My Top 10 Studio Essentials

I don't know about you, but I love having a nosy around other artists studios! I find it fascinating how each creative has a different set up, and sometimes their ideas and organisation techniques can be so inspiring. It makes me want to go home, have a big tidy up of the studio and get painting! This isn't about specific paints or materials I use, as we all have our personal preferences for those bits and bobs, it's more about studio vibes and set up. If you fancy joining me in being a little nosy, then here are my top 10 studio essentials...

Kettle & Bluetooth Speaker

The first thing I do when I wander down to my studio is pop the kettle on, make a cuppa and choose some music. I'm more of a soft-music-in-the-background kinda gal when I'm working, anything else I find too distracting (my secret love for The Archers has to wait!). So I have a little corner of my studio set aside for the endless cups of tea I go through and a teeny tiny bluetooth speaker that is just enough to keep any noises from outside from interrupting me. My current fave cuppa is Yogi Tea Positive Energy and my soundtrack to work is always changing, but I do find classical music works well and keeps me focused.

Great Lighting

When choosing my studio one of the most crucial parts for me was lighting. I prefer to work in natural daylight, I find it energising and it brings the colours to life in a way that artificial lights can't. I'm definitely a summer person and in the winter I will seek any tiny bit of daylight I can. I must be part cat because I'll happily bask in the sunlight inside the window! So any scrap of light is welcome in my studio!

Plants

This one probably follows on from my craving for daylight, but I love to bring the outside in to my studio and the feeling of natural textures around me feels grounding. I love the energy plants bring to a creative space and the movement of the leaves as they blow in the breeze when the studio windows are open. There are often jam jars of wildflowers from my garden dotted around which I enjoy painting and I'm a sucker for rescuing those sad forgotten sale houseplants from supermarkets and garden centres and bringing them back to life!

Storage Solutions

Trying to keep the studio organised is a constant battle, but some good storage solutions help keep me in check! I love a roller cart which can follow me around the studio to wherever I'm working and I love to upcycle bookshelves and furniture to be both beautiful in the space and also practical. The cupboard might be messy inside but at least it gives a vision of calm from the outside! I also hoard pots like there is no tomorrow - ceramic vases, jam jars, pickle pots, big old mugs - they are so useful for everything from drying washed brushes to holding pencils, paint tubes and anything else I can pop in them.

Furry Friends

Long hours in the studio are always better with company! Although when the cat likes to curl up on a piece I've laid out to dry then I might change my mind.

A Comfy Corner

If I'm feeling a little tired, or a little uninspired, then a cosy corner to curl up in for a while is my go-to spot in the studio. A comfy chair filled with squishy cushions and blankets waits for me. The cat will usually join me for a rest, jumping into my lap to keep me warm and I usually shift gears with a coffee and some more intense music to get the creativity flowing again. 

Candles

Not for the light, but more for the cosy vibes! Especially in winter when everything is a bit grim (yep, the Leo in me strikes again with being a summer person!) I find they cheer the space up and bring some cosy warmth to the studio on rainy days. I prefer a local natural unscented beeswax candle, my fave ones are from Beeswax Alchemy.