"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home" (Twyla Tharp)

A place to call your own ....


When I started this wonderful journey two years ago I was drawing and painting at my dining room table - in a room with light coming in from three sides.  You would think this is a great situation because of the natural daylight but it can play havoc with the lighting of your subject and result in endless confusion as the daylight changes and hence your highlights and shadows shift.  Not to mention the chaos on the table where you're supposed to eat family meals and the mad rush to clean everything up before dinner is served!



After struggling for a while over the inevitable conflict of whether the dining area is now an art table or a place for gathering  - we set up a corner of the formal lounge room to become my artist studio ... being the 'good' room it wasn't being used anyway so we bought an old dining table, used an old side table as a return to hold my jars of water and paints and voila - a place to call my own.  The natural light was coming from one  source and I positioned the table so the window was on my left.



However I still had some difficulty with lighting.  I always light my subjects at a forty five degree angle from the left to give the most flattering highlights and shadows ... the plant was well lit but my artwork was not.  I used a variety of lamps in the house until I realised my work time was limited to the bright daylight hours ...




I was pretty desperate with my last assignment and struggling to see the very fine detail.  A few of my artist friends were using good lighting and I felt it was time to invest in something better.  I found this extendable arm magnifying lamp - very easy to position anywhere over your work without getting in the way.  The light is amazing - a natural daylight bulb which helps to see your work clearly and work for longer without getting tired eyes from straining to see.

Very happy with my workspace now ... I am away from the noise of the household, I can play my favourite music and paint without interruption except for my beautiful dog Gracie at my feet.  At the end of the day I can just shut the door to the mess on my table, knowing it will still be there for me tomorrow...


7 comments:

  1. Good to see that you now have a comfortable and successful place to call your own. It is so important isn't it? My place is coming along nicely but a few things still to sort out, like where to put our printer!

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  2. Looks great Vicki,and it will make such a difference xxx

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  3. I love this setup, Vicki. I've battled with these issues for years...Had one empty room set aside as my studio space but then my children came along and my space has gotten smaller and smaller...I now have a small landing studio but still work primarily at the dining room table...Love your new lamp here, too. I have a decent one but think it's time to invest in a better one as well. Thanks for sharing this wonderful glimpse into your world.

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  4. Your blog is looking great Vicki :)I should visit it more often! x

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  5. Looks like you have found a great place to escape.
    I thought I wanted a room of my own but end up in different places to catch the sunlight or by a window for the view. My favourite place at the moment by the fire!
    It is interesting to see your new space, your materials and fabulous colour charts.
    Happy painting Vicki. I will look forward to seeing more of your beautiful work.

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  6. Your art space looks wonderful Vicki. A very Merry christmas to you and yours :)

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  7. Thanks for your nice comments - love to see you are still reading ... I enjoy all your blogs so much and best wishes for a wonderful 2012!

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