Artists Studios Online Tour and Giveaways – A Blog Carnival

Many thanks to Marla for organizing this blog Carnival on artists' studios. I can't wait to see everyone's creative space. On that note, here is a virtual tour of my studio. 

My studio is on the second level of my home at the top of the stairs. I have a sign that I painted above the door that says "Artist's Entry" in French.

When you walk in this is the area where I do my painting. I have 2 great windows with amazing light that lasts almost all day long. It's a little tight in that corner but the light is just perfect there so it's worth it. 

Here it the view from my windows. Since I'm on the second story of a stilt house, I'm actually above the tree line. The palm trees swaying in the wind are so calming and watching the birds and clouds passing by is meditative. It's so conducive to creating, having all this nature and color right there. With the windows open it's even cooler when you can hear the birds crowing, chirping, and calling to each other. There are a lot of native berry trees in this expanse of "forest" which keeps the birds happy and provides me with something to watch as I stare out the window.

The following photos are of my painting table, my bookcase with my art books. The cans that hold my brushes are a Cafe Bustelo coffee can. Cafe Bustelo is kind of a staple down here, you find it a lot at the Cuban coffee shops down in Key West. The smaller one is an olive can that my aunt gave me. My uncle had picked up cases of olives in Spain and after he passed my aunt gave me a few cans and after eating them I saved the cans for paintbrush holders. My uncle was a painter also so it's little homage to him in my studio. 

There is usually at least one cat in the studio at all times. Since they are not allowed in there when I am not in there they seem to want to hang out there even more. Which is why I spend a lot of time picking cat hairs out of my brushes and paintings. The company is worth it though.

My storage closet. My big male cat insists on going in my supply closet and rearranging everything. Hence the conch shell doorstop.

I have one corner that I sort of use as a meditation corner. Sometimes I start my painting off with about 10 minutes of silent meditation. I sit on the floor and try to clear my head. Sometimes when I am not painting I will just go to this corner and sit. My studio is a pretty peaceful place (when it's not in complete disarray and chaos...then it's just an anxiety magnet!) so sometimes I will just go in there and sit, stare out the window, stare at the ceiling.

Then there's my desk area. I have a drawing table, my laptop on which I listen to my music, podcasts, etc. and a little set of drawers in the corner. The chair is a great find I found in Key West for $30. It's incredibly heavy and solid and the wood is so worn in spots. I love it. I thought about refinishing it and then decided against it. It's beautiful the way it is. 

That's pretty much it. It's small but it's working perfectly for me and it makes me happy to be in that space. Hope you enjoyed the tour! Feel free to leave comments, ask questions, etc. 

Ciao!

Go BEHIND THE STUDIO DOOR and see where real painters work! Have you ever wondered about the mysterious artist studio? Now you can tour them online. Visit the links below to see the participating artists' blog posts about their work spaces! Some artists are offering giveaways or special prices for the Carnival.

Marla Laubisch	Carol Schiff	Kaethe Bealer	Jo MacKenzie
Michael Chamberlain	Charleen Martin	Sally Binard	Jacklyn Karabaich
Sharon Graves	Sea Dean	Johnna Schelling	Taryn Day
Julie Ford Oliver	Sarah Sedwick	Kim Rempel	Cindy Michaud
Joanne Grant	Carmen Beecher	Cindy Williams