My creative space
More pictures and tips coming in the future, we’ve finally moved and bought our first house! I’m still organizing. ;)
My studio is always evolving over the years. These pictures serve to be an inspiration for organization in your own space I hope!
My first spaces were inside of my room during high school, and I was constantly rearranging and reorganizing. A lot. I find that I really like a change because it's refreshing. Maybe a change in the room's energy flow? When I move things around every once in a while it gives me new energy, I'm looking at things differently and even working differently. I will even sometimes go back to an old room layout too.
I like having a set up where I can easily get to whatever item I need. If an item is ever hard to reach, I'm less likely to use it, or I'm spending more time trying to get to it. So I will usually put items I rarely use in the more out of reach spots, can't waste any good storage space after all! Since I tend to hold onto a lot of things, slight hoarding issue here =|, I try to keep those things organized
too. I use a sort of rule on myself, if I don't use it within 6-12 months then I should toss it until it's sentimental or it's an item I know for sure I plan on using, like a fabric or unfinished painting.
I use fabric panels hung up on the wall as backgrounds in my videos but also store paintings on the walls behind them. ;) That way I can keep them safely hung, out of direct sun light and mostly dust free.
Paintings
Paint brushes are stored in jars I purchased from the dollar store. I separate them based on what mediums they're painted with. That way I'm not mixing my oil brushes with my acrylic brushes. Also, my paper pads and finished drawing are stored in a big black set of map drawers a lot like these.
I've tried keeping my paints in a bag, drawers, boxes, and drawers, but Find that I like keeping them together in baskets the most personally. They look kinda cute too! Colors are easier to find for me. I spent more time hunting for colors when they were all in a bag and didn't like how they shifted all the time in a drawer. I've never tried hanging them which seems like a nice endeavor, but unless I had some gigantic lovely warehouse all to myself I don't think I'll be hanging them anytime soon. I'd rather save the wall space for paintings. Plus I'd have to unclip them too I think from the methods I've seen of hanging with binder clips. It's easy to pick up a basket and bring it to my easel or even outside if I plan to paint outside.
Brushes
My favorite brushes that I paint with all of the time are Isabey Isacryl Synthetic Brushes. They have been gifts from my husband Jonathan over a period of time. They are pricey but should last me a good lifetime if I take care of them properly. I can also use them with oils or acrylics. I store them upright in a jar when clean and dry and not in use. (I always let them dry fully laid flat after I clean them and never while upright!)
My easel is an adjustable H-frame I got from Hobby Lobby in high school with money I had saved up. I can adjust the height, roll it around, and even adjust the angle until it lays horizontally (which I do use when I'm applying varnish to a canvas). It was pretty rickety when it was first put together an is still kind of wobbly even after we put a bunch of metal brackets all around it. My husband put a coat hook on the side to hold my apron and drilled a hole up top so I could put my table lamp in it.
Computer Area
You’ll find me here a lot. I use an iMac at the moment.
I built this washi tape holder out of my own design. The bunny on top was very necessary.
Sewing Machine
My sewing machine rests on a table and all of my fabrics stored by color on a bookshelf. I like to keep my acrylic rulers hung up on the wall with push pins. I also hang my embroidery hoops on the wall too.
