A Studio of One’s Own
I lost my studio space in April 2021.
That was when my adult son came home to live with me indefinitely. Sleeping on the couch was not an option. I don't even want to think about what a mess that would have been.
So I moved everything out of the "spare bedroom," which had been my studio. The easel and taboret went into my office, and the work tables got stashed in the garage. Many of my supplies were lined up on shelves in the bedroom closet. They stayed. That meant I often needed to knock on the door to get something I needed, but my son didn't seem to mind. Much.
Nine months later, my son bought a starter home nearby. He's probably happier about it than I am! Nothing like living with Mom. And I have my space back.
Designing my art studio.
I do this thing when I'm anxious for something to happen. I start making plans. I guess it makes me feel more in control. So that's what I did.
I measured the room and then drew it out on a piece of paper - 1/2 inch for every foot in the room. Next, I measured all the furniture going back in - the tables, drawers, easel. Then I cut out little rectangles using cardstock to represent the furniture and labeled them. Finally, I arranged each piece within the lines that defined the room. Very old-school, satisfying, and a lot of fun!
The Studio Plan
Putting my studio back together.
I'll admit I moved back into my studio as soon as my son moved out. That very day. It felt like being welcomed back.
After a thorough cleaning - not long or arduous in an empty room - I started moving things back in. First, the easel. Then the taboret. Then the work tables.
Next, I took everything out of the closet to see what I had. Most of it I kept after some shuffling around and labeling of containers.
I'm not super messy in my studio, but I like organization. As Mary Poppins would say - "A place for everything and everything in its place."
DIY Work Tables
I have the space back. What did I learn?
You can make art anywhere but having a dedicated space to spread out and work on several pieces at once is invaluable.
I think every art teacher I've ever had has extolled the virtues of having multiple paintings going at once.
You have more painting time because you can work on another piece while the one you just worked on is drying.
When you get stuck on one painting, other paintings ask for attention.
The works inform each other. I love being able to have all of my in-progress work displayed. Working on one piece will often give me an idea for another. I think it speeds up the discovery process inherent in painting.
A studio is a dedicated place to make art.
There is a specialness about it. It's a bit like "right! here I am, in my place, let's go!"
Energy gets built up in the studio, contributing to being creative and making art. It's like going to an old cathedral. You can feel the sanctity of the place created from something lovely happening over and over again.
If you don't want to clean up, you don't have to. Mary Poppins isn't coming over.
I know what it's like to create art in a small space. It's doable. After all, I did one painting a day for 100 days in that small space. But it's not genuinely conducive.
If I am honest, I'll admit to missing my son sometimes, and it was nice having him here. But I love having my studio back and am so grateful!