Creating a Studio Space
Over the years I’ve had students from my Portrait Painting and Drawing class share that one of their challenges is lack of studio space. In a nutshell they say they have no designated space to work. With them in mind, I thought I’d devote this blog post to creating a simple studio space that is small and thus easy to designate in one’s home. Or that’s the theory anyway!
Having a big open space to create is the ideal dream for most artists no matter their skill set. However, that can sometimes be hard to achieve, especially when you are just starting out or if your living arrangements just don’t permit it. I’m here to show you that you don’t need a huge space to create art.
My current painting space is approximately 16 square feet and is set up in one corner of our temporary apartment; a 900 square foot apartment shared by my husband, myself, our two adult daughters and two springer spaniels. I have a 36 x 38-inch plastic mat covering the carpet where I do most of my painting. This mini studio consists of a wooden paintbox (pochade) that is 10 x 13 x 2 inches and mounted on a camera tripod. I have a standard size desk chair and a large floor lap that floods the corner with natural light. You can purchase specific light bulbs that are natural light, not the warm yellow or the blue LED light that you find in most homes. Next to my makeshift easel, I have a three-tier metal cart on wheels that measures 12 x 16 x 30 inches that holds all my painting supplies. These items make up my mini studio.
The lamp, cart and chair were all purchased at IKEA, so very affordable, however some assembly will be required. The light bulb was from Ace Hardware and the plastic mat from Office Depot. The tripod and paintbox I already had but you can purchase both on Amazon at varying prices. My pochade box came from Guerrilla Painter, Old Schoolhouse Road, 851 CR 76 H, Livermore, CO 80536, 970-484-4240, www.pochade.com. I’ve also seen similar pochade boxes at Guiry’s, a local art supply store in Colorado.
Granted in a space this small, it means the work I create is small, but that is okay. If my options are work small scale or don’t work at all, I will choice the former every time! The important thing at the end of the day is to create art and to do it as often as you can. You don’t need a lot of space, you just need the desire, the dedication, and a little bit of creativity in carving out and setting up a work area for yourself. If you are just starting out, you also need to give yourself permission to give yourself this space… and time to pursue your artistic endeavors! So, there you have it… an easy and relatively inexpensive way to set up a mini studio in your home or apartment. Now get to work and make some art!
