' room with the office. The new space became my studio/office. I was so excited! I had two windows and the best natural light in the house! I purchased a second-hand adjustable art table for $20, some milk crates to raise the table so I can work standing, and a second-hand tall chair for $5. I now have a dedicated studio. It's not big, it's not fancy, but it's functional! A studio allows me to use every spare minute I have to paint without wasting my time finding and unpacking art supplies. While I still don't have as much painting time as I would like, I'll take every half hour I can find!
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| Current studio |
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| Current studio - two windows. Best light in the house! |
Try to find a space in your home, even if it's only a corner of one room, where you can set out your art supplies and leave them out. Dedicate it as your studio, and try not to let the space accumulate non-art items. (This is hard!) Every time you walk by, you will have more desire to paint and more joy in knowing you have your own studio. It doesn't have to be fancy...it just has to be functional!
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"Kokopelli Circle Dance" ©Jennifer Love
(created in my current studio) |
As always, thanks for stopping by my blog!
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