My Art Studio Workspace & Artists' Ateliers

Office Space

Now several years into my retirement, I am finally able to carve out a space to paint. Almost two years ago we moved into a new home with an extra bedroom that I use as an office. In our previous home, the spare room had a twin bed (for guests) and an ironing board and became the place for storing nick-nacks and other miscellaneous junk. My intention for my office was to use it for writing art lesson plans on the computer and for doing art projects. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't want me to paint inside the house! My art colleague recommended getting a portable easel so that I could paint outside en plein air. For Christmas 2020 I got my easel and took it with me to paint on our late Winter trip to Palm Springs. 

Shed/Studio Space

My new goal is to establish an outdoor, sheltered place to paint by this Summer. I purchased an 8'X11' resin shed and assembled it under our deck in the backyard. My daughter helped me and found an old used drafting table for my new workspace. I even bought another smaller shed to offload the lawnmower and gasoline. My next challenge is to provide the necessary lighting. There's a small window and a large doorway that will allow some light to stream into my space. There are steel rafters that would be perfect for hanging overhead lighting. The problem is how/where to hang the solar power source since the shed is situated under my deck.

Portable Bluetooth Radio

A neighbor of mine has built his own personal outdoor man cave, a pretty impressive place to hang out. Although he doesn't have a window or electrical wiring, he does have a rather expensive portable power source -- the Massimo MPS 500. He also has a heavy-duty ION Tailgater AM-FM lithium battery-operated radio with Bluetooth capability. And a battery-operated LED light switch for entry into the unlit space. A radio would be useful for listening to music while painting or to hear a baseball game while doing yardwork.

Artists' Studios

If you're a fan of the Wyeths like I am, then you have to check out the Gurney Journey blog post, N. C. Wyeth's Studio, from May 2010. Apparently, Wyeth didn't electrify his studio until 1923, so he was only able to paint during daylight hours. I may experience a similar restriction. James Gurney may have just inspired me to take a trip to Wyeth's home and studio in Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania. 

The Artist in his Studio
(c. 1626-28), Rembrandt

Rembrandt's studio reminds me of my own small, dimly lit shed though even with his meager digs, he still couldn't afford to pay a model to sit for him so he painted over 75 self-portraits. I probably won't be making any self-portraits any time soon.

Claude Monet in Argenteuil (1874), Manet

Claude Monet had the luxury of painting on a small boat. Édouard Manet captured Monet while painting in his floating studio. I'm thinking about how difficult it would be to paint with the movement of the water. Perhaps a better vantage point would be the river bank.

Musée Atelier de Paul Cézanne,
Aix-en-Provence, France

In May 2011, we were fortunate enough to tour France and Italy. We visited Normandy and Monet's house and gardens in Giverny, France. You may also visit the homes and art studios of famous painters. One such studio is the atelier de Paul Cézanne. Notice the skulls and the bowl of fruit.

Still Life with Skull (1896-98), Cézanne

At first, I thought it could be that of New Mexico artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, because of the skulls, but then I remembered Cézanne's Still Life with Skull. Both artists also used walking sticks (canes). O'Keeffe used hers to fight off desert rattlesnakes.

Window in the Studio (1889), Van Gogh

When Vincent Van Gogh painted indoors, it was often with his friend, Paul Gauguin, in the yellow house where he wanted to establish a studio in which other artists could paint. During the final year of his life, he turned a small hospital room at a mental health facility in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence into an atelier. I am struggling to figure out the four paintings or sketches he has hung on his wall.

Dedication

George Pappas
(1919-2016)

I'm dedicating this post to my high school art teacher, Mr. George Pappas, who spoiled us by playing music while we created our art in his classroom. Each year, we looked forward to hearing the soundtrack of 1939's The Wizard of Oz, which probably contributed somewhat to my love of the movie. Although it was beaten out by Gone With the Wind for the Academy Award, it grew in popularity over years of being televised. Both films were produced and released by Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Studios, Oz in August, and GWTW in December. The book, written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) and first published in 1900, was originally illustrated by William Wallace Denslow (1856-1915). See The Lost Art of Oz for the complete list of illustrators of these wonderful stories.