plein air landscape painting
Painting From Life vs. From Photos


If there is one thing that gets in the way of productivity, it is a studio that is too cluttered to even walk into easily. How can a painter get into such a situation?

Easy. Take up sculpture.

Studio organization is always a challenge, even if I’m only working on painting. I think the reason is that when I’m feeling creative, I do not feel like organizing things.

But ignoring the need to organize can bring creativity to a halt. Paintings take up space, and so do the materials. But sculpture — in my case, clay figures and small portrait busts — causes a much bigger problem because the three-dimensional pieces take up a lot of room. Plus, they are fragile.

I’ve just about gotten the studio back into shape today. I realize now (once again) that keeping it that way is the difference between working and not working.

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Related: On being an artist, secret #2