Blog Week: Studios

The studio I have now is about 1000 square feet — more than I really need but it is amazing how much stuff is attached to my art making.  I’ve always kept all my supplies, bookkeeping, books, framing — everything art related — at my studio rather than my home.  It’s a much more organized way to approach both places!  This is the front room overlooking my watercolor table and my smaller casein table.

The second room is my office and encaustic area.  I have a utility sink, a small refrigerator, a microwave, and a storage cabinet for solvents, glues, cleaners, etc.

Every medium has it’s unique paraphernalia.  Watercolor is fairly simple in process but framing is space consuming (mat board, foam board, glass, frames, mat cutter…).  My encaustic area is growing daily and I’m continuing to refine the layout so I can find what I need QUICKLY.

And speaking of framing, I’ve slowly accumulated equipment over the years by purchasing from frame shops that are going out of business or upgrading.  I have a wall mounted glass/acrylic cutter, a decent mat cutter, and a shrinkwrapper (which I rarely use now).  I’ve always preferred to frame my own work so I can prepare for a show at the last minute.  And of course, it is so much more cost effective.  BUT, it takes up space!

And I love my books — I like having my art and art business books in my studio so I know exactly where to find what I need.  The lives of great artists remind me of strength and commitment - two things needed in every day life, no matter what we’re trying to accomplish in our day.  

The exterior is brighter and more cheerful now!  I’d like a porch swing and perennials around the front - maybe I’ll get to that eventually.  

My first dedicated art space was a drawing table in our guest bedroom with a cassette tape player on the dresser.  My children were young and finding an hour to paint was a miracle — heck, having a drawing table of my own was a miracle!  I quickly outgrew the bedroom and we enclosed a small porch.  My sunroom studio was probably 7’x10’.  Bright and cheerful, I adored it.  I managed to paint, frame, and store paintings in the tiny space.

When I began to flow into the dining and living rooms, I made the big decision to rent a space of my own.  For four years I rented 500 sq ft. in an old office building.  It was a huge step, financially and in terms of commitment.  I left home every morning at 7:30am and began my work day at the studio, leaving around 4:30pm.  It was a productive and exciting time in my life.  I was anxious about taking my operation “out of the house” but it was the right thing to do.

My next move was to the Meridian Arts building in Gurley, AL.  I was invited to share the building with two amazing artists — Dan Burch and Arch Pike.  We each had our private studios but we shared our daily schedules, experience, and ideas.  It was an excellent experience and I loved spending time with these two guys.  I gained more space for similar rent and learned how to share my day with other artists.  Again, I stayed about four years.

Which brings me to my current studio space.  I’m back in Huntsville and I’m enjoying my convenient location - close to home and errands are much easier to run.  My studio is also home to a family of cats who each, for different reasons, had a difficult time fitting into a traditional home.  I like it that my building serves a purpose 24 hours a day.  

The bottom line is every creative person deserves a dedicated space to make their art!  It can be as small as the corner of a bedroom — what matters is that it is a place where you feel safe to be yourself, make something that wouldn’t exist otherwise, and lose yourself in the process.  

I also feel that maturing as an artist is expressed in many ways.  Obviously our work improves and we handle our materials better with experience but I think we express our progress in other ways too.  Taking control of more of our process, keeping a productive work space, handling our business affairs professionally, sharing our knowledge along the way.  All these things and more are part of the growth process as a creative person.

Kicking off “Blog Week”

This is what my studio looked like midway through our renovation.  I SO wish I had photographed when the bars were still on the windows and before all the black paint was scraped off the glass - and before the tanning bed rooms were torn out.  I was in too big a hurry to let the light in to bring a camera.  Believe me, there was no AIR in the place!  The outside was just as dark and depressing….

This building was for sale many, many months before I would agree to go inside.  It was an adult apparel and video store and occasionally a mannequin would appear on the front porch with “interesting” garments on display.  I was pretty intimidated about going inside!  As it turned out, the owner was a friendly lady who was happy to give us a tour and after we bought the place she left free samples tucked in hiding spaces for me.  I guess I looked like the kind of lady who needed some spice. :)

Tomorrow I’ll kick off my personal “blog week” with a tour of my studio and some background on the different studios I’ve worked in over the years.  I’ve loved and appreciated every single one.  

I’ll close tonight with a photo of Mark, my husband and best friend, tearing down the old business sign.  I was so excited to see it GO….I ran outside with my camera and happened to catch an arrest going on across the street in the background.  Sort of funny but really not - someone’s life was changing forever.

Giving a friendly face to a house in a neighborhood that needs a boost has been part of the fun.  And being on the corner of a busy old Huntsville street has proven to be very entertaining for Jelly, Misty, and me.  More about studios and their importance tomorrow!

Under the noisy vent

I have nice bright windows facing a busy street, where I can watch the weather change and see the occasional drug deal.  It’s a nice place to spend the day — a little drama and some clouds.  But my windows don’t open!  So, my encaustic set up is in the very back of my studio where we were able to install a vent hood.  The advantage is that by spending my day in a windowless room, I’ve broken my watercolor obsession with light.  The disadvantage is that I don’t know when a tornado is bearing down on me.  More on that another time.

I spent some time this week organizing my work area.  It takes time — years in my case — to figure out the best layout for tools.  I have to reach for things a hundred times and learn what I need before things finally fall into their natural location. I’ll figure it out about the time I go back to casein.  This is working as long as I work fairly small.  I’m sure I’ll eventually want to try larger pieces. 

Going Home

We’re heading home after a long day at the studio!  Misty is Head of Security and Jelly is my Studio Assistant - and they never miss a day of work.  Jelly has been in the studio with me since he was 8 weeks old.  Misty joined our team shortly after that.

We try to clock in around 9am and spend the first thirty minutes taking care of our rescued cats.  They are waiting for breakfast and room service when we arrive.  The encaustic palettes are warming while we sweep and straighten up.  Then I open a Diet Mountain Dew and that’s their cue to settle in for a nap.  Misty is a light sleeper though - she takes her security job very seriously.  

Lately we’ve been taking a break around 1pm to medicate our Persian, Pea, who is at home. We’re back at work within an hour or so and like to work past 5pm when we can.  

Over the years my routine has varied.  I used to be in the studio by 7am and only left to get a bag of Cheetos from the gas station at noon.  In those days, Chloe, our shepherd mix, rode with me or I occasionally rode my bike to my south Huntsville studio.

Routines change but I find having one is important.  Structure and a sense of purpose is important.  I’m more flexible now and I work five days a week rather than six or seven - but I’m still committed to a routine.  At the end of a month or quarter, Jelly, Misty, and I are much more satisfied with results if we’ve clocked in every day!