In which I have a studio without having a studio.

 It behooves me to mention that I no longer have a studio.  I have a house, in which I paint.

This past summer we spent a week in San Francisco in a friend's small apartment. When I got home I was thinking about space, and how one lives in their space.  My "studio" was a small extra bedroom that was darkly lit, and I was forever fiddling with the lights to get them bright enough in there.  Plus, it's also the room where I do Teletherapy, meaning I don't want all my easels and paints and related painting accoutrement in the background. 

So finally I decided, enough. I'm a grownup, with a house. I rarely entertain, so why am I hanging on to that living room? We don't even have a TV in there. 

I have a couple of Adeptus solid-wood flat pack carts, and one has a drop-leaf end. This is my tabouret. The other card holds drawing supplies and drawing pads.  They're both on wheels.  

So here is the result:

I presented it to my husband when he came home from drill, "TADAAAAA!" 

He was pleased. "I can sit in here and read while you paint." 

The light-filtering curtains keep the room bright while not overwhelming my spot.

I repurposed an old ipad. It is now my "reference photo". I love it because I can zoom in. However, I would love it more if I could annotate, draw some reference lines on it. 

Nearby is my favorite coffee place: my breakfast nook, which looks out over Himself's garden
and the Sandia Foothills.  

I have two HEPA air cleaners with charcoal pre-filters, and pot lid rack on them from Amazon. 
Newly painted painting rest in them, and this keeps the house from smelling like a oil factory.

Yes, it's an odd fixture in my living room. But it's not like I'm having any major parties in there. 
And if it's a living room, why not live in it?

Other news: I'm toying with "Fine Art America" Yes, it's a tiny bit mercenary. But if it pays for good quality paintbrushes....

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