Here it is the last day of the Orange County Studio Tour. October and November are busy for me, but it’s been so much fun to talk to people about my art and studio space. This is the first year in my new studio since we moved in March. It’s a smaller space, (taking over the dining room instead of having my own custom built studio), and the lighting is far from perfect, but it works so far. I’m sure many tweaks are in its future, but that’s part of the fun! If you don’t catch me today (open from 12-5), then I hope to see you next year!
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Newspaper Article
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a local newspaper looking to do an article on me and my art. The writer left me a message on my phone and also sent me an email. I was typing up my email to respond to her (thinking out my answers so I wouldn’t have to worry about how many times I said “ummm” and “you know”). My plan was to call her back and use my draft email as notes (doesn’t everyone do that?). But before I could finish, she calls me again. And wants to come by my studio NOW. If you like my facebook art page, you might have seen a post saying I was rearranging my studio just the night before. Do you know how organized artists typically are? Can you imagine what my studio looked like the day the reporter wanted to come over? Most of my art was still hanging at the Roasted Coffee Depot
The Search for Art Festival Supplies: Part I
A few weeks ago I went supply shopping for art shows and festivals. I already had three tall, narrow panels I created out of slatted closet shelves. They were a deal, and I needed something ASAP last October. They worked fine, but were 8 feet tall and cumbersome to move. Here’s a photo of me standing in front of the panels. See that behemoth panel in the background on the left? Yep, that’s what I used… …and the wind loved them… If it weren’t for the several good Samaritans at the tour to catch the display, many of my pieces would have ended up on the concrete. My goal has been to purchase pro panels, but they are still cost prohibitive for me to get an entire set for a 10×10 display area. A fellow artist had black grid panels that created a nice display for her paintings. I went to the surplus store where she purchased her display and
Art Supply Addiction: Flat Files
Hi, my name is Janae, and I’m an art supply addict. By supply, please don’t just think of pencils, papers, brushes, paint. Feel free to include drafting tables, bookcases and my favorite…FLAT FILES! I have such an obsession with these, that I decided to do a whole post dedicated to them. Maybe I’ll write a series of posts…because each one has a special place in my heart… It doesn’t really matter that I have a 29 1/2″ x 40 1/2″ black metal flat file with 5 drawers, or a behemoth 36×45 1/2″ wood flat file with 10 drawers. I love them all. I google flat file images. I browse them on craigslist. I pin them. It doesn’t matter that their use is rather limited. They are coveted by artists and the going rate for a 5 drawer flat file around here starts at $150 on craigslist. I’m still addicted. Maybe one day I can have a coffee table again, and
Updates to my Studio
I took a few pictures of my studio today since we’ve added a few things lately. Living in North Carolina requires air conditioning, so my husband added a window unit. No need to add central air here! The grass looks brown because we had someone come by and weed-eat, so I need to rake the dead grass away. I’ll also work on the landscaping once the weather cools down. My husband and I are trying to plan out a large patio and pergola between our house and studio, so that’s why nothing has been done here… Oh – and shutters…I need to get shutters…and complete the lattice around the porch. I’ve already posted my cabinets, but I thought I’d add them here since it’s now “lived in”. The sides of the counter top need to be finished and I need to add the hardware. Notice the flat file? I love this thing…and have been looking for a “cheap” one for
Lights on in the Studio!
Need I say more? There are a few more things that need to be done…and then I’ll be able to organize, clean, dust, etc. Just a picture of the outside – the door will change Monday, exchanging it for a glass door to get more northern light into the studio. Landscaping still needs to be done and as you can tell, this was taken the night before trash day! — This is what you see as you open the door. Track lighting for paintings. Cabinets to the left…bookshelves to the right. — As you walk in, look left and you see my desk – for my day job. And yes, that’s a panel all for my studio. I’m not sure if you can tell, but there are 3 recessed lights above the desk, 2 double switches above the desk and 2 quad switches below the desk. (Did you notice the light switches? There’s a quad switch for the lights (1.
Studio Update
White…The walls, ceiling and trim…white. I know, I could have picked all different colors, bold, soft, blue, red, but I chose white. I’ve read that a mid-tone gray is the best for a studio, but I love to have things bright, and since my windows are not that large (for more wall space), I want it bright! The corner here is for my future office, hence the recessed light and lots of outlets (there are more closer to the floor).
Update on my Studio
We’ve been working hard at the studio (hahaha…did I just say “we”? OK – my husband has been working hard!) I’ve lost count on the number of coats/sanding/recoats of sheetrock mud to the walls and ceiling, but it’s almost there! The dust from sanding the mud has permeated every nook and cranny of the building. The ceiling still has to be finished, but the trim for the windows went up today. At first I wanted deep windows (oh, I forgot what they’re called), but after reading about the different window trims and recommendations, I decided to go with the standard trim since it was a small room. Painting just may happen this week – You’ll be soooo surprised!
It’s 53 degrees in the Trashcan
I bought one of these wireless thermometers for my husband for Christmas – it has an outside sensor to let you know what the temperature is at any given moment inside and outside (well, at least wherever the sensors are). My husband recently put the outdoor sensor in my studio to ensure it stays above 50 degrees in there. (It has to stay at least 50 degrees so that the sheetrock mud dries right). I was cleaning up the odds and ends the other night and I put it in the trash. I just thought it was our old sensor (never mind the faint sense of confusion as to why the broken one would have been there in the first place). The revelation did not come to me until later when my husband mentioned the studio temperature as he was looking at the display. I fessed up that the sensor was in the trash. We’ll take it out before trash
Pencils, Pastels, and Paint 