Lisa Mitchell Studio

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Designing an artist’s studio takes thoughtful planning. It is a genuine investment of your time and money but the final product is worthwhile and can take you from a serious hobbyist to a serious professional artist. Having been through the process I would like to pass along a few of the ideas that I have incorporated into my home studio.

An artist space doesn’t have to be large but it should provide you with an environment that is inviting and inspiring.

When I enter my studio in the morning, coffee cup in hand I am thankful that I have a pleasant environment in which to be creative. My studio is my artistic haven!

Making Plans

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Personality and Comfort

Four speakers are mounted in the walls at each end of my studio and the music fills the entire space. There is a laser remote control mounted in the wall that activates the cd player, radio and amp from a remote location in the house with two volume controls for the each set of speakers.

There’s comfortable seating in my studio available for client meetings. It’s a nice spot to sit and critique my painting in progress or visit with artist friends.

I have a small refrigerator in my studio to keep beverages chilled. Looks like I’m down to my last Heineken!

Enjoy your space. If you spend a lot of time in your studio make it your own. Listen to your kind of music and surround yourself with things that make you feel good.

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Storage

My studio is on the third floor of my home built into the roof area. Knee-walls had to be constructed all along the length of each side of the studio. The spaces created by the knee-walls were utilized for much needed storage. Large flat files were incorporated into the knee-wall. These second hand flat files were purchased from Mark Downs Furniture Supply, in Cockeysville, MD. The drawer fronts were painted and they now look and operate like new. They’re great for storing 32” X 40” mat board, sketch books, pastel paper. etc.

Adequate storage space is essential to the artist. Get organized, remove clutter and look for ways to maximize your storage potential.

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Having art books on hand for inspiration is of value to the artist. It’s helpful to pull out a book or two before beginning a painting to get the artistic wheels turning. I have organized my Artist magazines in plastic magazine racks and then placed them on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. Unable to bring myself to disposing of old art magazines, many more of them can be found hidden away in drawers throughout my home.

Bookshelves

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An extra wide and deep aluminum sink can accommodate large sheets of watercolor paper for soaking prior to stretching. Access to water in the studio is a plus for cleaning brushes and washing the pastel off your hands.

The large filing cabinet was purchased second hand from Mark Downs Furniture Supply then built into the line of cabinets and painted. Client files, framing catalogues, art supply catalogs, photos references and equipment instruction booklets are kept in these files.

My desk with my lap top docking station sits to the right of the file cabinet. Photo files are downloaded here. I have an external hard drive for backing up my computer files.

Functionality

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Hardware Printer, scanner, papers!

I like to hide the clutter behind closed doors. Inside the knee-wall is the perfect hiding place for the printer, scanner, paper and ink cartridges.

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More Storage Ideas...

Drawers on glides makes it easy to find your supplies.

Rolls of paper and plastic storage bins fit nicely in the knee-wall closet.

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Artists need room to spread out. I love this 4’ X 6’ table for framing and laying out my projects. It is mounted on locking casters so it rolls easily around my studio. I can walk all the way around the table. There are deep storage shelves underneath. I had the corners and edges of this table and all of the counter tops in my studio rounded to prevent injury. I have had my old Logan mat cutter for 18 years and it still does the job!

Create Flat Surfaces

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Keep It Clean

I have an Artist Air unit mounted on my Santa Fe II easel. It mounts with a large velcro strap and is vital in trapping the dust that falls from my artwork. I am diligent when it comes to cleaning my studio. I keep a small thick bathroom mat on the floor beneath my easel to catch the pastels that I occasionally drop on the floor. The rug prevents breakage.

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Lighting

There is a mixture of lighting in my studio. The long bank of florescent lights provide a general fill light which prevents me from working in my own shadow when cutting mats and framing paintings.

The track lights with halogen bulbs are useful when I need directional light. I use these lights when framing and finding imperfections on the mats and glass.

The different lights in my studio each have their own specific light switches in different parts of the room so that I can easily shut some off and keep others on. A few of the lights are on dimmers.

There are four small halogen light fixtures mounted above work counters which extend and bend in many different positions. If I’m working on a small project which needs concentrated light these come in handy. There are two floor outlets with brass plate covers near my easel. These outlets allow me to plug in floors lamps in order to properly photograph my artwork. All of the lighting fixtures were purchased at Dorman’s Lighting in Timonium, Md. Tell Robbie I sent you!

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I prefer to stand when painting however when I become tired I will sit in a height adjustable swivel chair. Using thumbtacks I secure my painting surface and reference material to a cork board that is covered with black craft paper. All around me are my pastels arranged by color and value. A large swivel flat screen computer monitor sits to my left that I use to display reference photos. I find the illumination of the images on the screen helps me to appreciate the feeling of light at the time the photo was taken. I can zoom in on the image or make adjustments to the color and contrast of the image as I am working. Usually, when working from a photo print I have the monitor under cover. I keep a floor mat under my easel just in case I drop one of my pastels. The floor in my studio is composite tile, almost indestructible.

Workstation

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In Conclusion... When your studio is completed and you find yourself emerged in the joy of painting in your new and wonderful temperature controlled art studio please remember it is still the natural world that inspires many of the paintings we create so pack up your gear and head outdoors with friends and paint.

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