Creating Ultimate Art Studio ~ Creative Space
Every artist requires space to create. Every artist dreams of a magical studio space that inspires masterpiece creations with natural light. Because my art is large and created using several mediums and styles, I required a unique workspace. My easel needed to hold a large canvas up to 100 inches. As much as I love brushwork, I enjoy the science of pouring paint. I will talk more about the science of color in a later post.
As much as I would like to say a few years ago, it was more like 12 years ago, I decided to close down Aharon's party loft in our home. Sold, the pool table, slot machines, and jukebox but kept the bar! I had decided we needed a home gym. In true Jeannine fashion, I got the best equipment, piece by piece, until the entire room was filled. Professional studio pilates reformer, Water Rower, Bowflex System, not the stupid one with the poles either, treadmill, elliptical, messaging inversion table, squat machine, free weights, and every color band, form rollers, and type of workout ball ever made. The loft was so full you could no longer work out without serious injury from tripping over all the other equipment. If you ever meet Aharon or me it is obvious we didn't use a damn piece of this equipment in the last five years. So here I was going down another rabbit hole and Aharon is flipping out! I can't say that I don't blame him, but I really needed a space to do this "hobby." After giving away most of the gym equipment, I kept the reformer and Water Rower, I went about building my studio.
My quest for an art table went on for a few months. I looked at Pinterest and Instagram but never found anything that would fill all my needs. I needed space to store blank canvas and flat dry poured paintings. I wanted to utilize the area under the workspace top. I needed it to be movable within my space.
Paint storage was an entirely different issue. I need shallow drawer storage for tubes of paint and shelves for large squeeze bottles of mixed paint and gallons of commercial paint. I wanted quality, not pressed wood construction, counter height, and movable in my studio.
An essential element in pour painting is spinning. I need a spinning surface that would be able to hold a large canvas or several smaller pieces. The spinning surface required to be movable as well as sturdy.
Sounds impossible to find, a wish list of nonexistent elements to make my perfect studio. After working on the floor in my office while searching for all the furniture, I realized I would have to build it.
First, my art table. I decided on four sheets of 4 by 8 hardwood maple from The Home Depot cut down to 7 feet long. I found pipe legs on Amazon for $30 per set to create the levels. The center post is movable, so I can fit a larger canvas when needed. Four levels 7 feet long and 4 feet wide, gave me 84 feet of storage under 28 feet of workspace. I attached 6 casters, from Amazon, on the underside of the bottom level so that I can move the entire table around my space.
The shelves were made from the 1-foot cut-off end from the art table and two sets of pipe legs. I only used 3 pieces because I didn't want to be higher than the jerseys hanging on the wall.
Third, the storage drawer I lucked out at The Home Depot. Jonathan looked online and found me an 8-drawer hardwood "rolling cart" for only $169 per unit. Of course, it all came in a flat box and required assembly. I stapled the bottoms of the drawer to the frames and caulked the seams inside for added stability and durability. The drawers are also a dream, with 6 shallow drawers and 2 deeper drawers. All my paint tubes and tools had a home.
The biggest spinner I could find was 24 inches on Amazon for $80. However, it didn't spin freely. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I did find a "steel heavy-duty" 12-inch cake spinner on Amazon for $39, to build a larger spinner. What kind of cake requires a spinner that was able to hold a 48-inch piece of plywood? Some gorilla glue and maple plywood is attached for life to the steel cake spinner from Amazon.
Finally, the giant easel from MEEDEN is the Extra Large Studio H-Frame Easel 75" to 146". It holds canvas up to 93 inches for $130 on Amazon. It also came in a flat box but was relatively easy to assemble. The studio easel crafted from Germany-seasoned beechwood has a simple, functional design that is strong, solid, reliable, and long-lasting. The sturdy base rests on four lockable casters, offering mobility and stability.
Everything is in white. I painted everything white and paint the worktop all the time. But being a commercial painting contractor, I never have a shortage of white paint leftover from construction projects.
All in my studio space cost $1300. I have included the links to the items.
Maple hardwood 4 sheets of 4 by 8 with for table levels The Home Depot $70 per sheet $280
Pipes 4 boxes at $30 per box $120 on Amazon
Casters 1 box of 8 $40 per box on Amazon
MEEDEN Extra Large Studio H-Frame $130.00 Amazon https://amzn.to/3JK8vcX
Hardwood Shallow Drawers # sets at $169 per set
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Adeptus-White-6-2-Drawer-Wide-Roll-Cart-76182/306526759