D
o you dread entering your
studio each day because you
just can’t face the disheveled
pile of sketchbooks and the pastel
sticks lying haphazardly on every
surface? Are your reference photos
stacked on top of your color wheels
that are on top of your vine char-
coal that you haven’t seen in six
weeks? Do you risk a broken arm
as you precariously step over boxes
of magazines in order to reach your
studio easel? Is your plein air easel
perched against a chair that’s filled
with sheets of paper and boxes of
new pastels you just bought but have
nowhere to store? The mere idea of
facing clutter that has built up over
the years can weigh you down and
give you a good excuse to put off
painting for another day.A Messy Problem
When I had my day job, my office was
my sanctuary. At the end of the day,
I made a point of always cleaning up
my work area—filing papers, and
dusting and wiping down the desk.
That way, I was ready to jump into my
first project the next morning without
the hindrance of clutter. Why couldn’t
I be this disciplined in my studio?
Some of us have become accus-
tomed to working in a messy space,
but the disorder can affect creativity,
productivity and even your health.
Being surrounded by clutter may lead
to feelings of frustration when you’re
trying to get work done.
We’re creatures of habit. My studio
is a great space and is divided into
two “sides”—one for my oil painting
and one for my pastel painting. My oil
painting side is much more organized
than my pastel side. For my pastels,
I had set up two folding tables—the
kind you can get at Costco—and
they’d served their purpose since I’d
added a studio to my home in 2008.
A couple of months ago, however,
I noticed that my pastel space had
become cluttered to the point that
I couldn’t find anything I needed to
create my art. I had things stackedBEFORE AND AFTER
ImageAshows the disorganized mess on one of my old folding tables. Image
Bshowsmy new cabinet with its drawers open. Pastel paper, pastels in boxes,
pastelsinwood sets and painting tools are all organized. A deep drawer holds
mysprayfixative and other bottles. If I find that I use some items more than
others,I can easily switch them around to a more efficient arrangement. It’s
trulya joy to know where each item is and to have things out of sight when I’m
notusingthem.A
B
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