art studio | Annie Mason

YOU are an ARTIST. What's in your studio? What's in your head? Do the supplies and objects surrounding you inspire you? In an earlier post, I featured what inspires me: There is inspiration everywhere. One can be inspired, however, but the studio has to have the tools for you to bring that inspiration from brain to paper, canvas, clay, jewelry, mosaic tile, or simple sketch.

Now that I am settled into our new home, I love being in my studio almost daily. If you consider adding items to your home as a crafter, hobby, maker, or painter, here are my suggestions. I post those that I use frequently in my business, but I include supplies others have told me they had used, which assured me that the purchase was a good decision.

Many artists today are using digital art as their process so I will start with some devices, some of which I use even though the bulk of my artwork is traditional, ie, painting and drawing with brushes or pen. If you are younger than me (lucky you) you might choose an apple pen over paper or canvas. (Don't worry will cover the traditional items for you in this post).

1. 10 Inch Drawing Tablet with Screen, Stylus Pen

2. Graphic Monitor with PN06 Battery-Free Pen

3. Pencil for iPad with Dual Touch Function

4. Make Great Art on Your iPad (Paperback)

5. Epson Perfection V600 (This is my scanner)

Now, let's take care of the basic art supplies:

1. 20 Pcs Round Pointed Tip Paintbrushes

2. Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Paper

3. Sakura Studio Set Koi Watercolor Kit, 72 colors

4. Caliart Acrylic Paint Set, 24 Colors

5. CENTSTAR Round Paint Tray Palettes 15 Ct.

STORAGE

1. Bins & Things Stackable Storage

2. 360°Rotating Desk Organizer

3. Multi-Functional Pen Holder

4. Rolling Wooden Storage Cabinet

5. Drawer Gate Leg Roll Cart with Desk

Furniture

1. Folding Table 6ft Portable Heavy Duty Plastic

2. SPACEKEEPER Storage Cart

3. Ergonomic Office Chair

4. Project Center Desk with 2 Bookcase Sides

5. Verilux SmartLight Full Spectrum LED Floor Lamp

Paint to Music, Video your artwork, and Post to Social Media

1. Itoya Art Profolio Storage (18 x 24)

2. UBeesize 67” Camera Tripod with Travel Bag

3. VideoPad Video Editor

4. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING 4 SMALL BUSINESS

5. Portable Bluetooth Speakers

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Well, maybe. Just a tad.

I haven't done acrylic painting in a very long time. It'll come back to me, right?

Our new house has a lovely fireplace mantel longing for a canvas painting. Here I am, four months into living in our new home. It's time to give that space a painting.

Here we go:

Supplies:

Gallery wrapped canvas by Artist Loft

Liquitex Basic Acrylics Paint Set

White Nylon Brushes

Round acrylic brushes

Palette with Lid by Mr Pen

Extras: work rags, paper towels, brush cleaner.

Now, the hard part: what to paint. It's in my head. It's one of our favorite vacation spots: Sedona Arizona

I do work from photographs (as many artists do). Our daughter took the photo on a trip out west. Jeep tours are a great way to get up close and personal, gaining a lot of information if you get a good guide. Here's one: Pink Tours from among many others. Or check these from a list: The 6 Best Sedona Jeep Tours

You can see the sky area (although it is subtle because I chose not to bring the dark blue completely to the edge of the mountainous horizon line.

⬇️ Work in Progress

I added cacti to the left foreground; now to fill the empty space.

That space could be problematic. Put something too detailed, and it would take away from the detailed cactus. I decided to keep this area nice and straightforward with the desert sand and earth-toned colors.

Terra cotta Acrylic Paint Set

This set is FABULOUS! Strongly pigmented colors are perfect for this painting!

⬆️

Am I finished?

It is a never-ending challenge for the artist. It's "quite" done. Sometimes, it's a good idea to walk away from a task. I don't consider painting a task because I love it. But like other decisions, it's a good idea to take time and ponder for a moment. "Sleep on it," my grandma used to say.

SEDONA. Vortex and meditation. Oum. Break time.

One day later: 🕰

After careful thought, I decided not to make any significant changes. My style is loose. The image lends itself to a quick, rough pattern with the brush (and a bit of pen and ink), an homage to the grand desert landscape with its rocks, prickly pears, and dramatic sky. So what you see in these close-up pictures is a bit more detail and the use of darks and lights to emphasize the textures.

Now, clean up the sides of the canvas. Since I will not be framing it for placement on the mantel, I painted entirely around the sides. Acrylics dry quickly, but even if it is dry to the touch, it is a good idea to wait about a week before applying a varnish coat to the artwork. For a technical description of the drying process, check Golden Paints Drying