My Happy Place
This is where the magic happens…
My studio has slowly become an overflowing library of things that inspire me, passion projects, and commissioned paintings.
Sometimes I spend twelve hours at a time painting here by the window to meet a deadline so it is important that this space fuels my creativity and uplifts my spirit. Although I don’t have a green thumb, the sight of greenery spilling over a window sill or flowers sprinkling my environment with color brings me so much joy. I love finding fresh flowers by the road and making my own bouquet, but during winter I usually buy them pre-arranged.
Creating a Flow State…
I think creating a space where your creativity and craft can flourish is almost as important to the process of bringing your ideas to life. It’s all about creating the best conditions for a “flow state” of mind where I can be totally absorbed in my work beyond the point of distraction and get the most out of my time.
Art, especially traditional painting, is a very time-consuming craft that requires a lot of stamina and I often find if I am working a chaotic environment my results are chaotic. However, a perfect studio is definitely not necessary for great work. I was painting out of my parent’s basement in college for a long time before I had the means to decorate anything and I produced work then that I am still proud of. The difference between creating in a well maintained peaceful environment versus a chaotic one is really about workflow, efficiency, and how it makes me feel mentally at the end of the day (which is key to avoid burn out).
Collecting Art as an Artist…
Sometimes I imagine myself as a SIMS video game character with a green gem above my head that represents my inspiration and health levels for the day and as soon as I read about another artist or study their work I feel my “inspiration gem” fill back up. This is the importance of Collecting Art as an Artist. If all you do is create without taking time to be inspired, you might find yourself running out of energy or hitting a wall creatively.
Here is a list of artists and some books that I constantly refer to for inspiration and a new perspective…
Michael Shane Neal
“Portrait Painting: My Point of View”
This book has offered me such a wealth of artistic wisdom and business advice. I still refer to it for how to approach different aspects of being a painter for a living. I’ve had the privilige of learning from this artist in person and he is just an incredible teacher and person. In his book, you’ll find many demonstrations, detailed techniques, and a behind the scenes look at the world of high profile portrait painting.
Richard Schmid
“Alla Prima: Everything I know About painting”
Every oil painter dedicated to their craft MUST read this book. If you don’t know the artist please do yourself a favor and look up his work. Not only was this man a painting legend, but he is very good at explaining his process and many different art theories in general. I reference this book all the time.
Aaron Weidenfeld
“Travelers”
This artist works with a combination of mediums to create the most ethereal paintings that delight my melancholy soul like no other artist can. It’s more of a softcover gallery than a book the dives into the process of the artist. I don’t mind because the images are so enthralling. I could stare at one page for an hour!
Hayao Miyazaki
“Hayao Miyazaki Catalogue”
Last but certainly not least, I present to you the incredible Hayao Miyazaki. If you have not watched a Ghibli film or seen the contagiously whimsical gouache paintings of Miyazaki, I am excited to be the one to introduce you to his work. I have painted several studies from this book and learned a lot just from seeing his process from sketch to painting to a movie scene. He creates art from the heart and inspires me to do the same.
That’s all folks! I hope you found something enjoyable, enlightening, or entertaining in the slightest. Let me know in the comments below if you have any art book recommendations or studio tips. I’m always looking for new sources of inspiration!
Happy creating!
