Are you like me and wonder what it would be like to have a palacious studio? You know, like some of those you see in art magazines that so often look so clean and tidy with places for everything and even a space to paint! I'm quite sure there are many of us that would be quite happy with a little space we can call our own without having to set up everytime we want to create! Setting up each time or even the thought of having to do so can stifle the most artistic spirit! For many years I had to set up on dining tables, the lounge room, spare room (that became more a spare room than a studio) and a long stint on the back porch that I shared with the dog and its errant hairs. The back porch was open to the elements too, including the burning heat of summer and the cold nights of winter. Many nights were spent under the verandah flouro light with several layers of clothes on that made me look like the Michelin Man! I'm quite sure many of us have good 'studio' stories to tell! I now work in a semi-converted tool shed about 4×2 meters. I put second-hand carpet on the floor and lined the walls with mdf board with insulation behind it. It looked roomy to start with, now, its full and messy! Does the quality of our studio really affect the quality of our work? As far as space is concerned, who wouldn't want lots of storage for paints, canvas and equipment, but I think the space we work in has limited effect on how good we can become as artists. Other factors will affect that more. There is no substitute for 'brush hours' - none at all, but that is the subject of my next blog post. When it comes down to it, the little bit of space we have in front of the easel becomes our little world for a while, whether we are in the middle of a roomy organised studio or the kitchen table. The painting that became my first major sale was done in a spare room in which there was no 'spare room'! My first exhibition pieces were painted on the back porch, where I battled wind and dog hairs, some of which became permanent parts of the works! In short, don't let your space, or lack of it get you down. Sure, aspire to having your very own 'studio' and work towards it, but don't let it stop you from doing your best work. If you can only work from the kitchen table or corner of the room with no immediate prospects of a bigger space, let it be your badge of honour!