New Studio

Woooohooooo! For the first time since I have been a professional artist I actually have a full blown working studio. My son moved out into his own place a few weeks back which was quite a bittersweet moment for me. I loved having him at home, but see him become independent was such a joy and I am grateful he is transitioning into this new chapter. He and I shared a room...I mean, his bedroom was half my studio, so when he moved, I was able to totally embrace the space as my own. 

BEFORE PICS! (What a mess!)

For those who have followed me you know I paint often in my outdoor studio, from my carstudio, in my kitchudio by that great window, but having my own studio space eluded me. There is only so far you can take your creativity when space is an issue, and I learned to master the art of painting in a small space. This new studio will be a unique experience for me. I set it up with great intent, meaning I sat in my chair for several days and visualized exactly what type of art and what materials I would need in reach. 

AFTER PICS - (Wooohooo!)

Love having my paints in reach!

Plenty of room for a decent size canvas. 

Organizing my plan was key, and this gave me the freedom to open up boxes and materials I have not seen in years. There is pretty much a place for everything, and although I wanted to keep the space cozy and pretty, it had to serve two purposes...a guest room and my studio. Creating a space that is too pretty to work in was not on my agenda, but displaying my supplies was something I tried to do in a practical, but visually pretty way. 

Love my old, vintage paintbrush.

Alice loves the little hands, :)

Three days of packing his items up and unpacking mine, moving furniture, throwing away gobs, and relishing over the memories of it all was a beautiful experience. There were moments that I stood in that doorway and remembered my little five year old playing with his James the Red Engine and Thomas the Tank Engines. That room holds lots of memories, and I cherish the fact that my creative space is surrounded by them all. Tonight I placed the final three boxes needing to be sorted in the closet, looked around and realized I need to start collecting and displaying my friends artworks, and took a really deep breath. This room will always grow with me, it will change as my art changes, but one thing is sure. When any of our children return for a visit, there will be a warm, welcoming space for them surrounded by lots of creative fodder. I can think of no better use for a studio! 

I still have many of his boyhood items to keep me company, :) 

You can see my to do list on the cardboard.

Provie Musso built this amazing piece, I adore it!

A few various art pieces from some of my besties! The one on the right is from my nephew Simon, who is 3. Sweet Wendy painted me the cross, and the rabbit was salvaged from the trash when Art(ology) opened. 

Of course, there must be random doll parts. 

I still have things to hang, but overall, it is looking sweet! 

HandMade Watercolor Art Journal and the Perfect View

Somewhere between the dream of a perfect studio and the frustration of not exactly having one right about now gave me some new insight today in just how good I have it. Yep, there are artists who paint in about 4 square feet, some only have a milk crate with supplies, and some simply have to paint outside with their belongings in a bag....but they do it, and they do it well. Then there are those who have million dollar studios and ones where every wall, nook, and cranny matches as if a fashion designer whipped it out. Then...there is me, somewhere in between all of that my kitchen table has become my Nirvana. 

As I sat editing some work for a bit the sunlight began to peer in ever so gently and it illuminated my paints as if it wanted to try its own hand at a masterpiece. Over to my left, the sun ray caught a glass diamond which sits in testament to the magnificent iridescent moth perched in perfect form inside a glass case. The wall of windows showcases the myriad hues of green and the occasional Bluebird flits by, always followed by the Mockingbird in haste.  In essence, I have a gorgeous 'spot' to create in and I am blessed beyond measure. Cleaning it up each day is simply a no brainer, so I won't whine. This was the second part of the lesson I was to learn today. It wasn't about moaning over what I wish or don't have, it was claiming the POTENTIAL of the day and being content in this very moment. 

Days like this are important for me. They make me pause, look at where I am and realize, I could have it no better and I say a prayer of gratitude to the big guy upstairs for giving me a life I don't deserve. My art journal page was a celebration of the word POTENTIAL today. I spent some time enjoying knowing that I am surrounded by it, every day. The potential to create, to breathe, to love, to wonder, to discover, to give, to share, to experience....all of these make for viewing this day in a perfect light. 


Yesterday I joined Tamara Laporte's Lifebook Online Mixed Media Class! It is a year long celebration of all things mixed media and since I am joining a few months late I knew I would have a lot of catching up to do. I also knew the perfect journal I would use, an over sized Handmade watercolor journal. 


I use a small one of these for my weekly journal, but for this project, and those to come, I wanted a larger canvas to work with and this book is about as yummy to me as butter is to Paula Deen. It's an 11" by 15" book of pure POTENTIAL and I can't wait to begin filling that baby up. 

(You can get this at Hobby Lobby. It runs $30 but if you use the coupon you can get it for 40% off, and for a huge handmade watercolor journal, you can't beat that price. This paper is also extremely porous, so if you plan to use it just for watercolor, you might want to coat the pages with gesso or ground first. If you are a sketcher/doodler/drawer, then it is perfect.)


  

Tomorrow I will be down at Art(ology) and am tinkering with the idea of hosting a public Google+ hangout for a painting demonstration. That has tons of POTENTIAL as well. I do hope your evening is blessed, that you were able to create in some capacity, or at least dream of it. Peace friends!