Purge or Splurge

When I teach workshops, I can often be heard saying that more is more when it comes to mixed media. For me it is all about the layers, all about the dimension, all about the details. Even if a layer is almost completely hidden, in the end it is an important component to the final piece. Building a history in my work is important to me.

But is there a time when more is not more? When maybe less is more? I have been contemplating that recently when it comes to my studio space.

When I work, I have always loved being surrounded by things that inspire me - whether that is art supplies, bottles of paints lined up in neat rows, piles upon piles of painted paper, walls filled with stuff that I have acquired from other artists and on my travels, cases with little drawers that are filled with little treasures, surfaces covered with found objects... Well, you get the point.

Recently I have been noticing a shift. A desire to minimize. To clear. To have more space in my space. I do not think this is just a spring cleaning thing. It really hasn't happened before. And I also do not think that this is about needing more room to create. I have always longed for an endless amount of surface to work on. But I know that no matter how much table space I clear, I always end up working in a space that is about 18 x 18 inches.

This seems to be an evolution. Perhaps connected to getting older and an increasing desire to simply be surrounded by the things that are truly meaningful to me. Maybe I am coming to the time where my studio is more about making art and less about making decor.

To be clear, this is not a revolution. I haven't purged my studio and I cannot imagine ever experiencing the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (although maybe if I actually read that book I would). But I have begun to move, store, clear and give away things. Only time will tell where this will take me.

How about all of you out there in blogville? These days, are your feeling the purge or the splurge?

A Look Back: Studio Table

To celebrate my 8 years of blogging, I am taking a look back and reposting some of my most popular and favorite posts. 

A little less than a year ago I hosted an online, collaborative project asking people to share images of their studio table: uncensored, unedited and most likely unkempt. Definitely a popular idea as 123 artists participated and the result became my most viewed post of all time.

When the studio table is full...

...the studio floor will have to do!

So many times when we are presented with images of artist studios, they are pristine -- almost as if nothing goes on in the space. This is often true in books, magazines, blogs, and Facebook. The reality is, of course, that during the process of creating, the mess multiplies faster than the matheletes at the International Mathematical Olympiad (and there really is such a thing)!

Let's go behind the curtain, throw any feelings of shame out the window, and show the world the underside of art and craft. I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

   1. Marjie Kemper Designs

   2. Jo Murray - Art

   3. Tracey Fletcher King

   4. Art, Journal, Feel

   5. Bohemian Dream

   6. Clockwork Hare

   7. WJC's Digital World

   8. Sparkle Days Studio

   9. lerusho

 10. credmayne

 11. A Colorful Journey

 12. Pibis Page

 13. Rita Vindedzis

 14. River Garden Studio

 15. Steam Fairie Craft

 16. Cerulean

 17. LeissnerArt

 18. Whisperwood Art Works

 19. Kelly Kilmer

 20. Sugarplum Patchwork

 21. Altered Book Lover

 22. Creativity Tribe

 23. Textile Seahorse

 24. Brian Kasstle

 25. Creative Explorer

 26. Shells in the Bush

 27. Chim Prints

 28. Domenick Naccarato

 29. Juana Almaguer

 30. Snips and Snails

 31. serendipity vintage studio

 32. Stirring Up Ghosts

 33. Paperie Petals

 34. Lemoncholy's flight of fancy

 35. lara creating out loud

 36. the edge of silence

 37. Blissful-Bohemian

 38. Annmakes

 39. Bird in a Tree Creations

 40. Jo DeSerio Jones

 41. gemgirlart

 42. Claudine Intner

 43. Tangerine Tabby Designs

 44. Susan's Art Circus

 45. Altered by the Sea

 46. Kazmos Kreationz

 47. Deb's Studio Blog

 48. The Creative Beast

 49. life as a five ring circus

 50. Serendipity Studio

 51. jacki long

 52. Von Pappe II

 53. Every Little Thing

 54. daisy yellow art

 55. Dog-Ma

 56. tattered edge

 57. Creatingwithoutcrayons

 58. Patricia Coulter

 59. averrillart

 60. Martice Smith II

 61. Chickpea Studio Artwork

 62. Desire to Inspire

 63. The Moon & the Maker

 64. Kay Wallace: art journaling

 65. altering thoughts

 66. Kat's Tales of Stamping

 67. Jessica Sporn Designs

 68. a visual journey

 69. Geonrose

 70. Rosemoo's Blog

 71. Deborah Guthrie

 72. Ursula's Digital Mixed Media

 73. Lanie J. and Co.

 74. Darlene K. Campbell

 75. Axully

 76. My Treehouse Art Studio

 77. Poetic Mapping: Walking into Art

 78. Andrew's Creativity 

 79. Creating Inkling

 80. Mixed Media Art

 81. Catherine Gutsche

 82. handmade by Jessica

 83. Alley Art Studio

 84. Jennifer Coyne Qudeen

 85. Sally Lynn MacDonald

 86. artsyletters

 87. ess-arr

 88. An Altered Addiction

 89. ZenZada

 90. Studio Garage Band

 91. Studio Ramblings

 92. all about the moon

 93. Joy from My Heart

 94. My Creative Journey

 95. Jill's Dream Artwork

 96. Trash Bubbles and Life's Little Bits

 97. Crowabout Studio B

 98. Wen Redmond

 99. Terry Owenby

100. contadina k

101. Beatriz Helton

102. YogaMatUnrolledBlog

103. soul dare

104. World of Joy

105. Dye to Ink and Other Creative Notions

106. Studio Diann

107. Pocket Size Studios

108. Purple Salt

109. Stamping, Painting, & Coloring make me Giggle

110. butterfliecrafter

111. Sharmon Davidson

112. Old World Patina

113. The Life of Terri

114. Xenographicx

115. Peggy's Mixed-Up Art!

116. Queen Kat

117. Melita Bloomer

118. :Dept42:

119. art by kathleen nesi

120. A Paper Addict

121. Holly Dean Artist

122. Karen Provost

123. Hastypearl

123. In the Fast Lane

Studio Table: The Reveal

Today we celebrate the studio table: uncensored, unedited, and most likely unkempt.

When the studio table is full...

...the studio floor will have to do!

So many times when we are presented with images of artist studios, they are pristine -- almost as if nothing goes on in the space. This is often true in books, magazines, blogs, and Facebook. The reality is, of course, that during the process of creating, the mess multiplies faster than the matheletes at the International Mathematical Olympiad (and there really is such a thing)!

Let's go behind the curtain, throw any feelings of shame out the window, and show the world the underside of art and craft. I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Click on the links below to go to the posts of the participants. Please refresh your browser and check back here often as I will be updating this list continuously as more people post. The links are numbered so you can keep track of what you have seen. Believe you me, this will take you more than one sitting. Please note that I will soon add a link to this post from my sidebar so that these links will always be easily accessible!

If you are participating and do not find your name on the list, please email me and I will add your link. And it is not too late to join in. I will be adding links until Sunday, September 21st. If you are interested in joining in, click here for the details.

   1. Marjie Kemper Designs
   2. Jo Murray - Art
   3. Tracey Fletcher King
   4. Art, Journal, Feel
   5. Bohemian Dream
   6. Clockwork Hare
   7. WJC's Digital World
   8. Sparkle Days Studio
   9. lerusho
 10. credmayne
 11. A Colorful Journey
 12. Pibis Page
 13. Rita Vindedzis
 14. River Garden Studio
 15. Steam Fairie Craft
 16. Cerulean
 17. LeissnerArt
 18. Whisperwood Art Works
 19. Kelly Kilmer
 20. Sugarplum Patchwork
 21. Altered Book Lover
 22. Creativity Tribe
 23. Textile Seahorse
 24. Brian Kasstle
 25. Creative Explorer
 26. Shells in the Bush
 27. Chim Prints
 28. Domenick Naccarato
 29. Juana Almaguer
 30. Snips and Snails
 31. serendipity vintage studio
 32. Stirring Up Ghosts
 33. Paperie Petals
 34. Lemoncholy's flight of fancy
 35. lara creating out loud
 36. the edge of silence
 37. Blissful-Bohemian
 38. Annmakes
 39. Bird in a Tree Creations
 40. Jo DeSerio Jones
 41. gemgirlart
 42. Claudine Intner
 43. Tangerine Tabby Designs
 44. Susan's Art Circus
 45. Altered by the Sea
 46. Kazmos Kreationz
 47. Deb's Studio Blog
 48. The Creative Beast
 49. life as a five ring circus
 50. Serendipity Studio
 51. jacki long
 52. Von Pappe II
 53. Every Little Thing
 54. daisy yellow art
 55. Dog-Ma
 56. tattered edge
 57. Creatingwithoutcrayons
 58. Patricia Coulter
 59. averrillart
 60. Martice Smith II
 61. Chickpea Studio Artwork
 62. Desire to Inspire
 63. The Moon & the Maker
 64. Kay Wallace: art journaling
 65. altering thoughts
 66. Kat's Tales of Stamping
 67. Jessica Sporn Designs
 68. a visual journey
 69. Geonrose
 70. Rosemoo's Blog
 71. Deborah Guthrie
 72. Ursula's Digital Mixed Media
 73. Lanie J. and Co.
 74. Darlene K. Campbell
 75. Axully
 76. My Treehouse Art Studio
 77. Poetic Mapping: Walking into Art
 78. Andrew's Creativity 
 79. Creating Inkling
 80. Mixed Media Art
 81. Catherine Gutsche
 82. handmade by Jessica
 83. Alley Art Studio
 84. Jennifer Coyne Qudeen
 85. Sally Lynn MacDonald
 86. artsyletters
 87. ess-arr
 88. An Altered Addiction
 89. ZenZada
 90. Studio Garage Band
 91. Studio Ramblings
 92. all about the moon
 93. Joy from My Heart
 94. My Creative Journey
 95. Jill's Dream Artwork
 96. Trash Bubbles and Life's Little Bits
 97. Crowabout Studio B
 98. Wen Redmond
 99. Terry Owenby
100. contadina k
101. Beatriz Helton
102. YogaMatUnrolledBlog
103. soul dare
104. World of Joy
105. Dye to Ink and Other Creative Notions
106. Studio Diann
107. Pocket Size Studios
108. Purple Salt
109. Stamping, Painting, & Coloring make me Giggle
110. butterfliecrafter
111. Sharmon Davidson
112. Old World Patina
113. The Life of Terri
114. Xenographicx
115. Peggy's Mixed-Up Art!
116. Queen Kat
117. Melita Bloomer
118. :Dept42:
119. art by kathleen nesi
120. A Paper Addict
121. Holly Dean Artist
122. Karen Provost
123. Hastypearl
123. In the Fast Lane

Studio Table: Call for Participants

Join me on Thursday September 18th, as we celebrate the studio table: uncensored, unedited, and most likely unkempt.

So many times when we are presented with images of artist studios, they are pristine -- almost as if nothing goes on in the space. This is often true in books, magazines, blogs, and Facebook. The reality is, of course, that during the process of creating, the mess multiplies faster than the matheletes at the International Mathematical Olympiad (and there really is such a thing)!

Let's go behind the curtain, throw any feelings of shame out the window, and show the world the underside of art and craft. I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

To participate, you simply must take a picture of your work table in its full glory -- that is to say at its most messy state. On Thursday September 18th, post the picture and share a link back to my blog.

The brief: If you want to be a part of this online collaborative pop-up, please leave a comment on this post. On 9/18 when the project goes live, I will post a list of all participating artists on my blog so that you can be sure to see all the images and everybody will be sure to see yours. Feel free to let your own readers know about this project by spotlighting it on social media on or prior to reveal day. Please (and this is important) email me your link when your post goes up. It will be the only way I will know to add you to the posted list on my blog.

It is Crystal Clear

Artist Crystal Neubauer has recently started a series of guest artist projects on her blog Other People's Flowers that focus on different aspects of being an artist today.

Every Monday for 10 weeks, Crystal is sharing the Redemption Stories from a series of 10 different artists: Jan Avellana, Grace Carol Bomer, Beth Morey, Amanda Jolley, Bridgette Guerzon Mills, Kelly Williams, Trish Baldwin, Sue Simpson, Robin Norgren, and Tessa Emie (Moore).

Over the course of 10 Wednesdays, Crystal is highlighting the Studio Spaces of the following 10 artists: Tonia Jenny, Sue Stover, Michel Fletcher, Jason Twiggy Lott, Patrica Oblack, Laura Lein Svencner, Tye Johnson, Anca Bonner, Leslie Avon Miller, and Kristina Honn-Trudell.

On Fridays for 10 weeks, Crystal is shining the light on Found Object collections. Today is my day to be featured. The other 9 artists sharing their finds are K Wayne Thornley, Rick Farrell, Mary Beth Shaw, Kariann Blank, Wen Redmond, Shary Bartlett, Deryn Mentock, Donna Zarbin-Byrne, and Barbara Buckles.

I for one love these types of posts that open a window into the workings of an artist. Thanks for all the work you did to put this together Crystal and thank you for including me.

My Library

I just reorganized my work bench -- the bench under the large window in my studio that I have always used to display finished art and works in progress. I decided to switch things around and now it is filled with a selection of my handmade books, including artist books, travel journals, workshop samples, and collaborative projects. 

I am also reorganizing my blog and have added another tab [ARTIST BOOKS] to the space just below my banner. This will take you to a new post that highlights, page-by-page, some of my own, handmade books.

Inspiration Board IV

When asked the question "what inspires me?" I often answer simply walking out my door into the streets of NYC. While that is 100% true, I actually do not even need to lift my butt off the chair in my studio. That is because I have filled my studio space with enough stuff that all I need to do is look around and I am immediately inspired. When I am creating, I love to be enveloped by the things that speak to me: art, supplies, collections, doo dads, trinkets, ephemera, flotsam, jetsam... Well you get the point.

Some people crave constant change and move their things around daily. In effect, they are curating their lives into ever changing exhibits. I, on the other hand, find comfort in consistency. I would rather curate a very long running show! That being said, I also believe that change is good and in that spirit, I am in the process of updating my studio, both to make it more functional for me and more inspirational too.

Where to begin? My inspiration board - which is slowly turning into an inspiration wall. Thanks Lisa Hoffman for inspiring that! If you look closely, you will see pieces from many familiar faces. You may even spot something that you have created!

May 2012

I have posted images of my slowly evolving inspiration board before and am including below the three pics that I have already shared on my blog:

June 2009

February 2008

August 2007

And predicting that many of you who comment will note my, ahem, "tendency toward symmetry", I am including the following pic of my work table to show you that when I work, I am as messy as the best of them!

Have a picture of your inspiration board? Leave a link in the comment section and let's all get even more inspired!

Studio in the Sky

Happy to share that my 'Studio in the Sky' is featured in the book Inside the Creative Studio by Cate Coulacos Prato. 

Inside the Creative Studio shares the art studio spaces of more than 30 artists and includes images, interviews, tips, and more. It is available now for pre-order on Amazon, where you can also preview the pages in the book. And if you want a preview of my studio, you can head to this post from my blog from August 2010.

Studio Invite

I am a big fan of the studio tour, whether it is in person, online, or in print. I just love to see where artists work. Visiting an art studio belonging to a favorite artist is almost like being invited inside their heads. You are in the creative command center.

And now I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to see my studio.

I am happy to be able to tell you that my NYC studio is currently being featured in the Fall 2010 Cloth Paper Scissors Studios magazine.

You can see the Table of Contents and order the issue here. It hits the newsstands on August 10.

I've included some vignette shots from my studio in this post to give you the flavor of my working space. As always, click each image to see enlarged details. You can find pictures of the entire studio space and many more detailed shots, including my NYC view, in the magazine.

I will admit that my studio is rarely this neat and clean...but that is what the magazine editors preferred!

Special thanks go out to Cate Coulacos Prato, Editor at Studios and Barbara Delaney, Assistant Editor at Cloth Paper Scissors for featuring my space and in a six page spread too boot!

Studio Envy

I always find it fascinating to learn more about the artists that I admire and to see what goes into the creation of their art. The creative process, use of supplies and techniques, and source of inspiration is quite intriguing to me. And for me, the artist studio - the place the magic happens - is a wonderland and a feast.

I have recently purchased two books that I highly recommend, both of which open a window into the studio spaces of some amazing artists. Turning the pages in these books is almost like having a personal invitation into their inner sanctums.



Art Making & Studio Spaces by Lynne Perrella



Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig

And speaking of studios...this theme brings me back to one of my survey questions from the 3rd edition of The Pulse in 2008:

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.


You can visit/revisit the responses of over 95 artists by clicking the following links:

Studio Shots 1
Studio Shots 2
Studio Shots 3
Studio Shots 4

Studio Tour

Okay. I know that two days of Buried Treasure in one week and over 140 posts to explore have kept a lot of people in their chairs, out of their studio, and maybe even out of the office! That being said and understood, I still feel compelled to tell you about another online collaborative project I happened upon that may mean you will not leave the computer until August, at the earliest!




I found out from Kathryn of KV Creative Designs that Karen Valentine from My Desert Cottage is sponsoring an event called Where Bloggers Create. Participants are posting videos, pictures, and/or descriptions of their studio spaces. And who doesn't want to be invited into the very places where the magic happens.




You can read more about it in this post here but you will really want to head to Karen's sidebar and click on the more than 135 links to see the posts. Just don't forget to eat! And have a good weekend.

Viewer's Choice

Do You See What I See?


Artist David Castle is currently hosting quite an interesting project called Views from Elsewhere on his blog. In lieu of going on a vacation, he is bringing the vacation home. He has asked artists to send him a photograph of the view from their studio window or door. I love seeing studio spaces and think it is equally interesting to see just what is in the "viewfinder" of artists outside their working space. I imagine that the "window out" actually provides a "window in" to the artist's identity. David has spotlighted my window in a recent blog post. Click here for a birds eye view and see below for one more shot. And while you are on his blog and/or his website, take a look around to see his unique and beautiful abstract watercolors, often inspired by nature.

Cabinet de Curiosites

The photographs from The Pulse related to artists' collections and studios made me think of Cabinets of Curiosity. Initially created in the sixteenth century, these are encyclopedic collections and displays of objects, often scientific, unusual, and exotic. I thought I would offer more photographs of both the outside of a number of my own "cabinets" and the insides housing some of the "curiosities" as initially seen in my own photographs from The Pulse.

This cabinet was found quite a number of years ago at a large outdoor flea market in NYC, which had been in an outdoor parking lot in Chelsea but has since been splintered up due to a high rise building.



This cabinet, all small drawers and brass pulls, was a lucky find at the Pier Antiques Show, a twice annual show with over 500 exhibitors held on Manhattan's west side piers.



An Ebay find, this watchmaker's cabinet was purchased filled with watch parts, watch faces, small glass vials, old labels, and a ton of other cool vintage bits and pieces.



Stored inside a series of Bisley metal cabinets are some of my art supplies including found objects and other art material...





...rubber stamps...




...distressed metal objects...



...rusty objects picked up anywhere and everywhere...




...and some favorite stones



And speaking of Cabinets of Curiosities, there is currently an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art called Wunderkammers: A Century of Curiosities. One amazing piece there was a large cabinet filled with all sorts of found objects. The artist is Mark Dion and the piece is entitled Rescue Archaeology. Fascinating.