Band of Wild Petticoats: A Reader's Studio

I am always jealous of the gorgeous, aesthetically meticulous studio spaces visual artists create for themselves. Their tools, paintbrushes, raw materials, and works-in-progress are arranged so as to be both accessible as well as sensorially engaging. There is usefulness and beauty in almost every object in the studio. Objects in the studio are not only there to help create a work of art, but also to inspire the artist to use them and appreciate them.

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My husband is a visual artist and has had many different kinds of studios. Right now, he is looking for a new space; in the meantime, he's been working at home, but the space an artist can create in a studio is so important-- to be able to breath in the readiness of the materials is an essential part of the artistic process.

My husband, Emiliano Lake-Herrera, painting in one of his past studios.

Recently, a dear friend of mine suggested that my husband and I look for a studio we could share. Doesn't that sound dreamy?! It does sound dreamy!! And yet... I immediately worried that my corner of the studio would be incredibly boring. I mean, the tools I use are a computer, a notebook, stacks on stacks of books, and lots of coffee cups.... my works-in-progress are Word documents and open books laying face-down... not very sensorially appealing...

But then I realized that, in fact, I do have a lovely corner in our apartment where I read, and that I do always want it to be beautiful and surrounded by books and objects that inspire me. Here are some photos of where I do the majority of my work: