My Art Studio

I love seeing where other people do their art, their creative spaces.  
Recently I spiffed mine up! I organized, tidied, straightened, tossed, and cleaned.

My place for doing artsy and crafty things is called The Fonzie Room.  (You remember Happy Days? The Fonz lived in the room above the Cunningham's garage.)  When it was the kids' play room and later their teenage hang out, it was the  Fonzie Room.  After they grew up and moved away, I made it into an art room.  
I decided then that I'd change its name... I would have called it The Garret, but I once had a super annoying student with that name, so that was out.  

I picked The Atelier.   It's a French word that means an artist's workshop, an art studio, a space for creativity to flourish.  What a perfect new name!
It has a French pronunciation, but if you use your best Southern redneck accent and exclaim, "I tell ya!"  then you've pretty much got it.

I tried, but the change never took.  It will always be The Fonzie Room.

At the top of the stairs, before you enter, you pass this little sign on the wall.

It's filled with things that make me feel happy and creative...

... from one end to the other.

I've painted sitting in this purple chair so many hours.
From left to right I've got everything I need: a small table for my palette... a dinosaur head squirter for the too curious cat... a photo viewer for my reference pictures... and easel for the canvas... way too many brushes (why don't I throw some away!)... a foot stool because I'm short... speakers for listening to an audio book or country music... drawers holding tubes of paint, blot scraps, rulers, palette knives, pens and all the other painting tools... and a computer.

Buff Kitty is lounging and bathing himself on the tables where my painting partners used to be and will be again as soon as COVID-19 worries are behind us!

Even the corner behind the elliptical machine.
From bottom to top every inch is filled: fabric... yarn... more fabric... a No Whining sign that used to hang in my classroom...  paintings that wait for someone to give them a forever home... Wampum necklaces that tell the stories from the most memorable events in my life... and a few school mementos...

So much (very important, yes-I-do-need-it-all) stuff!
You can ask about any specific thing, and I can tell you the story behind it and why I want it always. Lots of supplies and materials are stored inside those cubbies.

This corner holds my sewing machine, serger, irons, and all the "stuff" that goes along with that. Next is my Cricut and all of its "stuff."  There's a story behind every single thing on the wall there.  Just ask if you want to know! I'll tell you one....  See that off-white bread box.  It sat on my mother's counter for as long as I can remember.  Now it holds very important artist needs... (like gum, almonds, chocolate, candy corn, pretzels...)

I've been talking to my dear friend who used to teach writing with me.  We were talking about the word "stuff."  Usually you can find a much better word, but sometimes, you just need the word "stuff." This corner has all my other "stuff."  I'll point out a couple.  My bags from Welcome Home Retreat are hanging there ready to be filled and taken for a weekend of crafting!  The fishing tackle tower of drawers is filled with buttons.  They were my mom's.  I don't use buttons often, but I sure do love coming to the top of my stairs and seeing them as I enter The Atelier,  I mean, The Fonzie Room.

If you scroll up and look again, you'll see that I have a thing for wind chimes.  There's one above each work station.  You never know when you need to celebrate an accomplishment!
(I got this particular one last week for my 35th wedding anniversary!)

Hmmm... Buff... What are you doing?

Any guess as to what my favorite two colors might be?

I would love to see your art space!

My Atelier ... a.k.a. The Fonzie Room

Although my blog doesn't appear to show it, I HAVE been painting!  I've been working on a really, really big project. No... not on canvas, even bigger!
My art space has gone though a transformation,and I love it!  It's brighter, lighter, and whiter! The ceiling fan lights and lamps are gone.  The green walls are gone.  My brother installed fabulous new lighting, and I painted the whole thing a crisp white.  Did I already say how much I love it!

I love seeing artists' creative spaces.  So, I'll share my (new and improved) one.

This is my spot. Let me give you a tour.

• Paint palettes on Styrofoam  plates because I never graduated to a fancy palette.
• Foot stool because I'm short.
• Computer that's got paint splatters all over it because I use it for reference photos. 
• Easel with what I'm working on. 
• Trash can because I'm a pretty tidy painter
• Drawers with brushes because I tend to accumulate so many.
• Wet wipes and dinosaur-head cat squirter because she sometimes needs a reminder.
• Drawers for my paints and supplies because I'm pretty organized with them.
• Basket of rags because painting is messy.
• Cards and special things on the wall because they make me smile.

Here's the view from the other side.

• A wind chime hangs above where I sit.  I like to make it sound when I finish a painting, or am frustrated with a painting, or just want to jingle it.
• My sewing machine.
• My serger.
• Special things on the wall that hold memories.
• My Cricut (which I LOVE and am just learning to use).
• Boxes of all my hoarded crafty junk very useful artsy/sewing supplies.
• Painting shirts on the back of the door.
• The window where you might look out and see a deer.
• Paintings that are waiting to be purchased to their forever home. 
• My big easel for large canvases.
• Three stations where my friends paint on Tuesdays during the school year.

And here's the other end.

• Where Ron hangs out while I paint.
• Some special toys and books from childhood.
• The other wall where I hang paintings waiting until they're sold.
• The elliptical that we use often, but should use more.
• The other window where, again, you might see a deer.
• A shelf with more memories and more useless stuff crafting/sewing materials.
• The television.
• And finally the shelves filled with... well more junk that I just might need for that next project.

My creative space is called The Fonzie Room.  If you're from my generation, you remember the show Happy Days... Fonzie lived in the room above the Cunningham's garage.  That was what we called this room while the kids were growing up and teenagers using it for all their kid shenanigans. 

After they moved out and we shoveled out their junk reclaimed that space for ourselves, I tried... I really, really tried to change the name. I called it The Atelier. I even made a little sign and hung it beside the door.  (It's french, but if you can't remember how to pronounce it, you an just say in your best Southern redneck "I tell ya'" and that's almost right. Anyway... it didn't stick... I gave up.  It's The Fonzie Room, and I love it.

:) My Art Space

I recently discovered an amazing artist named Lisa of Lachri Fine Art. I have learned so much by watching her videos and have been mesmerized by watching her work.

Last week she put out a call for her viewers to show their art spaces.  I LOVE my little art space, so... I did it!  I sent in a photo of my space.

Let me give you a little tour... from left to right... here we go...

• The Medusa (snatched from my son's room when he left for college) lamp lets me put light where I need it.
• Taped to its stand is whatever I’ve drawn up and am working on.
• The brown drawers hold my paints (I have a lot...  I get a kick out of finding them in lots at estate sales or on ebay...)   
• Top drawer – neutrals, blacks, whites, grays, metallics,
•  Next one down, earth tones, 
• On down – blues & purples,
•  And down – greens, 
• Down – yellows, 
• And – Reds,
• Bottom two – tools like pliers, scissors, etc. and wipe clothes
• Under those brown drawers are some old newspapers.
• On top of those brown drawers are other essentials
• Wet wipes,
• A pack of gum,
• The dinosaur headed cat squirter... ‘cause sometimes the cat just needs a reminder,
• And my Atelier sign.
• Behind the white drawers are some large canvases waiting their turn.
• On the wall is the bag I bought at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a few paintings waiting until some one claims them for a permanent home.
• The white drawers
• Top drawer – small brushes, 
• Next drawer – large brushes, 
• On down – Liquin, mineral spirits, etc.
• And the bottom, scraps of cloth and old socks.
• A trash can
• There’s a foot stool you can’t see, but it makes sitting comfortable for a short person like me!
• The easel shows what I’m working on now.
• My computer has its share of paint splatters... all... over... it... but shows me my reference photo and plays my favorite country music on Pandora.
• My purple chair which is brand new, and it's changed my life! It swivels, and raises, and lowers, and turns, and rolls!  Love it!
• And finally comes my tv tray where I put my paint palettes.
• Last, but not least, my Sonic coke... essential...

 

I love my little space...

My Atelier - noun. \a-t^əl-ˈyā\  [from Old French] 1. an artist’s workshop 2. an art studio 3. a space for creativity to flourish

 By the way...

The way I got my husband to remember how to pronounce Atelier... I use my best Redneck Southern accent and say “I tell ya’!” and it comes out pretty close to the French pronunciation. (Although don’t tell anyone who’s actually French.  They might not agree.)

Thanks again to Lisa from Lacri.com for giving me the idea to take a good look at my space.