"What a Nice Place to Work" - Photos of my Painting Studio Space

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"What a nice place to work" ran through my mind as I came into the studio this morning. The standing mirror catches a reflection of the canvas I'm working on right now.

Some collectors have told me they'd love to see the space in Baltimore where I create most of my paintings. Here's a mini-tour.




This is just some of the brushes that are stationed at the ready. Last night's color mixtures of blue pigments grace my palette. In the distance is one of the three easels I have in the painting room- it's usually holding a painting I want to study. At the right is the standing mirror that's always aimed so I can see a reversed image of the painting I'm working on on my main easel.




Loaded paintbrushes love to roll into their neighbor and get their wet colors all over each other. I made a simple grooved brush holder to keep each color of the brush clear of collisions with other unwanted hues.






The main working easel at the right. It's super heavy which is great for keeping the canvas from wiggling as I push my brushes against it. In this photo and the next you can see the easel's hand crank that raises and lowers the paintings as I work on their different areas. 


 

Notice the small stone that lives on my easel.

There's always room for superstition. In the early 1980's I started my long series of residencies in Edward Hopper's former studio in Truro, MA. It's a striking setting on a high dune overlooking Cape Cod Bay. On my first stay there I "borrowed" a pebble from the beach just below the studio. 

When I'm plotting my next move for my painting I sometimes pick the stone up and remember the feeling of being in Hopper's studio. When I was just starting out as a struggling art student it was discovering that artist's work that put the wind my own sails.






The hallway leading to the painting room. My main working easel on the left.






It's so helpful to leave works out where I can see them. This is the same hallway where paintings I'm actively working on go to rest. My dear wife Alice who would much prefer living in a tidier space tolerates this. She should be nominated for sainthood.







The stairwell leading to my art storage room. On the wall is my oil House in the Valley, 40 x 60 inches. 






There are three times more storage racks than are visible in this photo. A great secret of successful artists is finding a space to store paintings safely. A lot of the paintings and drawings in my racks I'm putting away to work on later. Some racks hold  completed paintings. Still others hold prepared canvases waiting for my brush, stretchers, boards and high quality drawing paper. When I need something I can find it.



 

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