The Economics of a Studio

It is snowing again tonight. We are supposed to get another 7 inches or so. The snow cover has stayed around all winter, something that does not happen every year, and it is so dark..... we are quite tired of it here.

So maybe it is just part of my winter funkiness- but I am thinking that even though it is a great time for painters educationally, it is a crappy time for painters economically. People are not buying paintings when they are having a hard time paying to heat their homes, put gasoline in their cars and keeping groceries around. The uncertain economic future makes the purchase of art seem frivolous.

Everyone tells me the same thing, that sales are down. I know that I sure would like to sell a few more paintings then I do. With studio rent and the cost of materials, it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet.

No answers on the horizon- I suspect that the economy will get worse before it gets better. But March is around the corner- that always cheers me up.

Love, Lori

Learn with me.

If you are interested in hanging out in my studio, painting and learning together- send me an email and I will give you the details.

I have a great space- good coffee and plenty of easels. I love to learn about painting, and love to share what I am learning.

Join me on the journey to master oil painting.

Lori on Mylar

Today in the studio I worked on some prints and I painted an egg with the fake chicken feet. It is part of "50 from life" that I agreed to do this year. I have done 4 so far with paint, several with pencil. (but I am only counting the painted ones). These life exercises, like my color work are separate from my vision. They are exercises to help me reach my vision. This learning will never stop- the carrot is on a stick.

It is biter dangerous cold- but the studio is warm and the coffee is hot. Yesterday at the studio I had people stopping by all day long. It is nice to have folks stop in- painting is a lonely adventure. The successes and the failures are each often so subtle that sharing the excitement or disappointment is not easy. We work alone.

The internet, with all of its flaws- and despite all the flaming- has united painters from all over the world in a way that has never been seen before in the whole history of art. With the sharing of ideas ranging from the technical to the deeper questions, we are being propelled toward greatness. I may never get there, but it sure is an exciting time for painting.

Painting through a midwest winter.

I already feel settled into my new space. It feels comfortable like a second skin. Just right! It still needs a bit of painting, mostly to lose the high chroma blue shelves and doors- but I like the way it is feeling.

I have done three little paintings from life in the room, several pencil sketches, played around with some walnut ink, and my 2008 self portrait is almost done. Not bad for January- normally my lowest production month, (due to all of the short grey days).

I have been closing my eyes and seeing beautiful paint. New ideas, combined with new learnings I think. Not looking back.

Love, Lori

Another move...good-bye, great space!

Another year, another move. This is my fourth, and last studio in the building. Not only am I tired of moving, but the building is filling up. I heard that there are only 11 more spaces available, and all of them are way too small for me. Here is a recap of the time since moving into the Arts Park in June of 2005:

My first studio was up on the very lonely third floor. When I moved in, there was hardly anyone in the whole building. No one on the second floor, just one guy in the basement and one woman in the tower. I would often go a week or two with out seeing a person anywhere. The huge old building was empty and creepy. I stayed in the first studio for 6 months.


Then the tower was offered to me. It was actually smaller than my studio, but felt bigger, with more windows and a private bathroom. I loved it in the tower, but at 13x13, it was too small. Being up on the third floor was lonely and it was hard for some to visit my studio. I stayed in the tower for a year, and when a space was made available to me in the garden level, I was delighted to move downstairs.


I have been very happy for another whole year in my large garden level studio. I did some really great paintings here. The light is perfect. Everything about it is perfect. But, it is so large and so well placed on the front of the building, I just kept thinking that it needed to be used for classes, that it was too large for just one painter. It is the biggest rentable space in the building, and having so much space was messing with my head. This wonderful studio will now house the Foreign Language Network.

I am moving in across the hall- the room is smaller, (about half the size of my last studio) and the light will need a lot of work, but the space is just exactly the right size. I have a lot to do, yet- moving in. But I have painted one little study here already.

Stop by and say hello when you are in the building- I will be happy to show you around. I will post some more pictures when I get moved in.

Lakeside Legacy Arts Park

This movie was created for the Donor Appreciation dinner at the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park, where my studio is housed. Enjoy!

Still Percolating......

Well, and it is the holiday season. I do go to the studio and work. I did a few color studies this week and a nice little painting. I am not showing my crap anymore though. I believe what is said about us being judged by our last painting. My last few have been pretty bad by the standards that I am working toward. BUT- there are big ideas percolating.

I have also committed to doing a new self portrait this month. The last one that I painted was still a WIP when 9-11 happened. After sitting on the couch watching the news for a few weeks, when I finally went to the studio to finish it, I was too changed to complete it. There were a few mirror head from life paintings since then- but they were not so much self portraits as head practice. I have a few ideas about how I want to go about this new SP, which I hope to start this week. (if my family would get out from under my feet:-)

Grey Dots- they match the sky

The sun came out for a few minutes today. We have had nothing but dark days for a while now, and a few days of ice storm. I was so excited to see the sun that I ran out and snapped a picture.

The weather has me getting to the studio later, and cuddling up with a book and a warm drink when I get there. I have a few things on the easel, for future unveiling, but for now, I can share this little exercise. I know it looks simple, but mixing the grays to the right value was the exercise, and I am pleased with how it turned out. In this picture, it is hard to see the difference in the higher values. I will try to get a better picture- because the steps are there, perfectly munsell too.

I saw a picture of something like this somewhere on the web, a Reilly demo or page about Munsell, I don't remember where I saw it, but it looked like a valuable lesson. And I am not one to pass up a painting lesson. If you know where I got this idea from, let me know so that I can give someone the credit.

BANG BANG! bangbangbang BANG bang bang BANG!!

Ah, Christmas at the Dole. Carriage rides and pictures with Santa. The various Orchestras played all day. There were dancers and little kid choirs. The chef mad some wonderful dainty foods.

This week in studio I worked on a few drawings, did a pastel portrait and did three hours of life painting from a model. I also cleaned and prepared for the Christmas at the Dole. Friday was the first day, and an opportunity to show my work to the people who like to wander the building.

I offered my studio for space for a Saturday activity and was given Home Depot. The folks from home Depot were great, and the kids were fun too. The Bang bang bang of the hammers from 9:30 to 3 was an interesting experience, (there was never a moment when they were not hammering). The different surfaces to hammer on, hollow plastic table, wood table and cement floor, and the difference in hammering technique gave me the chance to really practice going to that "Zen Place".

It was fun- glad it is over.

So much to do, so little time.

Dear friends, I am busy busy busy these days, preparing for my 2 November shows. If you know me, you know that busy and I do not get along very well. It is pretty bad when I am finding myself looking forward to December to relax... I mean, who relaxes in December?

Today I am painting a little piece to be used on the LLAP Christmas cards. I thought that I would do it small to make it easier- not sure what I was thinking as this small size is needing me to be very fussy with detail. Not ready to show yet.

The other day we had an exciting day at the studio. We had a world class violinist, ballerinas and opera singers at the Arts Park. They are making a documentary film about the place. This bit of video was made by the news crew who came to document the film crew. Click for video clip

I will be in the movie too, when it is released, mixing purple paint.

breaking some eggs

My friend John stopped by last night with some pigments. He knew that I wanted to play with egg tempera- but did not want to invest in all that I would need just to try something that might not be right for me. Well, I have been playing with it all day and I think that I might be in love. It is too early to plan a wedding or anything like that- but I think it is safe to buy a few brushes :-)

Studio view

Here is the corner of my studio that greets you when you walk in the door.

Learning and growing

Today I am working on flesh again. I have been struggling with flesh colors ever since the munsell conversations started. Having spent a bit of time on this , I am feeling a little discouraged that it is not working for me. But I know from experience that the struggle always comes right before the light. I have been struggeling for a while now- so I hope the lights come on soon.

I have painted flesh before and liked the results. But now that I am aiming for a specific target- it is more complicated and difficult. :-)

I will get it. I have a whole bunch of books here, and aa lifetime to figure it out.