A Place for everything . . .
Now that it’s cold and blustery, outdoor activities are much less appealing. That means it’s a perfect time to set up an art studio at home. Whether you
have lots of space, or a tiny corner, you and your child can create and enjoy a studio experience any time.
The set-up
If you have a basement or playroom, you can devote a corner to the art studio. Ideally, this space should be near a sink and have a washable, no-worry
floor covering. That way clean-up is easy and spills are no problem. A table and a couple of chairs of the appropriate height for your child will provide all the work surface he/she needs. A cabinet or shelves for storage of supplies, preferably at a height your child can reach, makes it easy for him/her to retrieve and put away anything needed for his project. Good lighting, both natural and artificial, makes working any time of the day comfortable.
Supplies to get creative.
Nice additions to your art studio space would be a painting easel and a display area, such as a bulletin board and shelves, for fi nished projects. A place to hang up a rotation of prints of famous works of art or examples by a favorite artist is good visual stimulation and a great learning tool. Also nice to include is an area to set up arrangements of interesting objects found on nature walks or around the house that your child might want to draw.
What to do with tight spaces
But perhaps you don’t have a whole corner of a room to devote to an art studio. Not to worry! There are other options which make for good studio spaces
that will allow your child to have a great art experience. Any area in your child’s room can become a mini studio dedicated to creative activities. A small
table and chair, perhaps tucked under a bunk bed or in a corner, make a perfect studio area. Supplies can be stored in stackable boxes, a rolling cart or those wonderful plastic drawer units on casters. Each drawer holds lots of stuff— I like the ones with 6 shallow drawers, because they are easier to organize and find things. The top of the unit can hold a still life arrangement, or can be extra space for paints and paper. A small bulletin board above the table makes a good display area, or a place to pin up works in progress. A word of caution: the studio space should not be the same space where homework is done— too tempting to be distracted!
Contain it
If you are really cramped for space, why not make an art studio case? This works well because everything is selfcontained and portable. Your child can take it to any room and work on a table, the floor or even on her bed. You will want to fi nd a case that your child will be able to carry, can be tucked away easily, and, most important, can hold paper flat. When my son was little, we found an old briefcase and fi lled it with lots of art supplies. The pockets held different kinds of papers flat, as well as art prints and postcards from museums. The bottom was spacious enough for the other supplies, and he was even able to tuck a few treasures into the case for drawing inspiration. The top was fl at and made a perfect drawing surface, and when he turned it around, he could angle it like a drafting board. He used it for several years, and hauled it all over the house, even out on the patio, and in the car.
Once you’ve found a suitable case, perhaps at a second hand store or yard sale, fi ll it with the basics: several different kinds of papers, crayons, markers, colored and drawing pencils, erasers, a little sharpener, scissors, glue, a couple of old magazines to cut up for collage, and a ruler. Also nice to include
are drawing templates and stickers, but I don’t put paint into the case as the potential for spills is too great. You can also include art games, one or two art books, and art prints, which can be changed every month or so. If you have more than one child, each can have his or her own case.
So no matter whether you have a large space or no space, your child can have an authentic art studio anywhere indoors to stimulate their creativity.
Sharon Hammer Baker currently teaches art for children and adults in her studio in the Jones Building in Findlay. She has taught art from kindergarten to college, and is an active studio artist working in mixed media and fi bers, exhibiting regularly in invitational, group and solo shows, and has artworks in academic, corporate and private collections. She is also a poet, gardener, naturalist, and grandmother. She can be reached at bakerartstudio@gmail.com.
