My Studio Pics While Hibernating

January is my time to hibernate in the studio, wear warm fuzzy slippers and clean, purge and organize. I have to have a clean organized work space before I am comfortable to work on projects. That's just how I'm wired.  So I'm sharing my work space pics with you and a little bit about my favorite objects in my home studio.

The first picture above shows how I organize my card inventory.  The pull out drawers from the Container Store fit within an Ikea table.  On the wall is my Stone Arch Bridge Festival of the Arts poster I drew for the event in 2011. I love how my new rug matches the colors and sweeping arches in the print.

 I roll my chair over to the computer side of my studio where there are filing cabinets with 2 horizontal wooden doors creating a table top and flat file.  The table holds my computer, fax, scanner and printer.  The shelf on the wall holds extra framed prints that I rotate during the year when I need a change of scenery.  Oh, and more card storage...

Rolling back to the drawing side of my studio is where I sketch. I had this table during my college years at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. The side table is from Ikea (great having an Ikea in Minneapolis). The floral print was done by my long time friend, artist, college roommate, Randi, who passed away unexpectedly. I never get tired of looking at her watercolor and it reminds me of what is important in life and how short life can be.

The studio is painted yellow and is bathed in sunshine so it's a happy place to be. The shelves hold art books, favorite magazines, shipping supplies for my Etsy orders and notebooks for Surtex portfolios.  I made a foam core bulletin board and covered it in fabric and placed it on an easel for self critiques. There are radish illustrations and a section from my new poppy fabric pinned up right now. I have lots of my fabric stored in the white boxes. The toy chest holds framed prints between art shows.  My chair holds one of my Ginkgo fabric pillows created.  You'll be seeing more of these soon in Poppy versions.

My son Taylor let me have one of his Garrison Keillor stencil collage paintings for my shelf.  There are pages from Keillor's book glued in the background.  Next to it is bittersweet I grow in the alley and hope to draw into a design this year.

I was deep into mosaic for a time and this was my personal inspirational creation. It started with an actual fortune cookie fortune that is under glass in the middle that reads."You are headed in the right direction.  Trust your instincts."  Other parts say, "Do what you love" and "Believe in yourself."  The coaster next to it was designed by friend Linda  with an inspirational message by Thoreau.  The African Violet plant is from my sister Cathy that blooms with purple flowers.

These two Raku pots were what I made at a class in Grand Marais with my friend Marlene. We had so much fun at the North House Folk School class!  

 On my shelf next to my framed thistle print is a souvenir Kusmi Tea tin from my trip to Paris.  I was so fortunate to chaperone my son's high school trip to Paris and Barcelona and soak up so much art and culture.

 This antique Art Deco cologne bottle with its squared look has always been a favorite of mine. The Frank Lloyd Wright design frame holds a picture of me with my husband Mitch and son Taylor.  Mitch is a graphic designer and Taylor is an artist as well so we have a pretty creative household.

I spend so much time in my studio, it has to be comfortable, functional, and beautiful. I hope it inspires you to think about your own creative space and how you can make it your own personal haven.