Studio Wall

 

Six paintings hanging closely together on an 8 foot wall. I can squeeze at least one more in on the lower left, and possibly a few more small ones on the bottom. I need a bigger wall.

Good Week of Making Art

I had a very productive and good week of working in my art studio last week. The tall painting on the left is mostly finished. I’ll do the rest of the work on it Thanksgiving week. I have three more paintings in progress which I’ll also work on then, and continue through the rest of 2025 and beyond. I’m grateful for my in home art studio even if it’s very small.

Art Studio

A view of my tiny art studio this week, with two paintings in progress and three complete on the walls, and two paintings in progress on my work table, as well as some sewing projects. It’s cramped but workable.

Art Studio on December 31, 2022

Here is my tiny in home art studio on December 31, 2022. This space is very small, but I make it work. It's free and allows me a lot of flexibility to work anytime for however short or long amount of time I have.

On the table in the front is the monoprinted and stitched fabric for my 2023 walking painting ready to be coated with watered down matt medium to stiffen the fabric. In the back of the table are stamped icons representing the number of steps I walk by the thousands dried and waiting to be used. 

On the left wall is a new fabric painting in my Loss series I am currently working on and expect to finish soon. Also on the wall, and below, folded over a sheet of cardboard is a number of paintings in my Loss series that were created in 2022. I haven't rolled them up to store them yet. 

On the right wall is my 2022 walking painting waiting for the last icon representing the number of steps I will walk before midnight today.

Happy New Year!

Clean Studio New Year

I straightened my tiny at-home art studio and I'm ready to make some new art in 2021.

 

I took all of the old projects and fabric scraps off my tabletop and replaced the plastic sheeting to help keep the surface clean. I removed all 2020 artwork from my walls. Some paintings are at my photographer's and those already photographed have been rolled and stored out of the way.

 

On the right wall is the new fabric for my 2021 Dates in a Life Waking Project. On the left wall is a drop cloth I may use on in upcoming painting.

 

On the table is already printed icons for use on my walking painting, some folded fabric for possible new paintings, color printouts of photos for a new Pandemic painting, and a half dozen or so socks with holes in them that I can't bear to throw away. Maybe they'll be a part of another art project?

This space is small, but it's rent-free and I'm lucky to have it. I can spend a few minutes to a few hours any time of day in this space. It fits my current lifestyle vs. having a larger studio I have to drive to elsewhere.

New Year, New Studio

My new home art studio space is almost all set up. The tabletop is clear, shelves organized, artwork on boards wrapped and put away, and a dedicated construction fence storage area is easily accessible in the attic. All that's left to do is organize some drawers, find a good space to store tubes of rolled up art, and then get to work. Happy creative 2017 to all!

Window Treatment

Yesterday, I took a break from working on my new Fractured Fence Repaired series, and instead, I made a “curtain” for the window for one of the doors of my studio.

I made it by piecing together various odds and ends of monoprinted fabric that were left over from other projects. I’m really happy with how it looks from inside and outside of my studio.

Above is a closeup and below, a full picture, both from the inside of my studio.

Above is a closeup from the outside, when the light is on inside, and below when the studio is lit with natural light.

 And, below is the full door from the outside, lit with natural light.

I'm happy to have a new window treatment, as well as a sample of my work that can be seen from outside of my studio, as well as inside.

New Studio

I've moved my studio. I now have a great place to work at ArtSpace-Maynard, at 63 Summer Street in Maynard, MA.

In this space, I have two tables that are 8' x 4', where I can work while standing. They're a perfect height for printing and painting so I don't have to bend over. The two tables can also be rearranged to make a 16' x 4' table, if I have really large work to create.  I could also put together one more 8' x 4' table if needed. It would be tight, but it is doable.

I also have a good area for sewing or doing work while sitting down. I put four small white Ikea tables together in a 2 x 2 group. They can also be ungrouped for added flexibility.

I am pretty much set up, but there is more to do. I have more supplies to bring to Maynard. I also want to build (with help!) a long homasote wall on the right side of my space, so I have a good long wall to hang work up. I'm hoping we can do that in the next month or so. I also want to figure out a good storage system underneath the 8' x 4' tables, to store my construction fences, completed work, and other supplies and equipment.

My studio mate, Merill Comeau, is a Mixed Media Artist who also works with fabric. I'm very grateful to be subletting half of her studio.

In addition to ArtsSpace, I also have a small studio at home, for times I can't get to the big studio. At home I have a 5' square table to work on, which is fine for smaller work.

If you want to come visit me at either studio, please send me an email.

Success! And What's Up Next

After five months of hard work, I have successfully submitted everything for my upcoming how-to crafts book that will be published by Running Press in the Spring of 2013.

- This morning, I emailed my 25,105 word manuscript to my editor.

- Sometime today, all of the art will be delivered to their office via FedEx.

- Last week I uploaded the illustrations (created by Kristina Almquist) and art log, as well as scans of all of the art as an FYI, on the book designer's section of the server.

As time gets closer to my publication date, I'll start to talk about the subject of my book.

Next up, unpack my art supplies in my new studio space at Fountain Street Studios in Framingham, MA, and start printing 16' lengths of fabric for my upcoming public art installation at the Boston Center for the Arts that starts in July.

And while the fabric is drying in Framingham, I can unpack my art supplies in my smaller home studio and start working on a new series on boards called Fences and Nests.

Studios

Both of my studios are set up, though not unpacked. Over the weekend we set up the tables at my studio at Fountain Street Studios in Framingham, MA. The table near the wall is 16' by 4', and the other table is 8' by 4'. Both are tall enough so I can work without bending over, which is great for my back, and they're long enough for me to work on large work, including the installation I'm about to start for the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, MA.

At home, I have a studio set up for creating smaller work. The tabletop is 5' square. This is a table where I can sit at when working.


Next up is totally unpacking art supplies in both spaces. As you can see above, I have done some work at home already (16 "nests"), but it's been hard to find my supplies, which are still in boxes. As an example, I have no idea where my (vintage 1978) apron is. I'll find it soon I hope.

Busy!

I have a lot going on, and here is some of it…

This is the park at the Boston Center for the Arts, where I’ll be showing my new public art installation this summer. 

I went in to Boston to discuss the project and take more pictures yesterday. The last time I was there was mid-winter. It was really good to visit now that it’s spring. There are many layers of the garden as well a wonderful assortment of plants that have made an appearance. I plan on having my work to interact with the space when it’s on exhibit from mid-July through September.

Before I can get started creating the work for the installation, I need to move in to my new studio space at Fountain Street Studios in Framingham, MA. I picked up the keys yesterday, and will be moving furniture and supplies in over the weekend as time permits. 

For those who are confused, I will be working in two studios. One is at home where I will create smaller work, because I only have room for a 5’ x 5’ table. While all of the supplies I need for working from home are here, I have not had time to unpack and organize them yet. That will have to wait until June, though I have been able to find most of what I need so I can make a little bit of work.

I’ll be working on larger work in Framingham, because I’ll have the space for a 16’ x 4’ table as well as an 8’ x 4’ table. Both long tables will allow me to monoprint long lengths of fabric.

One top of all of the installation planning, and my studio moving and set up, I had a busy web design week, and I’ve got 99% of the writing finished for my new how-to book. I’ve started getting it organized for my June 1^st deadline for submittal. There’s more going on too, but this is the most interesting and exciting right now.

Studio Curtains

For privacy from the house next door and also to cut the blinding sunlight on sunny days, I have curtains in the windows of my home studio. Before yesterday, the curtain bottom and valance were a simple unbleached muslin that I made 19 years ago, when this was a play space for my son.

Yesterday, as I was moving art and supplies in, I hung Weathered Fences #5 and #6 in place of the valance. They were hanging in the studio I'm moving out of, and I decided to hang them in my home studio since I like them a lot.

At first I had the painted/dark side facing out (below) but it felt too dark and overwhelming. I think I like it better with the back side facing out (above) because it's much lighter.

When I have time, I'll paint the white sleeve at the top to match the back so there won't be a boring and ugly white strip at the top.

I do need to make sure it looks acceptable from the outside of the house, which I hope it does. It looked great at street level at my old studio, but at my house it may or may not.

One Studio Space Ready

My new studio space at home is ready for me to move in. The homasote, covered with white felt, was installed yesterday. The light fixtures were installed on Friday.

Now I'm going to decide where in this space to store my finished work on boards and rolled up stiffened fabric, and where to store the not yet used boards, rolls of fabric and construction fencing. I have a lot of fencing in the attic, but I want to try to keep my most favorite pieces in this space, and some will go to the studio space I'm going to sublet at Fountain Street Studios in Framingham, MA when I move in next month.

There is some space in this room that's not in this picture. And there is also some space in the room to the left of this room, where my computer is as well as many shelves for storage. There's a lot to organize, and time is tight, so I'll do it as I can, while making sure that I'll be able to create new work as I set up.

Let There Be Light!

The electrician installed the light fixtures in my (new) home studio this morning. I might play around with the bulb color, but this is a HUGE improvement from what was there previously!

Tomorrow the homasote comes down from the studio space I'm moving out of and installed in this space. Then I can unpack and start setting up.

I am happy, happy, happy this is coming along!

Lighting My New Studio

I'm moving my studio back home over the next few months. THE most important thing for me to set up in the space is lighting.

For just about 20 years, I worked in this space before I moved into a small studio in Natick Center. Even though I knew from the beginning that it was too small even as I moved in, what I LOVED about the space was the light.

While I feel really good about working at home again, even if it's also a space that's too small, I know I have to do something so I can see. The last time I worked at home, if I wanted to paint at night or on cloudy days, I had to go into my bathroom, where the light is better, to choose my colors. That was pretty pathetic.

Fast forward to now. I decided that since I've recently sold a large amount of work, that I would use some of the money to pay for buying and installing lights, which includes fixtures and bulbs as well as the electrician.

I’ve met with a lighting designer and we discussed my space and my needs. I was hoping to use LED lights but quickly found out that not only do they run hot, but they would also cause a lot of shadows, and they’re really expensive. After much discussion, I've chosen florescent lighting. As horrible as it sounds, it's really what's going to work best.

I know that I can get cheap (not so nice looking) fixtures, but this space is in the middle of my house on the second floor. We walk through it to get to our bedroom, and friends and family walk past it to get to our guest room. Because of that, I've decided to splurge on the fixtures. They're simple and a little expensive, but not outrageous.

So, two 50" fixtures that hold two bulbs each have been ordered and will hopefully arrive in a few weeks. After everything arrives, my electrician will come and install them.

These sketches are not to scale, but are what I’m using as reference as I set up the space on the ceiling and floor.

Studio Space Changes

I've decided to move my studio location. Eighteen months ago I moved into a nice but very tiny studio in downtown Natick, MA (AKA Natick Center). At the time, it suited my studio needs. Good light, situated near a hardware store, post office, my husband's office, places to grab a bite to eat, parking, and easy access during Natick Open Studios. I think I did a good job using the space, given the limitations.

Then, late last summer I was given the opportunity to create a 35' long art installation in Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA that required about 60' of printed fabric. Since my studio space is 16' x 10', smaller than one of the panels of the installation I was going to create, I needed to find a temporary space to work. I ended up using of a part of my husband's office due to convenience/access to my studio.

At the end of 2011, I started to reevaluate my studio needs. Where could I create large work? Was the small studio on Natick Center working out for me in terms of balancing my time writing a how-to craft book and my web design business? Was I making good use of my time waiting for work to dry at my studio when I had web or writing to do at home? Could I really afford to be paying for a studio that didn't really fit my needs?

In January 2012, I spoke to some artist friends about their studio spaces, and about how I was thinking about moving my studio back home. Someone suggested I move a large bookcase/storage unit out of the room for my home studio, into the room with my computer. That's when I started to see how I could make better use of space.

I still had to figure out where and how I could make larger work, but I decided to make the move from my Natick Center studio to home, and I started rearranging, straightening and cleaning up the space.

Then, a totally unexpected thing happened. I was offered the use of part of artist Cherie Clinton's studio at Fountain Street Studios in Framingham, MA. It's just about double the Natick Center space, for the same cost as I've been paying in Natick, and there's enough room for me to have a table that's 16' long! Though not perfect, it's a wonderful opportunity for me, and we have an agreement that I'll try it out for a year and we'll see how it works out for both of us.

Beginning in April, I will start moving most of my studio furniture, supplies and artwork home, and in early May, I'll bring the rest to Fountain Street.

The picture above is the space I’m moving in to, minus everything from Natick Center. The tables were already in the room, but in different positions. The legs will change after the move to take advantage of my storage needs. Below is my Natick Center studio as is before I start to move out.

If you know if someone looking to rent a small studio in Natick Center, please ask them to write to me at jeanne@jeannewilliamson.com to discuss.

Outdoor Art Installation and Temporary Studio Space

I have been chosen as one of six artists who are creating outdoor art installations for a construction site for the ConstellationCenter in Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA.

On August 24th I posted sketches I did for an RFP for this project, which proposed a piece that could be between 10' - 30' in length.

After meeting with the ConstellationCenter last Friday, I got the OK to create an installation that’s at least 30’ in length, in smaller sections.

I am making three 10' sections, and also another 60" section, so the finished piece will be 35' in length. My installation also includes draped fabric, so I also monoprinted another 6' per section to accommodate that, which means I printed 53’ of fabric since Saturday night.

My studio measures 10’ x 16”, so this project requires a larger space to work. I got a very generous offer to use a friend's barn when printing the fabric, because the barn is 35’ in length. It’s an amazing space, but it would have meant working temporarily on the floor only.

I have very a sore knee that is has not totally healed from a fall I had 5 weeks ago, and I can't kneel at all, so needed to find another way of working.

My husband got permission from his office's landlord for me to work temporarily in the large unused space in his office. The longest length wall to wall is 19', not the 30'+ the barn had. Since I can make the installation in sections, and the space is close to my studio, my husband and I problem solved how I could work without kneeling.

On Saturday, my husband (and I) made two 4' x 8' tables that are 36" tall, that we put together the long way, with 3' of space in the room to move around them. It's tight but it works. We also made one more 4' x 8' table that is off to the side a little bit so I have a second work surface.

I was able to print 16' lengths of fabric very easily. It's really nice to work standing up and not having to bend over at all.

My husband calls the tables, "The save the knees work tables!" and he also said "I was very motivated to help avoid pain. Pain bad."

We're both calling this temporary workspace my "studio annex."

The pictures in this post are a close up of the tables, construction fencing on the tabletop, 16' of printed fabric of the fencing, and also a detail of some stamping I'm doing on the fabric.

I'll post more about the installation as soon as I can, as busy as I am right now.

The finished work will be installed in Cambridge sometime between September 26th – October 2^nd.

Artist Residency - 48 hours

Over the past 48+ hours I monoprinted construction fencing on three 9.5' pieces of fabric, as well as two 48" x 48" pieces. At least nine of those hours (with breaks of course) were stitching the grid on the very light piece above. My next step is to add a tiny bit of color to it. Then maybe add some stamping and then coat it with watered down matt medium to stiffen it before I cut into it.

The light piece is really the back side of the fabric, where the paint has bled through to the other side. I'm toying with the idea of making all of these pieces reversible, so the light or dark sides can be shown.

Artist Residency - getting to work

I'm taking advantage of having two weeks at an artist residency in northern VT, by getting right to work. Last night after dinner I monoprinted 9.5' of construction fencing so it could dry overnight. This morning after breakfast I monoprinted another 9.5' of a slightly different combo of patterns. On the wall is the back side of the fabric from last night. On the floor is what I did this morning. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, but I'm glad to have jumped right in to working.

My studio back at home is less than half the size of what I have here, so I'm taking full advantage of the space, and of course the time.

Below is a "sketch" brewing on the wall from actual pieces of fencing. I'll probably print from it later today. And I have some more ideas swimming around in my head. I'm really glad to have this opportunity.

Studios Magazine

My studio is one of a group that is highlighted in Studios Magazine's Spring 2011 issue.

I was invited to participate shortly after I moved in in late September 2010. It was fun to take the pictures, and I'm really glad to be able to share how I set up and organized my space.

More info about the Spring 2011 issue of the magazine is here.