In the toy shop....I mean Studio

 It was recently requested of me to supply pictures of my Studio for a publication..

So I cleaned it.

 and took a few pictures.
It looks pretty nice here.

 It won't stay tidy  for long however, so I may as well save the pics for posterity.

The above picture was taken  last week.

 and the one below is what the same desk looks like today

 

Oh well...sigh.

When I'm in the studio, I feel like I am working in a toy shop , and in a way, I am...

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 because this is a really fun place to be!

Above the supplies are so many goodies!

Everywhere you look, are the reflections of the past, seen through the objects owned by children a century ago. (The stuffed bunnies and bird were made by me though)

 I have collected antique games, toys and storybooks for over 25 years

I love the simplicity and charm of old toys

You would think that all this stuff would be distracting, and to many people this would amount to a lot of unnecessary clutter, but I am inspired to be surrounded by such utter happiness..

All other  supplies are put out of sight in cupboards and drawers.

Until i need them.

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 I was so excited recently, to find this jolly little  Gypsy wagon!

 

Look at those cute railings and the cunning little door

I can fit a whole lotta Hopalong Hollowfolk into this little vehicle.

It  fits right into the "toy shop" studio, and what a fabulous prop this will make for art shows.

Is it any wonder, with all these delightful items around me that I can't stop creating art in many forms?

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i Am sure that you fellow artists, needle-workers and craftsmen surround yourselves with the things you love in your studio space as well. 

Inspiration can be found in many places.

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 In my case, I only need to walk into my Studio.

 Even when it is a mess.

Making the most of a small space.

 For several weeks I have been scribbling away in my tiny "studio at the top of the stairs".  This really IS a small room at about 9'x 15' and the longer I stay in here, pulling out reference books and papers and this and that, the more cramped it became. It got so that I was maneuvering around an obstacle course  and sliding in sideways just to reach my worktable.  I determined to  make a CLEAN SWEEP and ORGANIZE the whole mess, before continuing any further on my work.

My first job was to pull out all the books and anything that wasn't in a proper place and plop it all on the floor. What a mess!

Now, it may seem crazy ,especially in such a small space, but I actually brought in  a large cupboard  and placed it  right next to the Hoosier style cupboard. This cupboard will hold lots and lots of stuff!

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 Organized chaos, that's much better.

I'm a big believer in having lots of boxes, of all sizes. Each one of these will be filled with bits and bobbets, snippets and snaps and doodads galore!

 Boxes inside boxes... are one of the best storage solutions.

  See what I mean? Even these tiny Altoid boxes are holding  tiny paper cuttings,

 and this old seed box contains  finished scherenschnitte ornaments and bookmarks I have made.

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Little "scrapbooks" hold my patterns,

  and the Hoosier cabinet has many drawers, I have filled every one of them!

 The funny thing is, my most used supplies are, quite simply, paints and brushes, pencils and paper, scissors and rulers.  So.... why do I have ALL THIS STUFF??!!


   Because, well , gee, you never know when you might need a rubber stamp..

  I must confess, I love rubber stamps.

And this little basket of critters really comes in handy when you don't have a live model.

And this shelf of shells and butterflies and nest and eggs and feather and pebbles and acorns,etc, etc. etc...

are quite useful when I really need to draw said items in an illustration.

 As I said before, organized clutter.

 I was able to fit over 300 books on this  bookshelf, all placed according to subject matter or author.

  WHY do I need all these books? Well, I am constantly pulling out a reference book or a children's book from an illustrator I admire, and there are so many I admire, it encourages and inspires me. In fact this corner shelf is devoted to two of my favorites, Beatrix Potter and Jill Barklem.

I find much inspiration looking at other artists work. This room is FULL of other artists work, WHY? Because I like to surround myself with beauty, humor and delightful things. 

 A cork board FULL of delightful things. ( thank you Deborah and Anita and Valerie!)

 Antique teddies and toys above the newly moved cupboard.

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  Now these blank paged books are simply wonderful to use for writing, sketching, journals, or pressing flowers.  Most of these are from a company called Oberon and are tooled leather with gorgeous designs on the cover. 

     You will need a nice book mark... thank you Rainy!  

Of course, no studio is complete without a place for the studio cats to take a little snooze in between walking through your paints, laying on your drawings and knocking over your tea cup. 

 A basket on the floor beneath the bookshelf will do just fine.

  And maybe keep them off the nice CLEAN fabric atop the cabinet.

This is quilt fabric derived from my book Hopalong Jack. I have designed 3 lines of 

 Quilt fabric, but it is so time consuming, I no longer have the desire to do it.

  

Speaking of kitties, these keep the drafts out of my little room... we have a very old house and I need to save my heat!

It took 3 days to pull this room together, but I am pleased with it,

 All of my art and craft supplies are completely and utterly tidied up and placed out of sight. I even know which boxes everything is hidden in!

 And the amazing thing is that even though I brought in another piece of furniture, the room actually seems larger than before, after rearranging things.

   I think I am ready to get back to work!

 For many years, my workspace was a table in my kitchen, and that was okay with me. But I am so much happier in my little "room at the top of the stairs". You don't need a lot of space, just a little  imagination and pretty boxes, shelves and drawers!