Following on from the images of Duane Keiser's studio in yesterday's post, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at "On My Desk". Earlier this month, it celebrated a major milestone by posting the 100th working environment of a professional artist or illustrator.The purpose of "On My Desk" is for artists, illustrators, designers and creative folk to share the stuff on their desks and in and around their working space - as much or as little as they'd like to share. If you look under the 'Choose a desk' menu, you'll see that illustrators seem to be in the majority but that there's also quite a few artists as well as the odd Art Director. If you;re thinking you might like to post your enviroment do take a look at the FAQ section for who can post and are the sort of things to cover.
I found myself absolutely hooked when I discovered this site - I love looking at other people's workspaces as it gives me all sorts of ideas for developing my own - and getting the storage sorted! Another good thread for the pastel artists among you is this one on the Top Ten Studio Necessities in the Wet Canvas Pastel Talk Forum - I think the forum ladies are maybe a little more honest about just how messy it can get at times!
At the moment I'm getting very frustrated as all my creative "stuff" is becoming increasingly scattered all round my home - "taking over" would be another way of describing it! Tackling this is an imminent project and the reason you're not seeing anything here other than a very small section of my art book collection which is currently spread over four bookcases - but I have at least achieved getting almost all of them off the floor!!! I think you've got the Cs for Colour and Coloured Pencil in the photo (click and you might be able to see the titles) - but even then I know there at least three books next to my bed on this topic! Do bear in mind that my shopping habits rank buying art books second after buying art supplies and just ahead of shopping for the still life in the supermarket and a long way before anything else! I've had to strictly ration my visits to art bookshops and Amazon as I'm a self-confessed bookaholic - one is never enough!
Anyway, I've decided that SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE! Soon. Preferably in December - as in starting next week....................
What's your working space like - and do you ever manage to keep it all under control in neat boxes?
Links:
- "On My Desk"
- "Top Ten Studio Necessities" Wet Canvas Pastel Forum
Stuff taking over? Too late for me. It did that already. I don't have a creative space. I have a house with corners filled with fabric and niches filled with paint and piles of thread and paper and books. I started cleaning a little this summer and lately have been doing so with more focus, which I blogged a little about earlier this month. So now I have some neat little boxes, just not enough. It's a daunting task.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are so full of wonderful information. I really appreciate your writing and the links to other interesting writers about art. I've been trying to figure out how to organize my art book collection so it was interesting to see yours alphabetized by subject.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time here; thoroughly enjoyed your site, the resources and up-to-date information you have to offer. I hope to return and spend more time on your squidoo; as I am curious what to do with mine.
ReplyDeletehttp://ascenderrisesabove.com/wordpress/
Like the first poster, it is too late in my house also. I have two spare bedrooms in my house that are more like craft and art rooms. In my office/art room, there are stacks everywhere. A desk...full, a drafting table...full, two bookcases...full, and so on and so on. Plus my bird and cage had to make a home in here when we got the Yellow Lab year old puppy (bird dog). More mess but so much company (and she can't get on, into, or mess up my art).
ReplyDeleteI try to organize but end up just moving things around from one stack to another. And when I actually start to work, the mess just comes back. I am a messy cook and a messy artist. The easel and painting have to be done in the other room because of any fumes and the bird's harm from them.
And hubby walks in gingerly avoiding anything in his way, looks around in disbelief, shakes his head, and backs out. And always says if anything is in that room (or my purse for that matter), then it is lost forever.
Ha if you could see my office/studio you'd understand why I have to get out of the house to get any art done! I'm bad enough, but hubby with an e-bay addiction and with the good taste gene removed at birth, together with the rubble of toys and teenage 'stuff' make the environment a struggle to deal with at the best of times.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, a subject so near and dear :D Since moving into a little flat from a big house with my own studio, art space has come at a bit of a premium! I have a desk all well organised with my art gear on it but can't actually fit any art there so I have to work in the lounge with pencils and references and sharpeners, exacto knives, you name it, strewn everywhere!
ReplyDeleteI think a little chaos adds to the creative process, after all, while you're planning ways to avoid tidying up, you're using your creative side! (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)
I wouldn't expose anyone to the trauma of the tip my 'studio' is in! I am apparently 'differently organised' and not simply chaotic - I like that assurance from a friend and I'm hanging on to the idea!
ReplyDeleteI work in the spare room which contains bookshelves with large plastic storage boxes of oils, same of acrylics, tool boxes with framing tools, string etc, watercolours, canvasses painted on and waiting are stacked, there's a large table, an easel, rows of nails in one wall as I often prefer to work on the wall and see the painting against a white (errrm well splattered) background - then there's the mountains of sketchbooks, paper, jars of brushes, coloured pencils, pastels, jars of turps, containers of water, rags, painting clothes ....
a tip (blush)
How about pretending you're Andy Warhol and putting them in boxes as "time capsules", then some day someone can spend ages and ages unpacking them and figure out what is what. See http://www.artonpaper.com/bi/v11n02/unpacking_andy.php
ReplyDeleteOh - it's so good to know that others also struggle with their art ephemera!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marion - that link to the Andy Warhol boxes is such a hoot!
I think i need my art things to be around me to use else I forget!! A month or so ago I put the books away in order in a glass book cupboard but have ended up not taking them out to read! :( I think I'm going back to being a mess :D
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the link and based on a couple of studio photos in the blog, I'm planning on putting most of my supplies on open shelves for visibility. I think I need a similar idea for my clothes cupboard :P I'm dreadfully forgetful.
great blog and great posts. thank you.