Dear Artisan,
“I have no space and am on a tight budget.” The image of an emaciated artist living in a dank basement tends to have a strong hold on the art world’s romantic imaginings, but I have found that most of us are very resourceful at finding ways in which to express our creative urges. Here is an idea for those of us with perhaps more time than money, and a huge imagination but little space in which to indulge it.
Creative Seed Idea #1: the world’s smallest art studio
Go to the local thrift store and purchase an old, hard-sided suitcase (even an old diaper bag can work!) that will fit under your bed or in an out-of-the-way place. Set it out in the sun for several days, opened up, to eliminate bugs or mildew. Spray the interior with a few drops of lavender essential oil which have been shaken up in 1/2 cup of water.
Find an old plastic shoe bag (the kind with lots of pockets and which hangs on a door), cut it to fit and glue it inside the lid of the suitcase. Find several boxes/plastic containers with lids, for holding and organizing your small paraphernalia. Cut and sand a board to fit inside, or find an old cutting board and sand it down to “very smooth”. This will serve as a dedicated drawing/painting surface, whether you’re in your house or out of doors. (If you know anyone in construction, you can sometimes get a countertop ‘cutout’ board with countertop laminate glued onto it. This can also work well.)
Check out these links for new art gear bags:
Check the thrift store again, or garage sales, for a folding clothes drying rack. This works nicely for drying prints, fabrics, and in a pinch, can be used as shelving by laying foam core or boards over the horizontal dowels. Now you have space for clay, papier mache, etc. to dry.
Call the local print shop that puts out the newspapers in your area. Sometimes they have newsprint roll-ends that they are willing to give away.
Some things to think about:
- Art supplies are expensive. Look at buying some things in bulk (i.e. India ink pens, pencils, sketch paper, pre-cut mats, etc.) with a couple of other artists for a discount. Compare prices between local stationery stores and art stores. DickBlick.com offers discounts to schools and teachers and will send you a catalog if requested.
- Many artisans are willing to trade. Is there something you do that you could trade with another artist who could teach you some basics of the particular medium in which they excel?
- Is there a framing shop near you? They may have mat board scraps they would rather pass along to an artist than throw away.
- Form an artists’ circle with other people who work in the same media as you. Share material costs. Rotate working in each others’ living spaces. Give your circle a name and find a local church or bank lobby to sponsor your group shows.
Yours in new beginnings,
Terrea Bennett
“How fortunate are you who are courageous enough to give your life the gift of time … the anvil upon which your character, strength, ability and passion can be forged for purposes beyond what you have imagined for yourself.” ~ Carol Orsborn
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