A tour of my art studio!

studio tour

A glimpse of my creative space, beautifully captured by the super talented Emilie Bernard.

A HOME STUDIO

The room is on the top floor of our home, the quietest spot in the house (away from kids and cats!) It has beautiful light in the morning, which is my favorite time to create (that, and late at night) and I can see the trees and birds through the skylight.

The center of the studio is an open space so I can paint on the floor or roll my easel where I get the best light. I also have a kitchen counter that I use for art journaling, sculpture and encaustic work, as well as for filming classes.

““... an image, a feeling, the smell of wood, the peaceful, nurturing atmosphere that the presence of art creates.””

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my happy place

What makes this space so special to me is the time I actually spend in it. Sometimes I resist going into the studio, so many other things seem to get in the way, but when I lock myself in there, it feels like home. Standing in my happy place, surrounded by the things that inspire me, listening to the rustling of the trees, even for just a few minutes… it never fails to inspire me. Time runs differently in this space.

INSPIRATION ALL AROUND

My inspiration wall is a constant work in progress. There are images that I keep month after month, textures, photos, materials and words that inspire me. The images can be from magazines, Pinterest, botanical prints, artworks from artists I love. Nature is always very present. I keep adding, removing and moving things around. There's a big empty space in the middle where I can tape images and notes for particular projects. I also use this space to display pieces I'm working on. Surrounding myself with the things I love, things that intrigue and inspire me, is key to my creative process.

““Time runs differently in this space...””

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““Surrounding myself with the things I love, things that intrigue and inspire me, is key to my creative process.””

sweet chaos...

Chaos is where creation comes from, right? I am naturally very messy and I've learned to be OK with it. When I start creating, I pull out materials, images, objects, texts and all my favorite art supplies, in a bit of a frenzy! It only takes a few minutes for the place to become completely covered up in my "sweet chaos". This is part of my process, my way of inviting inspiration and serendipity. Materials come together in ways I didn't anticipate, color schemes appear spontaneously, words and images give birth to new stories… I give myself complete freedom.

... and mindfulness

But the reason I can do this and not feel worried or guilty, is because I've created a system that allows me to tidy up easily. First, I'm very mindful of what I allow into the studio, and anything that feels off has to go. Then, my storage solutions are simple and everything has a specific place, right down to the tiniest paper leftover. Tidying up at the end of a project has become a bit of a ritual: little by little the place and I become quiet again after the creative storm has passed. When the place is clean and tidy, it feels like a blank canvas, ready for a new adventure…