A Virtual Studio Tour... |
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To be honest, if you were to stop by my place unexpectedly, I might invite you in to see my studio. Or not. It would depend on what was going on in there, whether or not it was remotely tidy, and whether or not I thought you would distract me from what needed to be done in there, work-wise.
That tidy thing, though, it cannot be overstated.
Let's face it, we artists are not known for keeping things orderly. We tend to believe that cleaning gets the way of the creative process, and to some extent it does. We also fervently need to have a reason to be in our studios on days when the art spark just isn't present, and on those days we clean. It's a welcome distraction and there is nothing like the sight of a pristine space to make us want to get in there and get our hands dirty. By now you are figuring out why this virtual tour is right up my alley.
You see what I choose to show you, and we are both satisfied. Or so i hope.
To begin, which is where I usually begin, we have... The Easel.
This is my Sorg easel, and while it isn't the only easel in the studio (far from it), it is my work horse. I use it for big canvases, small panels, and everything in between. It glides up and down with the touch of a finger and I am completely happy with it.
(Note to husband: Best Present EVER.)
You will see my travel box of paints, with a few tubes who are in need of caps and/or cleaning. You will also see the pink rubber thing that was designed for bathing dogs or cats. I use this baby for cleaning out my brushes with a bit of Murphy's Oil Soap after the Gambol rinse and swipe, It works well.
If you look really closely you will also see that I've taken one of the two aluminum containers out of the tray- because I was cleaning it! There you go, I do clean once in a while. Moving on....
(Note to husband: Best Present EVER.)
You will see my travel box of paints, with a few tubes who are in need of caps and/or cleaning. You will also see the pink rubber thing that was designed for bathing dogs or cats. I use this baby for cleaning out my brushes with a bit of Murphy's Oil Soap after the Gambol rinse and swipe, It works well.
If you look really closely you will also see that I've taken one of the two aluminum containers out of the tray- because I was cleaning it! There you go, I do clean once in a while. Moving on....
Next up is "My Desk". It's one of those white laminate desks with the credenza my youngest daughter used when she went away to boarding school. It sits to the right of my easel, and typically holds my phone (from which I control my music, via Sonos. If you don't know about Sonos, go right now and google it... you'll start saving for one today!) It is also home to more pens than anyone should ever own, but there you have it.
As you can see from the photo, it holds a lot of other stuff a well. A label maker, important reference photos, a rock my husband gave me from Antarctica, circa 1970, There is an Arches watercolor paper sampler and if you look closely you will see a brush. On said brush is the cardboard paper and alligator clip gizmo that Richard Schmidt talks about in one of his books. This actually works to keep the hairs of the brush in good form after a proper cleaning. I feel like it's Christmas morning when I open up the dried brush in perfect condition... it's one of life's great pleasures, to see a favorite brush restored to perfect health!
As you can see from the photo, it holds a lot of other stuff a well. A label maker, important reference photos, a rock my husband gave me from Antarctica, circa 1970, There is an Arches watercolor paper sampler and if you look closely you will see a brush. On said brush is the cardboard paper and alligator clip gizmo that Richard Schmidt talks about in one of his books. This actually works to keep the hairs of the brush in good form after a proper cleaning. I feel like it's Christmas morning when I open up the dried brush in perfect condition... it's one of life's great pleasures, to see a favorite brush restored to perfect health!
I confess, I have been mocked for my penchant for BRUSHES. It can't be helped, I just love collecting new brushes, but I have no problem tossing out the old, frayed ones.
If a brush is working for me, I will often use it for 80% of a new painting. It's like a magic wand and I never want to stop painting with it till the job is done.
I have several Go To brands of brushes, and they include the following:
Anything by Rosemary & Co.
The Princeton Monarch series
My old faithful brush series by Utrecht, the synthetic black brushes with yellow, green or red bands on them. They last forever!
If a brush is working for me, I will often use it for 80% of a new painting. It's like a magic wand and I never want to stop painting with it till the job is done.
I have several Go To brands of brushes, and they include the following:
Anything by Rosemary & Co.
The Princeton Monarch series
My old faithful brush series by Utrecht, the synthetic black brushes with yellow, green or red bands on them. They last forever!
Now that I've rambled on for longer than you probably care to read, I will toss a few images in here ( roll over for captions) and if you express an interest to ask any questions, I'll be happy to tell you what's going on... just comment below.
As you can see, I paint any and everything. Flowers, Landscapes, Figures and Rocks (after a recent car crash I discovered the joys of digital drawings on my iPad Pro). And you'll always find at least one, often two, black Labs sleeping somewhere near my setup. The only day I don't paint is usually on Thursdays, because I'm pretty busy with the Artists Helping Artists podcast. Check it out if you haven't already, on Blog Talk Radio.
As you can see, I paint any and everything. Flowers, Landscapes, Figures and Rocks (after a recent car crash I discovered the joys of digital drawings on my iPad Pro). And you'll always find at least one, often two, black Labs sleeping somewhere near my setup. The only day I don't paint is usually on Thursdays, because I'm pretty busy with the Artists Helping Artists podcast. Check it out if you haven't already, on Blog Talk Radio.
Now, here is the GIVEAWAY. It's a beauty, don't you think?
Don't forget to enter the giveaway, it's loaded with art supplies we all use and love... just hop onto my mailing list, visit the other artists, and if you want a bonus entry, follow me on Instagram @mgtsheldon.
TO ENTER:
1. SIGN UP FOR MY MAILING LIST(see the top of this page)
2. FOLLOW THE OTHER ARTISTS I'VE LISTED
(Beth Welch, Tram Colwin, Beverly Gurganus, and Christina Keith)
3. FOR A BONUS ENTRY, FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @mgtsheldon
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