I have a Daruma Doll on my
desk. The idea is that you fill
in the pupil of the left eye
while concentrating on your
goal or wish, and that you
fill in the pupil of the right
eye when that goal or wish
is eventually realised.
Supplies and reference books
are stowed neatly in drawers and on
shelves so that they can be retrieved
the moment they’re needed, and put
back once they’ve served their
purpose. This is also the room I come
to when I’m trying to hone my focus
and work on my personal writing. In
that spirit, I decorated the room with
many pieces of art inspired from my
characters, their stories, and their
world. It’s a cosy space that’s bursting
with inspiration.
My workshop is my second major
workspace. If it’s work that requires
power tools, or a project that gives off
dust or fumes, this is where the magichappens. My shop has all manner of
tools, and each task calls for an
optimal set-up and appropriate safety
measures that I’m forever in the
process of fine-tuning. For instance,
chemicals are relegated to the
stainless steel table, cutting happens
on the cutting mats, and if something
needs assembly or a vice, the
workbench is at-the-ready to assist.
Like my Art and Writing Room, myEmma Lazauski painted this piece featuring three characters from
my story. You’ll meet one of them in my first book, The Wolf and
the Clockwork Hummingbird. Because this scene occurs later in
the series, it reminds me where these three characters are headed.While I tend to use my Wacom tablet and Nostromo for the bulk
of my digital work, I’ve been using my iPad for on-the-go
sketching a lot more recently. It’s a wonderful device that’s
enabled me to be more ‘spur-of-the moment’ in my sketching.Years ago, I collected a barkless branch and fashioned it into
makeshift display. I’ve since taken to hanging little treasures from it,
from jewellery bits to feathers, claws, carvings, leaves and more.
It’s a lively display of my adventures and diverse natural interests.I’ve commissioned and purchased art from artists
around the world, and I have some of them on
display on my desk. I love seeing what incredible
creativity there is from other makers out there.My oversized scanner and printer means I’m able to scan large items
like my wood panel and watercolour paintings, and create accurate
reproductions. Having them next to my workstation is ideal, as I can
use the daylight to accurately gauge the resulting colours.This area acts as the first staging grounds for
printing and shipping out orders, so I have a variety
of paper, ink and shipping labels on-hand, as well as
a scale for weighing packages.supplies are tucked away, but remain
at the ready so that I can use each of
the flat, horizontal spaces to their
fullest potential.BEING SOCIABLE
My third major workspace is my digital
workstation. This is where I do the
bulk of my digital art as well as
scanning, printing, photo-retouching,
mailing and any general business
needs. It’s located adjacent to my
fiancé’s own computer desk, which
makes it great when I’m craving social
company during my creative quests,
or simply want to catch up on a bit
of gaming.Supplies and reference
books are stowed neatly in
drawers and on shelves
ImagineNation Artist in Residence