Downsizing the Studio (temporarily)

As packing and purging continues in our Phase One of Living the Dream, I am downsizing my studio space (temporarily). In addition, I’m also making it mobile! The goal with this strategy is to allow me to continue making art no matter how small my space is or where I am in the transition process. 

To achieve this, I pulled out the smaller of my two pochade painting boxes and the lightest weight camera tripod that I have. I also purchased a three-tiered caddy on wheels that can hold my brushes, paints, brush cleaners, paper towels and plastic wrap for the glass palette which I place over the wooden pochade box palette. When not in use the tripod and paint box can also be stored on the caddy. 

Because the caddy, which is about two feet by one foot in size, is on wheels, my goal is to be able to store it in a coat closet, a corner of our future rental apartment. When we eventually purchase a property, there is a good chance the future studio space will need a lot of renovation which will take both time and funding to complete. Until that can be accomplished, a potential Plan B studio ‘pod’ (AKA shed) could be created so that my art practicr can continue unabated! This pod could then be utilized for the Artist Retreat aspect of the business thus giving visiting artists a private creative space in addition to access to the larger studio and art equipment, ie easels, printing press, potter’s wheel and kiln. I’m thinking too, if I design the pod well, it could also act as a writer’s space which means I could expand the Artists Retreat to include literary artists/writers as well.

But… all in good time! For now, the packing continues and eventually I will have purged and stored enough so that the chaos of the current studio quiets down and I can begin painting again, working in my compact studio!