Above: A 30″ x 40″ canvas / work in progress
As artists we typically need to improvise if we do not have access to a large studio space. For myself, I’m very fortunate to have a room with fairly high ceilings, a large north facing window, beautiful wood floors, and neutral off white walls. However, the space is not particularly large. So with that being the case, I’ve needed to find ways to make it work for the type of art I’d like to make. One thing I’ve found that is really helpful is utilizing as much of the wall space to hang finished pieces and work in progress. This allows me to free up the floor, and to view my work off the easel as it is in various stages of progress.
Even though I have a few easels, again because of the size constraints of the studio, I’ve found a way to work around this. As you can see in the above picture, I hang work on the wall as I’m working on it. By placing nails at several increments, you can move your canvas or panel up and down to accommodate standing and seated painting positions. I use this method for larger pieces, and have found within my own space I can make this work with canvases as large as 48″ x 60″.
Another space saving tip is the use of clamp lamps for additional lighting. The above lights have warmer natural light bulbs in them, and with the use of a few extension cords can be placed around the studio. I also have two adjustable professional photo lights if needed, but the power and heat they generate can be a bit much. I removed the light from one, and have been using the stand to affix one of my clamp lamps to, allowing me to adjust the light based on the height of the work on the wall.
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