I often get asked about my studio space, so here it is.   Not very posh, is it?   But if it were, I wouldn't feel free to do as I please!  These cement walls are painted off white.   Under the wooden easel is an old carpet to cushion my feet and any pastels that might take a dive.   You can see the drawing table, a large shelf for frames, and the dark blob between the easel and table is a chair with a brown velevety cloth to put small objects to paint.   A bucket for a trash can is right close to the easel for sharpening those pencils, and behind the easel is an air purifier.   The pastels are on those long tables, one is an old buffet, the other a board over 2 file cabinets.   The trays on the buffet were made using foamboard and shipping tape.  


The room is in our basement, so alas, I am stuck with that one tiny window, west facing no less!   Maybe someday I'll get a better space with 'real' windows, although I've really loved this room.    You can see I have other easels, for traveling or demo's, and for just having another place to set something that may need time to 'simmer'.   In the low left corner, is the ever-important recliner for those much needed naps!  

I like having cement walls, as I tape up inspirational works from other artists, sketches or ideas I have done "for later" and my kids' drawings.   Makes it a very homey space to me.   And there is usually a soft smelling candle, and good music going.  




 



A closer view of my softer pastels on the buffet, in the home made foam trays.    All of my harder pastels and pastel pencils are on the file cabinet table (not seen here). The drawers below hold new erasers, charcoal, tapes, etc, and the shelves are for my art books.   I like them at my fingertips when at my easel.   Check out those great walls, they are an old barn that was torn down, and turned 'inside out' for this room.   I really love those walls!  

   And here is my 'other studio'....plein air!  You can see  my full sized French Easel  with a drawer of half sticks, various brands.   Not shown is a small  backpack with tape, clips, water, bugspray and some small  primed panels or papers to paint on.   Also, some alcohol  to use in underpaintings.   I  usually have an umbrella for shading both me and the easel/painting, and a small cart that is also a chair, where I put my backpack if the ground is damp.   The cart has big wheels and makes it easy to get my stuff to a nice spot with only one trip to the car, and less stress on my back.   This was in our pasture, with some very curious young heifers who came to see what I was doing!