My Art Mess

We have been talking about our arting spaces on a couple of lists so I decided to snap a couple of quick pics of my art area in its working state. This used to be the dining room but I've taken it over since I started creating again. The table used to be the dining room table but hasn't been used for that in months. Not so bad when it's summer and we eat outside a lot, but it'll be a little harder to deal with in the winter. You can see how much space I leave for myself to actually work...not much! I'm always pulling out so many supplies that I have no where to put my painting or drawing. (Another good thing about ATCs...I don't have to clean off the art table to do them!) The drawing on the table is my daughter's. She was drawing with my markers while I was painting at the easel before I took this picture.

The other picture with the palettes and ruler on what looks like a table is actually my easel. I have an easel that tilts back flat for watercolor as well as upright for acrylic or oils and forward for pastels. In the picture it's in the flat watercolor position. I love that easel! Ipaid a nice chunk of change for it but it was worth every penny! I have my old heavy wooden drafting board on the easel with the painting side facing up. The other side of the drafting board I use for cutting so that I don't have to paint or draw over all those little xacto marks. I also have a collection of clip boards that you can't see in these pictures. (They are sitting on the bench between the table and the shelving units.) I use those as portable drawing/painting surfaces as well as for doing hemp jewelry. (I put the strands I'm working with under the clip to keep them still while I knot.) My jewelry stuff is in boxes on the bench and beside the shelving units.

The other picture is just the shelving unit where I keep some of my supplies, books, papers, etc. There are actually three shelving units but only one is for art supplies. One of the others holds the kids' art and craft supplies and games, the other one holds my son's science stuff.

And that's all there is folks. That's all the space I have for arting. This is all sitting in the middle of my townhouse where everyone who walks in the door can see it too. See why I need a studio again? My studio at the house we are working on is taking shape. It's still going to be a small space (until we build the larger studio above the garage), but at least it won't be taking over the dining room or any other part of our living space.