Welcome to a mini-tour of my studio! Since this blog is still new and we're just getting acquainted, I thought it would be a good time to invite you in for a virtual tour. Personally, I find it fascinating to see what other artists' spaces are like.
Let's start in the main zone.
The drafting table was a gift from a friend that was purchased at Habitat ReStore. Someone carved "steven whipple" into the top. The stool was also a gift from a friend and the iPad was a gift from my brother. Over the years, so much of my furniture and art supplies have come to me through other people and I am so grateful for everyone who has supported my creative practice. Reminder with the holidays coming up that giving someone the tools to create is a really powerful gift!
The workspace to the right is a refurbished desk that can be moved to standing position. When I posted this photo on Instagram, I learned that everyone has a similar 3-tier rolling cart and that you can store absolutely anything in there. This particular one was found secondhand at Houseworks, a local thrift store, and appeared to belong to another artist before me because it was covered in paint splatters.
Speaking of painting, the room was originally a grey-blue when I moved in. It was honestly not a bad color, but a little gloomy. Earlier this summer, I painted it white to brighten up the space. Even though you can't really tell from the photo, it made a surprising difference! White walls + windows create a nice light box effect. Fun fact: I ran out of paint of the first color I was using, so one of the walls is a different shade of white.
The other half of the room is storage. Less aesthetically pleasing, but also very necessary! I like to keep one wall undecorated in case I need to photograph something against a blank wall. Continuing the theme of "all of my furniture used to be somebody else's furniture," the cube shelf was given to me by a former roommate. The printer stand used to belong to my partner. Maybe you didn't come here for furniture backstories but you're getting them!
The one "new" furniture item in the space is the flat storage shelving. I have not been able to find flat files, so my partner's family built me a makeshift flat storage unit out of plywood. Honestly, it works just as well and it's way cheaper and easier to transport.
You may notice that my plants don't look too happy. They're not. I'm bad at caring for indoor plants. The big snake plant has a piece of string tied around it to keep the leaves from tipping over. The jade plant was twice the size when it had the misfortune of coming into my possession. Even the air plant, which basically requires no care except the occasional spritz of water, has started to develop shrivelly tips. I still keep them around because I like their company even if they don't like mine.
My top 3 essentials for a productive studio space:
Below is a second space that I use for sewing and yoga. The hanging planter used to have a poinsettia in it, which is now dead. However, it was originally one of those plants that people give out at Christmas and expect it to die right away. The building that I used to go to group meditation at was giving them away and they were on the verge of death. I ended up keeping it alive for like two years! That is pretty good for me, plant-wise. And now I keep it's dead husk. Not really for any particular reason, other than that I don't spend enough time in this room to keep plants alive in there so I haven't replaced it.
That's about it, I guess. I'd love to hear about your studio space or fun facts about the studios of your favorite artists!
