Moving brings great changes, and for the first time in my life I have a dedicated studio space. Boxes are being unpacked, computer hooked up, printer tested, easel placed. Yippee!
Now comes the excitement (and expense) of tricking it out so it will be a place where I can work happily, efficiently, and comfortably. I’ve been looking for ideas for wall color, lighting, setup. The internet is a useful place sometimes, and a dangerous (to my budget) at other times.
I would love to read any and all the American Artists Studios series by Northlight, but unfortunately, the budget doesn’t allow for it. Well, maybe…
A quick internet search brings up a treasure book of studio porn.
- http://www.houzz.com/photos/home-office/Watercolor-Studio-/p/8
- http://www.homedit.com/19-artists-studios-and-workspace-interior-design-ideas/ (interestingly, the only two artists named in this slide show—Milton Glaser and Adrian Tomini—have what look to be very modest spaces.
The problem with looking at these home sites is that they want to be stylish, and so they show only stylish studios. Mostly white walls, elegant spaces. But is that always best for studio space?
Painter and teacher Will Kemp goes a little deeper into the subject of wall color on his blog:
Sadie Valeri, classical realist painter, teacher and owner of the popular Sadie Valeri Atelier generously shared her teaching studio set up on her website:
Dear readers, any suggestions from your own studios?
Mockingbirds at midnight 
Well I text you a pic of my wannabe tiny studio. You have great space with openness. I’ve said before I’ll say it again; jealous. I tried to make my little wannabe studio as nice looking as can because it is technically the dining room. Which is to small to be a dining room, but has a nice big window. No closet hide anything. So since it’s the first room you see when walking in the house I have to keep it decent. Hard for an artist I know. I recently cleaned it up but I’m not able to post pics on your blog. So I’ll tell you. I have an antique armoir for storing paper and large canvases. I have an antique nightstand/comode cupboard for my oil paints, a desk dedicated to watercolor paints books and supplies . I have a larger 3 drawer antique dresser for one drawer pastels, one drawer drawing material and the other for pic, references things I was working on. Other art books and DVDs are in a bookshelf in hallway. Keeping my art room corners clear for tripods, portfolios, easel and more canvases and paper. I saw the studio book you mentioned as well and thought it would be fun to see, but again I’d be jealouse of the space and richness of it all. When I run out of space I take over my kitchen. What can you do? A fish has got to swim and artist has to paint!
Juliana I love the pictures you sent of your studio. I painted in my living room for decades, and when I was working on a big project, I just gave up on tidiness. I admire the fact that you keep your art area neat in case of visitors. I never could do that!