messy art room

Seth Apter , The Altered Page, has given us all the opportunity to share our REAL art spaces.  Not cleaned up and photo-spread ready, but the way it looks when you're in a creative frenzy.

Here's my table space - it's a reclaimed door so 8' long by 3' wide.  This, unfortunately, is what it usually looks like.  My vision for this big table was that on the left by the window is all my stamping and collage stuff and on the right (near side) where all the paper is stacked, would be my painting station.  Well, I barely have enough room to make a postcard and NO room to paint!

This stack of paper (on the right side of the table) is probably 3" tall......oh my goodness I wonder what treasures are buried there?

Behind me while standing at my table is this controlled mess of paper.   I keep trying to find ways to organize it and keep it close to hand, but....well.....it gets messy.  But it IS a place to stack....and stack....and stack!

This card table is my 'sewing station' - fabric, fabric sample books, some deli paper and ribbons....all waiting for a project.

What a fun idea Seth had - I'm going to try to make plenty of time to visit lots of other art rooms....can't wait to see yours!

4 little questions

Over the last couple weeks I've read a number of responses to these 4 questions across the web.  I was asked to participate as one of Karen's 3 'forwards' but totally forgot last week, so here (a day late and a dollar short as my Mom would say), are my responses:

1.  What am I working on right now?
Well, as usual, I have many projects in various stages of disarray.  I'm joining in ICAD for the 3rd year so make a little piece of creativity every day for that.  But, prior to Tammy's challenge, I'd set one for myself to make something every day this year - it's my second consecutive 365 project and I'm exactly on track so far.  ICAD is just a way to accomplish two things at once.

I bought my stack of 4x6 index cards at the dollar store and always have them on hand because they also make a perfect postcard size, which is another thing I'm always working on.  It seems the postcards come in faster than I can return them sometimes, so I have marathon card making every few weeks to try to catch up. I always have a couple postcards sitting on my desk ready for a bit of left over paint or collage bits.

Finally, I always seem to have at least one canvas in process.  I work them slowly because it takes me awhile to figure out what to add, where to add it, what is needed, what I like and don't like.  Here's my current 12x12" WIP.

2.  How does my work differ from others in the genre?

The short answer is: I guess it doesn't much.  I don't innovate - I have yet to come up with a new technique, a ground breaking composition style or unique color combination. I'm in the "try this", no, "try that" phase of my art development.  I consider imitation to be the highest form of flattery (me imitating someone else).  From that imitation I feel like I can learn how to apply a certain technique or use a new tool.  From that imitation I learn what I like and don't like to do or to see.  Gradually I move away from imitating a style and incorporate just the pieces or colors or techniques that I like and it becomes mine - a conglomeration of all the imitating and influences that I've encountered.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my style and how I want to define it.  The thing is, I like so many things - how do I combine them in a artful way? As I've pondered, I've come to realize my strengths and loves. I love photography and have a huge personal library of photos I've taken all over the world.  I love collage and marrying textures and colors effectively.  I love playing with paint and the splash of color it can add to an image.  My goal - combine all three! I am going to focus on finding a way to incorporate my photos effectively into my art.  I'm not sure what that'll look like just yet - but it's going to become what differentiates me from others.....(she says hopefully! :)

Photo of arches at San Juan Capistrano

3.  Why do I create what I do?
I have created something all my adult life.  Cross stitch, quilting, cards, jewelry, whatever......I always enjoy learning and trying something new.  Why?  It's challenging, it's fun, it's necessary.  What do people do with their time who don't create something?  Dunno - I just know I prefer spending time with my glue, my bits of paper, my paint brushes.

4.  How does your creative process work?
Hmmm....my process?  Sometimes I have an actual idea, a sketch or plan or color that's calling to me and I can start and finish something with intention.  More frequently, I have no idea what I'm going to do - I just go into the art room, look around and whatever catches my eye, that's what I work on.

I'm so lucky to have a generously sized art room that is filled to the brim with 'stuff', so much stuff waiting for me to be inspired or to just "show up and do the work".  My work table is a reclaimed door, so it's nice and big and often looks like this - stacks here and there. My inspiration bulletin board is there to keep me motivated, some of my favorite creations or works in progress are tacked to the wall.  I LOVE my space - messy and yet inspiring. And I actually know what's in most of the stacks!

These utility shelves used to be in the garage, but work much better to hold my books, paper, found treasures and bins of ...... stuff.  My process is to grab a book and rip out a couple pages, grab some scrap paper, pick up a brush, grab whatever catches my eye and work with it.

So many people mention working to music or a TV on in the background.  I'm the opposite. I like a quiet house and almost always work in a quiet room.  I do have a radio in there, but it's rarely on.  I get so engrossed in what I'm doing, I wouldn't notice music anyway.  Sometimes I only have 10-15 minutes, so I dash in and make a postcard or work in my art journal - something that doesn't involve a paintbrush and clean up.  Some weekend days, I have all day so I putter in and out of the room - I'll work with focus for an hour or two then take a break and let stuff dry and go do something else.  An hour later I'm back for more and adding more layers or making more messes.  I love those days!

So, there you have it - a peek into how my brain works, how my creative process works and where I hang out.  The request for this series of questions was to ask 3 other bloggers to answer them as well.  Instead, I'm just putting it out there to anyone who feels inspired to answer.....do you?  How would you answer these questions?  I'd love to read your take - your process and background. Let's hear it!

art room reorg

I came home from work last Thursday all jazzed to rearrange and reorganize my art room.  Obviously my subconscious had been working at it for a while because I'd been needing more table top and storage space but didn't have any idea on how to make that happen.  Now, since I'm an interior designer you'd think I could space plan a little better - but it's often harder when you're your own client, right?

Anyway, I was finally struck with inspiration - I came home and pulled out the trusty tape measure then started to work.  I emptied out the whole room (so I could clean while I was at it!) except for the bank of shelves along one wall that's just too heavy.  Here's the 'before' which you might have seen from previous WOYWW entries.

You can see my work table is in the middle of the room, putting my back to the windows and light so my table was often in shadow.  I had a few TV trays serving as stacking space for papers.  Now......

Table in front of window (much better), papers to my right and overflow supplies on my left in the bookcase.  I've got frames, canvases and tablets leaning against the wall - there's about 3' behind the bookcase.

Then, my brilliant idea!  I have this computer desk overhead that we weren't using and was just in the garage collecting dust.  I enlisted hubby to help bring it upstairs (whew!) and it makes a perfect, accessible, long stackable surface for whatever papers or supplies are going into the current project!

To the left, or behind me if I'm facing my work table, is the wall of gorilla shelves.....

Bins, books, card making supplies, jewelry supplies, floral supplies and family games all reside here and now are grouped together instead of willy nilly on the shelves. Oh yeah, the room does have a closet and yep, it's full of stuff too - we outfitted it with those wire shelves and I have more magazines, paper, books and random supplies in there.  Truly, I need to stop collecting and start making!  (but the collecting is so much fun!)

So, all this reorganization has definitely inspired and refocused me and it's SUCH a pleasure to walk into the room and get busy.  I'm still fine tuning where things work best and sometimes can't remember where I tucked something, but that's minor.  The hard part is over; let the fun begin!