Art Studio Makeover
Rig a Jig Jig and Away We Go! Let me take you on a tour of my brother’s art studio. He recently recruited me to help organize this space in order to make room for his latest creations. It was bursting at the seams with an over supply of paintbrushes, pencils in every shade, paints of every kind, canvases, knickknacks, and beautiful works of art strewn about. My challenge was to organize his room in a way that made things easy to find and easily accessible, using only things I could find around the house. The one rule was to not throw anything out because “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and even the most scrappiest thingamabob could be the missing piece of a masterpiece in the making.
When I first walked into the space I honestly didn’t know where to start, and then I just did. It felt like I was on an episode of “hoarding buried alive” (sorry Jord!), but it’s easy to see how things can get out of control when you’re working in a small space and are constantly creating. This project took me about 5 hours to complete, and involved sorting through mini piles of mismatched art supplies and sorting like things with like. I had to get to work in one corner and work my way out and just take things one piece at a time so as not to get overwhelmed.
For those of you who don’t know, my brother is a very talented professional artist who has been creating beautiful works of art since he was just a little guy. He attended The Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) where he majored in Fine Art. I have always looked up to him, and have a real appreciation for his talents and have many of his works of art on full display throughout my home. He is a creative genius, and I encourage you to check out his website at www.jordanstinson.com or his Instagram handle at jordan_stinson_art.
Here are some before and after pictures for you to see. Keep in mind that this project cost me zero dollars to complete, just some sisterly love, and good old fashion elbow grease. It just goes to show that it doesn’t take much to make a space feel organized and tidy. I’ve included some tips and tricks that I used to tackle this very messy room.
Tips & Tricks For Organizing A Cluttered Art Studio:
- Group like things (Paint Brushes with Paintbrushes, Paint with Paint, etc.)
- Use storage containers that you have lying around the house (eg. never-been-used kitty litter boxes, cardboard boxes, etc.)
- Don’t get overwhelmed and simply find a corner to start in and work your way through
- Use wall space to get things off the tabletops
- Out of sight does not equal out of mind. Rather, a space for everything and everything in its place. It’s a good idea to put things in opaque containers and label the boxes so as to minimize visual clutter
- Have a friend with a fresh set of eyes to evaluate whether items should be purged so that you remove the emotional attachment from the process. Donate any duplicate items that you no longer need and throw out any dried up paints or brushes that are no longer usable
- Maintain your space. After you’ve worked so hard to organize, it’s important to put things back where they belong after using them, and to shop your own cupboards before buying new
It was very rewarding seeing it all come together. Fingers crossed that Jordan will feel re-inspired in his clean studio to keep creating beautiful masterpieces for many days to come.
