Tag Archives: studio

New Brushes for a New Start

February 22, 2022 By in art, art at the speed of life, Art supplies, mixed media, pam carriker Tags: , , , , , , , 9 Comments

Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to buy some new supplies! I recently decided that it was time for some new brushes so I went to my favorite brush maker, Rosemary & Co and placed a nice big order, actually two orders lol. 

I love their brushes, they are handmade and last a long time. I originally ordered the long handled ones like I’d been using but went back and opted for some short handles too as they are easier to take with me to my art group. These are their Eclipse line and are so wonderful with acrylics.

Packaging isn’t everything, but I have to say the boxes these came in made my heart smile.

These are just the things I needed to begin a new chapter in my art adventure and with a little care they will last a long time and are worth the investment.

This is my favorite brush cleaning soap, and YES, I clean my brushes after every painting session. This soap helps keep the bristles clean and conditioned.

A Peek at My Studio, a work in progress

October 20, 2017 By in art at the speed of life, mixed media, pam carriker Tags: , , 16 Comments

Some of you may remember that last spring we moved…again! Why many have asked, especially when we had just had a house built, well we had an opportunity to live on a private airstrip in a home with an airplane hangar! It’s been our retirement dream for many years and we decided to jump on this chance as you can never be sure when they will come along. So we are now living in our retirement home, just early lol.

Creating a studio space along with renovating much of our ‘new’ older home has taken us a lot of time but it’s finally feeling like everything is coming together. My studio is not done but it’s at a good place where I can work and dream about further renovations, like skylights, but nothing ‘needs’ to be done now to make it a good studio space for me. I have about 700 sq feet that includes the art space, a small office and a bathroom. The next thing that’s being done is a custom sliding barn door is being created from an old fence we took down on the property. The wood will be reclaimed and left rustic and I think it will be super cool in the oversized opening that adjoins the space to the living area.

I overcame the urge to totally tidy up before pictures so excuse the mess, but I’m  in the middle of several projects and will clean up when I’m done lol.

The floors were done in reclaimed wood look ceramic tile and I’m  really happy with them.

I recently taught at an art school in Paducah, KY and loved the tables they had. It’s a packing table from Uline and extremely sturdy. I also bought the chair from there. Working at a taller table allows me to stand and work when I want to.

Print making and dry media corner. The barn door will actually slide open on this wall so I’ll have to move the storage around when it goes in. Below my Raskog carts fit perfectly under my new work table.

Large canvas painting area.

Storage cabinets and prep area. I have a line with clips that will go on this wall to hang work, sketches etc. I like to hang current work to help me build off of it.

My little office space. It’s small but I love it and love looking out onto the back patio and yard.

Hope you enjoyed a little peek into my work space, I know I love looking at other peoples studios!

Starting Fresh in 2014

January 5, 2014 By in art at the speed of life Tags: , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments
Starting Fresh in 2014

I don’t know why, but January is the month I always feel compelled to do my Spring Cleaning. I have this need to start off the New Year on the right foot and to do things better and smarter than the year before. So when I saw Mary Beth Shaw’s pictures of her SEPARATE Home Office I slapped myself upside the head (not really:-) and said ‘Duh’ why didn’t I think of doing that?!

I’ve been trying to figure out how to get more space in my studio and in reality all I need to do was move out the computer, file cabinet and secretary desk and revamp the smaller of our two guest bedrooms into a Home Office for me! I think it didn’t occur to me because we have a Home Office downstairs that is hubby’s domain, but I keep all of my business separate from our household so it really makes sense to have a separate office space.

I’ve been eyeing this desk for a couple of years now but never had room for it. It’s from Martha Stewarts Home Office Collection.

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My goal was to create a Home Office that could still double as a 2nd guest bedroom when needed.

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I wanted the office furniture to tie in with my antique Chifferobe and Murphy Bed that originally belonged to my grandparents and were recently passed down to me from my dad. I’ve actually slept on the Murphy Bed every time I visited their house so it’s really special to have it living in my home now.

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I like my workspaces uncluttered but still wan them to look nice so I brought a few of my favorite things in from my studio and around the house.   The little dress hanging up was actually my grandfather’s baby dress and Kecia Deveney’s artwork fits in well. I also went through my stash of artwork and pulled some pieces that I thought went well together.

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This Chifferobe now holds all of my office supplies.

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I absolutely love this credenza file cabinet. I transferred all of my files to it and still have a little room to grow.

1525394_10201954126752416_163636914_nThis little blue cart was also on my radar, it’s from Ikea and I love it! I think I see another one in my future for the studio…
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And while moving my inspiration board in it was so overloaded that things were spilling all over the place so I decided to start with a clean slate here as well. It will fill as 2014 progresses and I think it perfectly represents the fact that endless possibilities are ahead in the New Year!

Slowly but Surely

August 31, 2011 By in art at the speed of life Tags: , , , , , , 5 Comments

Things are falling into place (falling? Well, being placed there with careful attention-lol) I’m loving this little niche in the room for my desk work. It’s not my favorite part of the ‘Full Time Artist’ thing, so I try to make my surroundings as enjoyable and none distracting as I can. If I try to work in arms reach of paint and other art supplies I get sucked into the more fun aspects of creating! I love how the sheer drapes section this area off a bit without closing it in too much.

That pile of work sitting there followed me over from my old studio and needs attention fast, so I’m pushing to get my studio in order asap.

At day’s end the desk is a bit more tidy and what you can’t see is that behind the panel on the right is my kind of ugly but functional file cabinet with that pile of ‘needs to be done soon’ work from my desk, organized by priority. I like that I don’t have to look at it right when I walk into my studio, but it’s easy to see what needs to be done when I sit at my desk. Those of you who work as full-time artists know that at least half of your time is spent working on things other than actual art. It’s important to make that time as enjoyable as possible and to set yourself up for successful use of that time. Seeing a desk full of work does not make me want to go and sit there, but having one task on the desk and the rest out of sight but in easy reach from an uncluttered desk makes it a bit easier.

I have found that for me, neutral calming colors and uncluttered work areas work best. I’ve done the colorful walls, stuff everywhere kind of workspace and have come to prefer a cleaner, less cluttered, light filled space. Bottom line is to pay attention to what works for you. How do you feel in your space? Do you want to go into it, or do you want to shut the door on it and find your art supplies migrating to other areas? Listen to your inner voice and create a space that invites you in.

Virtual Studio Tours!

October 13, 2010 By in art at the speed of life Tags: , , , , , , 13 Comments

Who doesn’t love to peek into the creative workspace of others?! Studios editor (and contributor to my book) Cate Pratos is hosting a Virtual Studio Tour the 15th-17th. So join in the fun and see some amazing creative spaces.

I was excited to have my studio space included in the Summer 2010 issue along with an article on ‘Making Time for Studio Time’

When I revamped my space, I re-purposed furniture from other parts of the house. I pulled my collection of antique depression ware out of hiding and used it to hold my treasures.

The only thing I bought was a gallon of paint and this comfy green chair. I added a curtain rod and clip rings to the entire length of the wall to hang things from. It works well with the short walls.

Ooops, make this the second thing I bought! I love this organizational shelf that sits right beside my worktable.

Here’s a link for that awesome shelf, http://www.dickblick.com/products/best-art-organizers/

I’ve had this shelf for quite awhile, scavenged from a scrapbook store that went out of business.

 

This pic is a tad dark but it gives you a better idea of my studio space. I create in the bonus room over our garage. I really love the cozy feel the sloped ceiling gives the space, while still having height so I don’t feel cramped.

When I walk down these three steps I shut out the world and I’m able to focus on living Art at the Speed of Life!