PAINTING STUDIO: MAKING MAGIC

The magic starts behind the door of my 1908 home. I have east and north facing windows that are kept open to feel the air and listen to the birds. I like the fact that I can come and go anytime I wish. My favorite time of the day is very early in the morning when I go into the studio with fresh eyes to look at my most recent paintings from the night before.

When I paint, I work on several paintings at the same time. The canvas is laid horizontally, putting thin layers of acrylic paint on the canvas with a piece of recycled cardboard. Because the paint is fluid, each layer will take 3-8 hours to dry. I work on the paintings on the floor to give me distance to see the composition. Because I have limited floor space, my son designed a custom racking system to dry paintings as well as for storage. My paints are mixed to the consistency I like and then stored in plastic bottles ready to use.

I have a small little corner in the studio with a comfortable chair where I can read my art books, sketch or study my recent paintings. By critiquing them in groups I may learn something about one painting that will work to inform another painting. My studio is intimate and perfect.