What White Christmas?

I live in the South and spend a lot of time in Florida dedicating my painting time to those familiar images.  Meanwhile, all the latest magazines are arriving full of images of jack-o-lantern pumpkins, roasted turkey dinners and snowy winter scenes.  Stores are full of sparkly Christmas ornaments and brightly lit fir trees.  I adore bright and sparkly, but the White Christmas image escapes me.

There are paths to grandmother's house (as it says in the song) but the paths I know go through pine trees and palmettos.

We have deer, but they don't know about sleighs and tend to be hard to find.

We don't have partridges in pear trees, but we do have ibises in mangrove swamps.

No snowy fir trees, but lots of sunlit cabbage palms and live oaks.

So I relish my familiar sights and live among them.  I have seen one or two white Christmases in years past by travel to colder climates, but these days the only way I expect to see snow at Christmas is in my dreams.

Studio space in home remodel chaos

I am learning the benefits of keeping my studio set up flexible while in the middle of remodeling the house.  The good part of having a studio in a space that will be remodeled is that it doesn't matter where the accidents happen.  The bad part of having a studio in a post-remodeled space is that it does matter where the accidents happen.  Here are some pointers for all you home studio artists and crafters working in less than ideal conditions:

1.  Keep furnishings easy to move. 

 

This is at the end of a long, narrow great room.  Furnishings have wheels wherever possible.  Lights are all multi-directional.  Easel is lightweight but sturdy.  I put protective rubber interlocking matting on the floor to spare our new wood floor.  The cushioned matting spares my back too.  The matting is from Home Depot and goes by the name "Best Step".  It comes in packages of four interlocking pieces of two feet by two feet.

 

 

2.  Simple is better.

 

I need lights, easel, paints, canvas and my computer.  This is my corner where I have lightweight shelving units (easy to move).  I use my laptop to display my photos as needed for painting references.  You can see a spare piece of interlocking rubber floor matting behind the easel.

 

 This is my table for still life setups or when I need a flat surface.  I protect the table from paint with a plastic tablecloth from Dollar General.  More storage area is under the table.

 

 

3. Take advantage of vertical space.

 

This is a long wall in the same room that will be painted as we progress with the remodeling.  Right now I can put all the nails I want into it so I use it to display my work.  Seeing everything up is both inspirational and a great way to keep paintings out of harms' way.

 

 Here is another view.  This area serves also serves as our living room.  I can change the display easily, and the wall is a great conversation piece.

 

 

4. Be patient.  Most good things take time.

 

 

I invite you to post your favorite home studio tips.