Today I have the space of mixed media artist, Michelle, of Montage Studio to share with you! Read on to hear about Michelle's varied life experiences that certainly lend to her artistic creativity and how she organizes the space around her! (Click "continue reading" at the end for full post!)
What do you create in this space?
Unfettered chaos!!! Actually, because I work in various media, I usually take care of my photography at my desk and I use the large wooden table for painting and my collage/mixed media work. It is wonderful to have such a large space to spread out in and to be able to work on several projects at once. I also LOVE having all of my supplies close at hand, and usually leave my works-in-progress out so I can jump back into them quickly. When I lived in Paris I always left my materials out and had a large table to work on and I found that I did so much more painting because everything was so accessible.
Where is it located?
This is the FIRST room in my house; I call it the ‘front sitting room’ and although it is the first room people see when they walk in, I am okay with it looking like I am actually working on projects. In general I am NOT a very tidy person, so it is a challenge to stay organized. This is a really nice space to work in…I love that many of my books are sitting on the shelves that my dad built just for the space. My house is a really adorable 1946 Cape Cod and I have a cool pocket door that I can close when I want to keep my three doggies out (don’t like to get their hair in the paint and glue). There is a huge window looking out over half an acre of mature tress and greenery which I really treasure (having lived in apartments in New York, London, Paris and LA, I am sooooooo thrilled to have a house with many rooms and a proper yard).
What sort of tools/equipment do you use?
For my photography and digital colleges, it’s my camera, computer and
scanner. My paintings are done in acrylic so I have masses of paint and
brushes and some fun things to mark the surface of the paintings, like
oils pastels, nail polish and wax. For my collage work I use lots of
ephemera, papers, old photographs, as well as string and metal objects
and other stuff that most people would call junk.
What inspirations do you keep nearby?
I love magazines and get several each month from France, Australia,
England and Canada. Right now I have a few waiting to be read:
Australian Vogue Living, British Homes & Gardens, British Country
Homes and British Homes & Antiques…YUMMY!!! As for an inspiration
board, I don’t have one because I am honestly pretty focused when I am
in the studio working so I wouldn’t even look at it.. I just started a blog
and have become quite addicted to perusing other blogs, which is how I
found Modish (love it)! There are so many amazing artists out there,
and blogs are such an incredible way to get inspired!!! I also have an Etsy shop
and I really enjoy looking at the other shops and seeing what other
people are making. AND, I love films, particularly French films and
quirky independent films and I find those really feed my creativity.
What do you like to listen to/watch while creating?
Well, I am a little weird in that I can’t listen to background music…I
have to either devote all of my attention to listening to music, or
else I find it too distracting. That said, if there is noise in the
house, the dogs playing or my daughter knocking about, that is fine. I
actually prefer the low level ‘noise’ to complete silence. That is one
of the things I miss about city life: the sounds of life, the sirens,
the screeching brakes…strange, huh?
How do you feel when you enter your handmade space?
I love that my studio is in my house and not someplace I have to travel
to. My tendency is to be very nocturnal and I will often work late at
night or in the wee small hours of the morning, so it’s wonderful to be
able to jump out of bed and start to work at 3 am if I feel so
inspired. Art making is so relaxing and rejuvenating for me, and this
space makes it so easy to work on a number of different projects at
once. I feel incredibly lucky to be so indulged!!!
Be sure to take a look at the work that Michelle creates here by taking a peek at her blog and Montage Studio shop!
