The Pulse: Studio Shots 3

Welcome to the third edition of The Pulse: an artist survey. This collaborative project aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. For links to the sites of the participating artists, please click here.


Today's question: Where does the magic happen? Tell us about the studio, room, corner, desk, table, floor, or wall where you make art and show us one photograph which somehow captures your creative space or a work in progress. The following is the third of four posts to answer this question.


Andrew Borloz The work that I did comes from within me, not from outside. More often than not, it is not dependent on the “creative” space, but more dependent on making the most of what’s available at the present moment. I often work in the kitchen, in the basement, in the backyard, in the front yard, or wherever the space I could find. And sadly, most of the work that I do is often done in a classroom, workshop, or where other creative people are. I find it difficult to do most creative work alone. Right now at this present moment, I do most of my creative work in wherever I could find the space as I do not have a real studio yet.

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Harry Bell I bought my house because it had a large basement room, nearly 26 feet in length. When I moved in it had a full sized snooker table in it, which the previous owners had inherited from the people they bought the house from and which they didn't want. For a while I tried painting round it, and even used it in a painting, but after a while it had to go. What I was left with was a big room with a good concrete floor, but only one window. The lack of natural light didn't bother me, however, because at the time I was working in an office and could only paint at night. I got used to it and now, as a consequence, almost all of my studio work is done under artificial light. Sadly, the room has gradually filled with stuff, and I now find myself painting in a much reduced space.

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Marissa O'Brien It all happens in my home studio. I started in our office and quickly grew out of the space. We converted the playroom in our finished basement into my studio. I love it. I can teach private lessons at our house. It's setup just for me. I have a huge wall displaying all my hammers. I just wish I had a better way to display all my stamps. I posted some pictures of my studio on my blog, http://brokenbranches.com/blog/2008/07/a-peek-into-my-studio/

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Lisa Hoffman Most Bright Ideas pop into my head in the shower. Let’s skip over that place and head for the studio and workshop, shall we? My studio is half underground, keeping me cool but allowing natural daylight from a big window that looks onto a little courtyard. My Power Tools are in my breezeway. I can be outside, yet covered and safe from the elements. At least 3 deliverymen have commented on the space. They assume that the tools belong to a husband-kinda person. Sorry guys... they’re mine.... “hand me that tool belt, wouldja?”

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Leighanna Light Well, my studio has really spilled out into my entire house. I have my official studio in 1 small bedroom of my home, I work on a big wooden desk that is always covered with stuff. I have a UFO table, pieces that are at various stages of completion, usually piled 2 or 3 high! I now have my jewelers bench in my living room & a large table where I work on assembling my class kits. And I have a tiny Packing room where I keep all of my class supplies, luggage etc. I'm always looking for better ways to organize it all & I am constantly rearranging & moving stuff around. Oh yeah, I have a garage filled w/ stuff & a nice little rust garden!

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Stephanie Hilvitz I have 2 small areas…one, a small room where my computer and tons of inspiration live and one, a tiny, perfect space under the stairs. It all happens here…surrounded by art and inspiration…COLOR and stuff. ONE picture…man that’s hard for me.





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Fran Meneley This is where it all happens. My work table in my studio. It’s pretty clean in this shot, I had just done a major clean up after a big project. I love this table. It’s big (could be bigger, or I’d really like about 4 of them. On wheels. In my dream studio.), 6’ X 4’ and it sits higher than a regular desk. I can stand and work. It allows me to have multiple projects going on at once, or I can clear it off for a really big project. It is flanked by 3 big windows that look out to a little side garden. I love it! I would like to find a big blank wall (maybe an easel) that I could tape paper to, to be able to explore more drawing and painting. I’ve also been wanting to journal more in public. I’m a little self-conscious. But I think I’ll give it a go this winter.

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not mass produced I create everywhere, there's no hope for me, i told you i was messy! those of a nervous disposition should avert their eyes.




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Vivian Bonder My magic happens first of all within me, my hands simply follow. The journal on my desk is the one I am working on at the moment.






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Chris Miser It can happen in a variety of places. I spent a few hours out on the back patio making tags on a beautiful day. I made Christmas crafts with two friends on the table in the kitchen. I listen to music while working in my studio in front of the window. But I often sit in the great room at a big antique table, as I did when I collaged cardboard hearts for mail art. I love having all the supplies spread out around me like friends. And I often talk to my friends. Many of my little friends have cute names! Some of my little friends even talk back---oops…

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grrl+dog The magic happens in the room connecting the lounge area to the kitchen. I like to be in the middle of things, to turn the tv around to play mindless movies..a kind of white noise back drop to do art in. My laptop and art project threaten to take over the dining room table, and my art table is opposite. Friends are used to eating dinner amongst my art.

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Teresa Abajo The magic happens inside my head, but it gets lost in translation in my studio. It’s a small room between the garage and the laundry. It too is a work in progress – I eventually want to get custom built shelving and better lighting. It seems everything in there is ‘borrowed’ from somewhere else. Maybe that’s why I feel so at home there – I’m surrounded by everyone’s old stuff!

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Patty Szymkowicz A photo of a tornado might be the best depiction of my humble studio. I work in a small upstairs bedroom with a lovely view of our back garden and trees (see photo). As often as I try and tidy up my work table, it seems to shrink to a postcard size work space again in no time. I do like having my stuff around me, so I don’t stress about it too much. I like to create spontaneously; no sketches or set plans; having bits of this and that close by works well for me.

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Debbie Mihalik I am fortunate enough to have an entire room in my home dedicated to all my stuff. There is a large desk built by my husband, so I have plenty of surface area to spread out my projects. Two of my favorite features of this room are the skylight and the large walk-in closet. When we first moved into this house I thought it would take forever to fill that closet, but it turns out I still have more stuff than space!

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Jessica Gonacha My studio is a room in the apartment I share with my fiance-- it's not big enough, but it gets the job done! It has everything I need in it-- my computer, several work tables, a sewing machine (that doesn't get used nearly enough!), shelves of books and art supplies... I like to sit on the floor and work, too-- I've been doing that my whole life!

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Misty Jordan When we bought our house I insisted on having a small room for my art space. I thought this was fair since my husband insisted on having a space in the basement for a home theater. Previously we lived in a renovated old building and I created in the hallway and stored my supplies on shelves along the wall. I needed to be able to spread out more and leave things out when I wanted to. Sometimes that was really hard to do with a three year old around. Also, the floor in my art room is old linoleum. It takes tons of abuse from me, banging with a hammer, and spills with turpentine, and forgives me every time. I can just wipe it up with some paper towel when I’m done and not stress over it.

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Sally Turlington Having graduated from the dining room table to a small bedroom space, I finally have a REAL studio. We enclosed our single car garage and added ten feet on the back with skylights, a half bath, and windows! It started out about 10 years ago really "darling" but has since completely filled with STUFF. It isn't a beautiful place - except to me - but it is quite functional. I LOVE being in there and so do my friends and family. It's magical, curious, and fun everywhere you look. Here is the corner where I work.

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Stephanie Mcatee Here’s my sanctuary. It’s in my downstairs; in the back corner facing the rest of the room. I stand at my island and work; I work better standing up! From where I work I can see outside which is a bonus (my fav time to be in my studio is when it’s snowing outside ;-) I don’t believe in a clean;organized studio area. Art isn’t clean, so how can you create fab art without the out of control surroundings… besides, when my workspace is clean, I can’t find anything that I need!!



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Dina Wakley Well, my art room isn't pretty and sometimes it isn't really even functional, but it's mine. It's an eclectic mix of IKEA scratch & dent furniture and Home Depot shelves. I am constantly rearranging and purging my stash...sometimes it just seems to much and the stress of it impedes my mojo. I sit at a table by a large window and paint to my heart's content. I thought about cleaning off my desk before I took the picture, but why try to hide the true me? :)

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Lelainia Lloyd We moved last year and for the first time ever, I was able to have an entire room for my studio. I wanted the space to feel relaxing when I walk in so I spent a long time choosing the colour of the paint. In the end, I went with a vintage aqua and my storage accessories are barn red and white. I actually found a piece of scrapbooking paper that incorporated all these colours and I had the paint specially colour matched to that paper.

It's very important to me to be able to have the studio organized. I want to spend my time making art, not searching for the supplies I need.The studio had a small closet in it with one pathetic shelf across the top and that was it. In June, I asked a friend to come help me do a closet renovation. He was able to design and build a beautiful and functional set of shelves, cubby hole style, fitted specifically for all my storage boxes. Now everything is carefully stored and labelled so I can find it at a moment's notice. It's made my time in the studio infinitely more productive and stress-free.

My studio is decorated with wonderful art given to me by good friends, which helps make it a happy place to spend time. I have my computer in here, so I can keep on top of things online and listen to music while I work and I invested in a digital tower fan with a remote to help keep it cool in here in the summer. We just got a new puppy (a 4 month old black Lab, whom we've named Indy) and he loves hanging out under my desk while I work. It's really nice to have company and he reminds me to get up and stretch every once in while. (I'm really bad at that, especially when I am in the groove!)

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Kelly Parker My studio is in my basement and I have approximately 1000 square feet to use, which I do, mostly with storing supplies. I am somewhat of a gatherer and have many boxes of items that I use in my art. I have several areas set up for use such as a place to oil paint, a place to work with beads, a place to work with acrylics and a room for clay work. My studio is still in the working stages and I am trying out different ways or areas to see how I like them. Also, I love to work in my studio, it has several windows and a walk out that is surrounded by 2 gardens. It gives me a space to contemplate what I want to paint along with bringing in the sunshine.

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Kate Strickland My life savings have dwindled away while trying to support myself in this rented studio space, but I don’t regret my decision to take on this space. I love my 600-square-foot, 4-minute-walk-from-my-home, doesn’t-feel-like-a-basement studio space. It’s peaceful and cool, has good energy, and it accommodates all the stuff that previously took up every crack and cranny of our very small house. I have several work tables, which exist because I do workshops in the studio, but this corner is my corner. I do a lot of my work in a standing position here at my beloved hydraulic table. I adjust to one height when doing cast paper work, another when using my bench pin, and another when cutting paper. With a chronic back problem, this is an absolute necessity. With my penchant for organizing things, all my supplies are close at hand and my little objects of inspiration are also near. Best of all, when I’m standing at my work table I can look up through the window and see the distant branches of a magnificent tree.