6 Characteristics that created Angela Fehr's dream Artist's Studio
My studio is a very special place; one I don't take for granted. For years I grabbed painting space where I could; my college dorm room, the kitchen table of my first apartment, on our newlyweds’ second-hand sofa, and in the craft-room-slash-classroom where I homeschooled my children. Having a dedicated space where I could spread out, turn off the phone and work uninterrupted (mostly!) has been a gift - literally!
My husband Wade is a carpenter and he not only built my above-garage studio, he designed many of the details that made it unique. Every time I enter the space I feel the love and intention that went into each strike of the hammer and I have to believe that it infuses my art; a circle of love that feels like a living thing as I pour my own love and intention into my watercolor paintings and seek to live fully present in each facet of my life as an artist, a mom, a wife, daughter and friend.
6 Elements of my dream art studio
If you’re looking for ideas for your studio, the features that make mine work might also help you as you design and plan your own dream artist’s studio. Here are six things to consider when planning your own art studio setup:
Ideally, get more space than you think you need. Initially, I was only supposed to get half of the space above the garage. Wade wanted the rest for hot rod parts storage! When we crunched the numbers, we realized it would be a good idea to plan a space that was large enough for classes, since that was where the most income from my art came from at the time. I don’t teach studio classes often anymore, but my art practice has more than filled the entire space.
Make it comfortable for more than art. I have a cozy chair in the corner for sitting and journaling, drinking a cup of coffee and meditating on my plans for the next painting series. I have a coffee maker and a mini fridge and a hidden place for treats so I’m motivated to go out to the studio for the snacks, and then I find myself painting! And beauty matters; even if your space is small, or you share it with your family, fill it with little pretty things that make you smile and inspire you.
Running water! I’ve painted in spaces where I had to keep buckets of water on hand for refilling water containers, but set up and clean up are so much more efficient when there is running water right in the room. Now that I am painting larger and like to stretch paper over wooden stretcher bars, I often use the shower in my studio bathroom to soak a piece of paper that is too big for the sink.
Make it quiet. I like to paint with music or a podcast on in the background, but I also work to minimize distractions; my phone ringer is turned off, and it is far enough from the house that I don’t hear when my kids are arguing in the space (although they do sometimes come running in to get me to referee! Not all distractions can be eliminated.) I have painted in a space that had a running washing machine, children playing in the background, etc. so I can compare that creative chaos to the solitude I experience now, and the latter is much more receptive to creative flow.
Big surfaces, accessible storage. Last year we found a great deal on used blueprint cabinets. These cabinets have shallow drawers used to store maps and blueprints, so they are more than large enough to hold watercolor paper, and Wade build legs and put a table top on each of them, so I have 4 x 10 feet of working surface, with storage immediately underneath. Even so, it’s hard to keep paintings neatly put away, but having storage so close by means that instead of piles of dozens of paintings needing to be catalogued and filed, I might only have 4 or 5 that need to be put away. If you work on an easel, your needs might be for a space to hold large canvases rather than tables for paper, but do invest time in planning storage for all those canvases!
Create a space for community. When I invite a friend to share my studio space, there is some clean up involved, because I always spread out to fill whatever space I have. Those massive tables are usually covered with art supplies and paper, but it doesn’t take long to clear a space for a friend to come and paint, and this artist’s journey is so much more fun when it is shared. I even have a cabinet-style guest bed for artist friends who come from afar!
Seeing my studio in print in Where Women Create magazine!
Wade and I saw the studio take shape over six years of saving up money and time. It was incredibly hard to be patient in the meantime! The snail-like progress did mean I had lots of time to envision the design, and as we added beautiful details like the embossed ceiling tiles, it was my dream that one day I would see this space featured in a magazine. So it felt like perfect timing when I saw a call for submissions on Christmas Eve last year, for Where Women Create magazine, one of my favourites. I immediately sent Jo Packham an email with photos of my studio. How excited I was when she invited me to contribute photos featuring my space and share how I bring mindfulness into my studio and painting practice!
Magazine publishing works on a slower timetable than the internet, where collaborations often happen overnight, so I anticipated that the magazine would take a few months to share, but the slowdown that happened with the pandemic delayed the issue even longer. I am delighted to announce that Where Women Create's fall 2020 issue is now available, and you will find my studio between the pages! Take a look at the magazine, and check your local newsstand or bookstore for a copy.
Photography credit: Karleigh Nickel Photography