🎨 1 week to build my atelier
#52 or how to make a room serve my art
Dear little demon,
Welcome to the edition #52 of The Art Missive (already!!). We are 24,691 😈in this newsletter and whether you've been here from the start or just arrived, thank you so much for reading ❤.
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In this Missive:
1/ Intro: 1 week to create my atelier.
2/ Give up the pretty.
3/ Obsessing over the wall colors.
4/ Copying tool sheds.
5/ Making room for art.
6/ Conclusion: less is more.
1/ Intro.
At the beginning of the month, I returned from Hanoi, Vietnam, to focus on my art. To avoid any distractions, I headed to the French countryside where I decided to set up for a few months.
Upon arriving home, I quickly realized that I needed a proper atelier (and fast!) to be able to work and create. So, I gave myself a week to turn this room into a decent functional workspace:
Welcome to edition #52 of the Art Missive, where you create my art studio with me.
2/ Giving up the pretty.
One year ago, I announced to you that I moved to Paris and finally got my own dedicated art space for the first time:
At that time, I had already grasped an important rule: less is more.
As you browse the internet for studio inspiration, you're often greeted with immaculate spaces reminiscent of scenes from a Ghibli film, packed with charming, cozy items. While this aesthetic may feel inviting, it completely detracts you from your artwork. That’s why, professional artists like Chase Langford suggest keeping your art workspace "functionally pure" when possible.
"By that I mean, the only items that should be in your studio are for your artwork, nothing else."
So for my new atelier, I opted for this standard, ensuring that every decision I made was guided by one question: does this serve my artwork?
3/ Obsessing over the wall colors
How could the walls of my studio serve my art?
Before filling this room with furniture, I needed to choose a color for my walls and being a visual artist, I knew that it would affect the appearance of my art in terms of tones, values, and even atmosphere. So, I set out to find the perfect color for my studio, and here's what I learned during my research:
Neutral colors: Bold colors can distract you from your work, and your work will be influenced by the color whether you're aware of it or not.
Dark gray: Green-gray walls have been a popular choice for artists for ages as they provide a perfect backdrop for artwork, preventing too much light from bouncing around and allowing the colors in the painting to stand out.
White: White gallery walls are an invention of the 20th century and produce the most illuminated space, with natural light bouncing around the room's surface. White walls allow natural light to bathe the studio and improve the photography and videography of artworks.
The thing is, I was torn between two options: on one hand, I was fascinated by the idea of using a darker color on my walls, but on the other hand, I still wanted to maintain some lighter walls for photoshoots and recording sessions. I was also anxious about committing to one color while I'm still exploring and knowing that my art is bound to evolve.
After hours of agonizing over which color to choose, I realized that I didn't have to commit to just one color. Instead, I could take the best of both worlds:
4/ Copying tool sheds.
After spending two days sanding, taping, and painting my walls, it was time to organize my workspace.
At first, I looked to other artists for inspiration, hoping to streamline the process. However, I quickly realized that their methods were too complex and not tailored to my needs. So, I decided to base my setup on my own routine, which I divided into two main parts:
Working: writing these newsletters, responding to emails, meetings with my partners and sponsors, editing my content, planning my work, and preparing art materials…
Creating: drawing and painting.
It reminded me of the typical organization of an automotive garage (my father is a mechanic!), where you have 1) a "workbench" area, equipped with all the necessary tools, storage, and plans and 2) a "repair" or creation area, where mechanics carry out ongoing projects, such as the vehicles they are working on.
Inspired by this setup, I decided to create two distinct work zones in my studio. I began by establishing the "workbench" area, dedicated to my daily art business duties:
5/ Making room for art
As the design of a workspace directly influences the artwork, I opted to allocate the "workbench" area to one wall, while dedicating the rest of the room to the "creation" area, prioritizing creation above all else.
Nothing fancy about my 'creation' area, right? Here you'll find:
A large table that I can adjust or angle to suit the needs of each project.
Space to move around the table and work from any angle.
A cart that adapts its contents to keep my materials easily accessible and tailored for each specific task.
A complete studio light with a diffuser, allowing me to have precise control over the lighting conditions during my creative sessions.
A mechanical arm and tripod to capture my creative process.
No distraction around to focus on the project.
A few key supplies such as my studio easel and a wall panel for hanging paintings and tools are missing due to their delayed arrival
In essence, this unassuming (almost mundane) space is crafted to eliminate any unnecessary distractions and create ample room for the very act of creating art.
6/ Conclusion: less is more.
From organizing my materials from most to least used, to why I chose to hide away my finished works... There are still countless aspects of my studio that I want to share with you! However, I'm giving myself a few months to explore and document these details in future missives.
What I found most fascinating was realizing that the functionality of my workspace ultimately depended on all the things I chose not to include:
A cozy space with a sofa, bean bags, and lamps, which I initially wanted to add for relaxation.
Filling the room with decorative objects for inspiration.
Hanging numerous paintings and prints by other artists on the walls.
Allowing Tsuki's toys
Storing unrelated items that would distract from my art.
These are simple additions that could have made my studio much more glamorous or comfortable. However, I chose to set them aside to create a space that inspires me to draw the moment I walk in.
I'll leave you with that thought to ponder.
That's all from me, see you next week! 😈
Léa
You are now ready to work !! Congrats ! You put all distractions aside to focus on the essentials. I was wondering: Do you work with music or do you need silence to create?