The New Studio

As readers will be aware my house move has involved setting up a new studio. It is more accurately described as my painting room - too modest for a studio. Not for me painting in the kitchen, indeed my wife wouldn't have it so that was a no no from the start. Neither have I the facilities to build a purpose built studio like many top artists have.  Fortunately in my previous home a redundant bedroom, the children having long left, was used for this purpose and proved highly satisfactory. When we moved we downsized and as a result the only space available was  the small third bedroom. This is smaller than my other `studio' and posed a few problems as the `bed' was a permanent wooden structure on which a mattress could be placed to make a bed. Very odd. As several have expressed interest in my `studio', perhaps because they face similar problems in finding somewhere satisfactory to paint, I am showing it as best as I can not in some triumphalist vein but as to what can be achieved with modest resources.   

I promised myself that once the move was concluded - a very traumatic experience - I'd buy myself an Ipad. The grandchildren all have either Ipad minis or Ipod touches so I was feeling I was losing touch with modern technology. I waited until the Ipad air was introduced and here it is. Do I know how to use it? Well the book `Ipad Mini for Dummies' was borrowed from the children but with 360 pages of densely packed diagrams and text is hardly simple! Still I can Facetime them now when I need help!

The two photos above show the partially dismantled structure of the `bed'.  New flooring had to be put down in the middle and some plastering before being painted. The large box-like structure had to remain as the stairs come up underneath it. A new top was put on  and then the whole thing repainted. It serves as a large shelf and  is a repository for paintings both framed and unframed.

This view from the door looking in.

This is on the right hand wall and shows my art books and some storage towers.

Again from the door. There is a large cupboard for more storage. The window is recessed which affects the light. I have a daylight bulb which helps considerably.There is space in the cupboard for another storage shelf.

Still another view. The mirror is temporary and will be replaced by a larger one on the wall which faces the window and should reflect and improve the light.

A final view taken from the recess with the window behind.

Added 26/11/13. This is the room with the mirror now on the wall. The idea, from Zvonimir, is to improve the light and it does, although not to a massive extent. Possibly you would need a really big one. Taken with the smaller camera.

I had to use the lowest 17mm setting on my Nikon DSLR to get everything in so there is some distortion and it tends to make it look larger than it actually is.

That's it then. I now have no excuses not to paint, despite all the conflicting things that involve a new home. The credit card is starting to protest and we're just about to depart on the trail of further necessary (the wife says) purchases!