Never Before Seen Glimpse into the Dungeon Studio

Today's post is a rare, never before seen image of my oil painting dungeon studio. This studio is at the back of the house, in the basement partially below ground grade . It has windows but as you can see they do not receive any light. The shades are there for privacy. It is also "a mess".

Artist studios are VERY personal. If you have been painting long enough to know how you paint and what you need and want to paint you will adapt your studio to the way you work. A don't believe a painter should adapt the way they paint to the studio they have.

In place of natural light I have individually controlled "natural day light" florescent lights. I do not typically work with them all turned on either. This lighting tends to be cool which is way I may push my warm colors. From left to right you will see:

- My last completed stack painting. It's drying and I am looking at it everyday to make sure that there are no more changes I can make that would make it "better" to my eye.

-Prepared cradled panels stacked on the window sill. The sides are taped to keep the wood clean.They are ready to be painted on.

- Some of my cups. I spent all day (well at least five hours) yesterday choosing cups for the series of cups studies I started. Hoping to complete them in time to show at Newton Open Studios, May 15 and 16th; The SoWa Art walk (the same week end) and The Malden Sketch group show (May)

-My red "elephant step" so I can step up and reach the top of my paintings when I am painting large.(Someone pointed out to me that I am short. This may be true.)

-My "Hunter orange" sweat shirt that I wear when it's cool down here and my grey work coat which is a piece of yuck - fabric and paint, becoming more paint than fabric every day.

-A retired painting pallet. When a pallet comes to the end of its life (too much hardened dry paint)I retire the pallet and hang it on the wall. I think I have seven all around the studio.It's a history of color.

-A vinyl tile floor which I do not bother to wash (but I do sweep).

My home is considered to be really beautiful (upstairs that is) so anyone who makes it down into my dungeon is shocked to find that is is not beautiful and that it such a work space. Guests and other artists seem to expect high ceilings,all natural light, wood floors, tastefully place object d'art place around the studio is aesthetic perfection. Wrong!I work here and I only have eyes for what makes my job easier. My painting is my aesthetic focus in my studio. All else falls away, out of sight. The painting remains.