Monday, April 18, 2011

Why Artists Need Space

One of the differences between hobbyists and professionals is the space they require. Many artists I know work on the kitchen table or in a corner of some other room. That is where I started too. Picking up and putting away was one of the drawbacks to this arrangement. It discouraged starting again. Painting is messy. Moving into the garage was heaven. There is a drawback to this as well: the cars remain outside and we choose to scrape windows in the winter…. Murals occasion another strain on the space. The other day I rearranged my studio. At present I am working on two large pieces in the “Eve” series and the next step involves graphite powder. Now graphite powder is dirty. It may or may not be part of the mural I am working on. However, with the upper part of the mural on the floor there is about twelve inches of squeeze space between projects and no room to back up. Placing graphite powder on a vertical surface is not the most efficient way to do things and the horizontal space has been occupied. So I took a cup of hot water (my preferred beverage), sat down and contemplated the drying paint. Yes, it was going to take longer than I expected. Leaving my studio early, I decided to do some bookwork instead. It is definitely more interesting than watching paint dry….

No comments:

Post a Comment