If you have a terrific workspace, show it off! I love the photographs of Shirley Williams’ studio on her Web site.
Sharing your workspace connects you with your community on a deeper level by taking away some of the mystery. And taking away some of the mystery is okay. People love to be let in on a secret! We realized this when I worked in museums and we offered “Behind the Scenes” tours, when we led museum members into storage and office areas that they weren’t normally privy to. They even love seeing the shipping docks!
One more thing about the pics on Shirley’s site: they show her artwork in situ. Having great photos of individual pieces is one thing, but showing how they look within a space helps people to better visualize their scale and how they relate to furniture and architectural elements.
Incidentally, Shirley is joining me as one of the guests for smARTist Telesummit, which begins in less than two weeks. Shirley will be presenting a session on putting together a winning portfolio. Check it out.
Send to Kindle
I’m always a bit hestitant to show the chaos that is my studio, mainly because it’s about the size of an American closet! Wow, I’m really amazed by Shirley’s studio. That is the type of place I visualise for my future studio. Bearing in mind that it appears to be bigger than my entire house here. Gotta love London properties! My studio (a good sized room here) is 11′x10′. Still, with my convex mirror I can get a photo: http://tinyurl.com/8jyanj
Gorgeous studio, Shirley! Awesome photograph, Tina! This proves that art gets created anywhere there is a desire.
Oh, I would love to have the space Shirley has. However, I love my little studio even more because it is mine! LOL I have pics of my little place on my website. I can’t keep up with them though because my studio is always in transition. It doesn’t look exactly the same from week to week. Oh and TINA, I don’t hesitate to show the chaos in my studio. In fact, I made a YouTube video about cleaning it! Now that was a mess transformed! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDBtgs0YtcQ
Harumph…I’ve got studio envy.
Mine is nothing to write home about. It’s the master bedroom in our two-bedroom townhouse (or as we call it, Chateau Ghetto). My husband is also an artist, so we’re both crammed in there. LOL
Okay, I have a dumb question…Years ago, I had a big studio, & used to have vanity shows there & sell directly to the public…Today, my studio is tiny, & I cannot do business there because it is zoned residential …But I have been working with galleries consistently & send clients there…Do you think that if I had a better studio in a business zoned building that I could resume selling directly & stop relying on galleries ? I feel like I can sell better myself, & can offer better prices without the gallery commission…Better worded, do you think investing in a good studio is a way of bypassing the gallery dependence & increasing potential sales by streamlining red tape, middlemen, & contracts etc. ? (& is this wise or dumb ?)
Shirley’s studio is fabulous! When my husband and I bought a house, what thrilled me most was getting my own studio space, and it’s also what allowed me to expand, to really claim my artist self. Here’s a set of photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9187876@N08/sets/72157601392528118/
Oh my, your studio is fabulous! I don’t have much space in my studio, but I surely have a place for all my projects! Good idea: spring into action — a photo of my disorganized, ORGANIZED studio. Great subject, by the way. Alyson, I always seem to be a tad late in emplementing your wonderful ideas, however, it has all been very helpful in making my vision a reality! Thanks! Yours, Catherine
Just finished my studio – a real dream come true. I also use it to teach workshops, so it allows students to get hands on experience with the same tools and techniques I use each day. Thanks for allowing mw to share it… http://robertrodriguezjr.com/content.php?page=studio
Wow! How fun to go visit all the studios linked to here. I’ve seen books like this – peeks into writer’s offices. I love it. This inspired a post about my own traveling studio. http://www.journeyjuju.com/2009/01/my-studio.html Thanks, Alyson, for sparking this sharing of our studio space!
My outdoor studio… http://fototime.com/F5950AB92BAF772/standard.jpg Our shared building garden has six stone tables which I use to paint on in the summer, or when I feel brave in winter…(psst. it’s a secret…)
You all might be interested in knowing about the Interactive Studio Blog Project on P Farrell’s artblog (http://pfarrellartblog.blogspot.com). It’s a wonderful view into the studios of several contemporary artists, with good photos of their spaces.
I love seeing other artists spaces. I envy those of you who have lots of natural light. My workspace is literally in the middle of my house(well tucked into the corner in the middle of my house) It’s actually meant to be a dining area connected to the living room. I love my space. Now if I would only sit down in it and start painting again! I have a little picture of it on my blog http://www.artspectrum.blogspot.com(the picture was taken right after a good cleaning session)
Not beautiful (but then I work in clay among other things and so it isn’t going to be all neat and shiney and clean), but I love it. My studio: http://tammyvitale.typepad.com/women_art_life_weaving_it/2009/01/ta-daaaaa-studio-january-09.html I hope everyone who has honored themselves with a studio somewhere to do their work is proud of it no matter how small.
I love to see other people’s studios….. it is always interesting to see how others organize space and materials. In December I moved into shared studio space in a 28,000 square foot art center – VisArts at Rockville (The Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts in Maryland.) I love the art center and my space. http://judithheartsong.blogspot.com/2008/12/lucky-number-13-extraordinary.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/judithheartsong/sets/72157611663228785/
Alyson: this is a wonderful post and series of comments. I am always intrigued by seeing other artists’ workspaces–big and beautiful, tiny and cramped–matters not to me. It’s the glimpse inside the creative process, the behind-the scenes, the id, etc. that intrigues me. I am continuing my project: the Interactive Studio Blog Project (clumsy name, fun project) and invite artists to send a jpeg of their work, one of their studio, and a short statement that bridges the two. I’ll also include a link to your blog or website. I post about one a week… my email is [email protected]. Alyson, that’s for your great blog and helpful info. Best, Pam Farrell pamelafarrell.com [email protected]