Two Heads Are Better Than One!

Dragon Rags

I live and work in what is called a “visionary environment,” to borrow a term. What that means is that the home and studio in which I live and work reflect who I am. I am fortunate to share my home and studio with my boyfriend, also an artist (a musician ). We often work side by side in a studio that is comfortable (if a little small,) visually stimulating, peaceful, and very functional.

There are books everywhere, and we have cats (though we do not share the studio with them!) We both also enjoy and collect art.The house is an end unit, so we have 2 large windows that look out onto our neighborhood and onto a green space. As I sit at my desk, I look out on pine trees and grass and sky. It's quiet. When I am in the studio, I lose track of time and very easily fall into flow.When I really need to spread out, I do so on the floor of the studio.

My desk is suitable for some smaller projects, and that is where I take most of my product photos, edit and upload my photography, etc., but when I'm playing with my glues and paints, I do so away from the equipment. Ideally, I would like to have a work table, but the studio is too small. We have made the arrangement work for us.There is nothing like sharing space and a life with another artist!

We spend many a night giving one another feedback. He on my art and photography, I on his music. It is a lot of fun, and it keeps my creative juices flowing.When I first moved into my house, the studio was the master bedroom. When he moved in, we realized that it was the perfect room for a studio. Though we both would like to have a bigger work space some day, everything fits. We love this room, and we think others do, too: It doubles as our guest room. You'd have to spend time in this room to really get how nice it is.

I tend to organize by using containers that are either multi-functional or modular. I like to categorize my supplies. My papers are in a multi-drawer unit, sorted by category. My fabrics go into plastic tubs that can be tucked away into the corners and used as end tables. The shelves in the studio closet are fully utilized. That's where I keep my batting and the bulk of my office and art supplies. For me, organizing is all about not disturbing visual flow. Another way I like to keep organized is to clean up as I go. If I am working on multple projects, I tend to put each project's components into their own container and store the items toghether but not put away. That way, I can bounce back and forth between things but not end up with chaos when I am finished. Good organization is very, very important when working in a small space. I believe that is how my boyfriend and I manage to share without getting on each other's nerves!

Visit her studio at http://www.dragonrags.etsy.com/