Where I Create

Several years ago, when I found myself completely drawn to the Somerset Studio mixed-media art publications at Barnes and Noble, I also poured over images of the studios where these artists create in a similar publication entitled Where Women Create.  Not only did I feel a kinship with these women and their art, but with the space in which they work.  The creativity.  The colors.  The supplies.  The storage options.  Everything about these artists and their surroundings spoke to my soul.  And, as I began to claim the calling of an artist, albeit somewhat shyly,  I found that my own space transformed along with me.

This space that my family now refers to as “the art room,” stood briefly as a playroom for my boy and girl.  Once they settled into our new house and felt more comfortable playing in the downstairs basement, I seized the opportunity to turn it back into a dining room and an extra drawing area for my boy who just happens to be a prolific drawer.  Now, he wouldn’t have to move his crayons and paper from the kitchen table at dinner-time every night!  Soon, though, I found myself battling my boy and girl over space for my own art supplies and re-imagining this room’s possibilities.  I’ve always been pretty keen on making all the rooms in our home functional; so, while we’ve put  extra-leaves in the table for the occasional family dinner, for the most-part, the dining-room is my studio.  That said, I thought it might be fun to give you all a peek into this space where I create!

This photo shows the view from one of the doorways.  My husband and I inherited the old table from my parents when we first got married.  It’s always been a bit shaky, but I love the aged-oak and it’s turned legs.  I keep the table covered with Kraft paper at all times and it serves beautifully as a work space!

We inherited the buffet from my late grandmother’s farmhouse soon after transitioning this room to a dining room.  My boy and girl each have a cabinet for their own special supplies and I use the drawers for sewing supplies.  Atop the buffet, I keep scraps of fabric in an old wooden dough bowl along with a vintage tin filled with paper scraps for collaging and a 2-tiered caddy made of cake pans where rubber stamps perch.  The chair in the corner is also a rescue from the farmhouse which I had reupholstered in this awesome colorful fabric.  My “Brave Girl” piece hangs happily beside it.  As for the frames above the buffet, I’ve just been lazy about choosing and printing photos to fill the two empty frames beside my boy and girl!

To the left of the buffet, stands a vintage easel that my mom passed down to me a while back.  It is a bit wobbly, as it meant to be a travel easel, but it serves its purpose for now, until I can buy something more substantial.  The 3-tiered turquoise cart holds the majority of my working supplies:  paintbrushes, paints, brayers, heat gun, metal-working tools, etc.  Being on wheels, it allows me to pull it over to the table so that everything is in within arms reach when I am in the midst of creating.  We bought the old oak hutch from a local antique store several years ago and it houses most of my additonal art supplies, including a sewing machine.  I love being able to “hide” everything behind closed doors when I am not working!

And finally, the last corner of the room holds most of the kids’ working supplies, along with pallets, jars for water, and a basket of socks to wipe-off my brushes, as needed.  The chippy, old boot shelf came from another favorite local antique shop.  I think it’s almost 200 years old…My husband thought I was crazy when I first showed it to him, but I love it just the same!  The framed quilt above the shelf is actually a piece of a quilt that my husband’s babysitter made for him when he was a little boy.  I knew that I wanted to use cheerful colors in this room and was quite excited when I realized this old quilt bore the exact color scheme that I had in mind.  Art with a story is the best!  The “Soak!” painting on the adjacent wall is one of my latest pieces from this year. And, the ladder/baskets hold my stash of favorite yarns, felted wool and vintage textiles that I go to for both collaging and wrapping gifts.

I imagine that my space will continue to evolve along with me, just as it has already.  The evolution is a lot like the art process itself.  Putting some things into the mix.  Taking others out.  All things working together.  Always a work in progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement