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What's your studio like?
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Message
Posted
I have recently had all my art supplies banished by the hubby, as he's sick of the sight of boxes of supplies everywhere, from the house into an old back coal room that's just full of rubbish and a storage room basically. I was looking at it and thinking ummm could I do this up as a studio, but no it's full to the brim of gardening equipment and the hubbys mr fix it tools, I thought maybe a shed but no way can we put them in a shed the rate they get broken into and stolen where we live.
So I have my eye on a small cupboard at the top of the stairs that isn't really doing much, it used to be an airing cupboard and it housed the boiler and water tank, but as times have changed it's now redundant, and is again just full of junk. Im thinking of ripping it all out putting in some shelving, giving it a bright coat of paint and popping a pull out desk and chair in there.
Has anyone got anything similar, do you think it will work such a tiny space? All I have out at the moment is my watercolours and some paper, I need access to everything.
Advice and help for storage ideas etc how to provide light in there, hang my paints etc anything would be brilliant. Its about 4ft x 4ft but I can pull out into the landing to work. Im thinking maybe attach an easel to the back of the door?
Hit me with your ideas!!!
Posted
I teach guitar for the Essex School Music Service - I regularly get to teach in what is little more than a junk-filled storage cupboard. I don't do my best work in there.
At home - Kathy wanted her Conservatory back so we had a clear out down the shed, had a smaller shed built to store the stuff we were keeping, demolished the old shed and built a 5 x 3 metre log cabin in its place at the bottom of the garden for me to teach in. It's got eight of my guitars down there, 14 power sockets so we can run amplifiers and the recording desk, fridge for beer, freezer for ice cream, a comfy chair for a parent to sit on, loads of music and space for two people to play. It's just about big enough - emphasis on "just about". I've got some of my art on the walls.
Go for as large a space as you can; you'll rapidly expand to fill it.
Posted
Could you use your cupboard space for storing all your gear ? Then use a small container for what you want to use when you work. I never think an easel s a good idea for watercolour anyhow as your control is limited to its angle. For W/C I find a drawing board a better option you can increase or decrease its angle with whatever is to hand..usually a tin or a book.
That way you can paint at the kitchen table with all your creature comforts around you .
Then hey ho ( Santa mode) you can tidy up in the wink of a reindeers eye and put your stuff neatly stached away in your magic cupboard.
I’m a lucky elf and have a Sylv shed at the top of the garden. But then I have big easels etc. The drawback of this is that it’s a long trek up to it .
Posted
Your situation may well be the norm for most of us, Jen. I draw and paint on a big table in our conservatory...only watercolours nothing bigger than A2, and prefer a drawing board like Sylvia. When we have company and need the conservatory table, my stuff gets shunted into our spare bedroom. So the clutter and mess I make is always there, it just gets moved around. I've got a dilapidated shed I sometimes use in the summer, but it needs a complete rebuild to be usable all year round.
John's rented studio sounds like a little bit of heaven to me.
So no help from me.
Lew.
Posted
A common problem Jen! I currently have stuff in at least 3 rooms. I use a table in a bedroom for watercolours but don't want to do big paintings (especially oils) there. A few years ago I tried to set up our utility room as my "studio" but as kitchen is very small and we don't have a lot of storage space, utility room (which is not very big either) has a fridge, a freezer, a washing machine and a tumble dryer in it too! Was doable though until we replaced tumbler dryer with a condenser one which as it made room warmer and damper, I had to move most of my paper etc out. Still use it on the odd occasion I use oils - provided not using the washing machine!
Large paintings/acrylic paintings involves a couple of groundsheets in front room usually! (currently removed for Christmas)
What I do find very useful for watercolours is one of these table-top easels that doubles as a small art storage box.
Good luck in getting a space just the way you would like it.
Posted
I'm very lucky these days - when I first started off, I painted in the kitchen. When we moved into a three-storey town house, I claimed the spare bedroom as a studio/office/library (including en-suite bathroom!) I've now moved upstairs to a different bedroom, and it's gradually becoming full of tat, but it's still better than the kitchen table :)
Posted
Studio, ha,ha. Not owning a Pemberley, Rosings or Longbourne estate and since I live in a modest semi-detatched house, I'll try for the title of the smallest work space. (One of the reasons I usually work A2 biggest) My pc desk is on one side of the chimney breast, complete with a small bookshelf behind the monitor and with cables, modem,speakers and stuff under the desk table.. My chair is a swivel computer one and I just swing round to the right without moving, where all my art parafinalea sits on the end of the kitchen worktop. Much of the time I work with the sketch pads on my knees or leaning against my desktop p.c..(I am forever in trouble with my wife for acrylic paint on my pants) Every so often I cart full sketchbooks etc upstairs and file them away in plastic boxes under the back bed. If I'm feeling energetic and divorce isn't imminent, I might stand up and work on the kitchen worktop (but not for long, believe me).
Edited
by Wanderer69
Posted
There's only so much you can do in one sitting, Jen. You don't have to have all your art materials about you to be creative. Decide what you want to do, and choose the materials you need to complete the session, too much around you could give rise to you doing nothing. I use the kitchen table for my painting, writing, or calligraphy, no central heating in my old home. My art supplies are many and stashed away, out of the way, in an unused corner, upstairs. I decide what I want to do and choose the appropriate 'stuff' for the project I fancy doing.
Don't bog yourself down with unnecessary paraphernalia when it comes to storage. I put a few shelves up, job done.
Posted
All these discussions have made me feel incredibly privileged. When we down sized a few years ago one of the criterions was that we had something which could be used as or converted into a studio. The house we chose had a tandem garage suitable for housing three cars so I was able to convert half of it into a purpose 'built' studio and I've never looked back.
I have a gas filled heater which soon warms it and being fully insulated to current regs it stays warm for a long time after the heating has been switched off. There is no running water but I keep a supply of old plastic milk containers topped up and ready for use. The only downside is that I have to run into the house for the loo which is usually no exaggeration - when you are absorbed in your work you just put it off and off and off to the last moment.
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