In My Studio - A Journey to Discover

"In My Studio" ©Mary Montague Sikes

This Covid-19 experience has brought me more time in my artist studio. I sometimes call my special retreat, "Angel View Studio", because the most important view I have there is through the three overhead skylights. There are clouds during the day and stars at night unless they are blurred out by the nearby street light. The art studio view is quiet different from the dozens of trees and the creek and marshland I see from my writing studio window. I am thankful for the views I have from both studios.

Besides the many cold wax paintings I have in various stages of finish, I also have five acrylic paintings underway. Acrylics are a special love of mine. I often enjoy making a pastel painting first, then using it as my working drawing for a larger, much showier piece of art work. Right now, I have the intense Robert Doak watercolors at the ready to use on Yupo. So much to do while I have this unusual opportunity of not going out for meetings and for Wellness classes.

"Studio, Street View" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Eventually, I will need to spend time inside my studio closet where many treasures are secured. I enjoy the forgotten surprises I sometimes find hidden there. An archival storage box for work on paper holds figurative watercolors and a treasure trove of pastel drawings. At one time, I planned to write a second hotels book--More Hotels to Remember--and the paintings for it lie hidden in a drawer. The research for the stories for my book fill bags and filing cabinets in my writing studio. Where did I ever think I would find the time to put all that work together?

"Studio Closet" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Being in my studio is magic. So much to discover. So much to create in my fantasy journey to Xanadu.

Organization Is Not My Strong Suit

"Studio Cart" ©Mary Montague Sikes

I have been blessed to have both a nice painting studio with a drawing room annex and a large writing office with numerous bookcases. Perfect for the artist/writer? Yes.

No. They should be, but they aren't because this artist/writer has never been organized. I have the perfect setups that any creative would adore. But when I think of organization, my mind races away to some far-away "neverland".

When I write, I organize thoughts inside my head, and an article usually materializes. Generally, a painting evolves on the blank canvas that I create on studio table or wall.

Years ago, a friend urged me to set up a filing system for my paintings. I started it with index cards inside a small filing box, even placing like color families together. There were not so many paintings then, so I got a reasonable start on the project. But then life got in the way, and my filing efforts failed.

Recently, I ordered a studio cart that has helped a lot with the organization of paints--watercolors and acrylics, texture-making objects, small papers, tapes, and much more. That's a huge help.

My paintings long ago outgrew the wooden slots created by the talented carpenter who built the studio addition to our house. All the slots are full and paintings are everywhere in our house.

I love making large paintings, but I have not painted a 4 x 6-foot canvas in quite a while. They are hard to transport and to store.

My website features many of my paintings, but not nearly all of them. My metal file of large storage drawers holds dozens of watercolor and pastel paintings. None of those have ever been photographed, so they cannot be on the website. I could use a full-time assistant.

Right now, I am wondering about resigning from some of the organizations to which I belong and withdrawing to my studios to create organization. If I spent part of each day with organizing projects, I might get somewhere.

What do you think? What is your plan for the organization of your work? Do you have hundreds of paintings in your studio closets and other places? I would like to know how you manage your art. Is there a secret?