Hello beauty,

Today I’d like to welcome you inside my home studio and show you how to create your own flexible art studio, that you’ll actually want to create in! 🎨💗🌿

I have to say, I LOVE my home art studio and it has taken me many years and different set-ups to make it workable for me and my family. When we can create a workspace that works within our schedule and responsibilities, it makes creativity a whole lot more inviting and achievable.

Below I’m going to share a few considerations for you to create a home art studio you’ll love, that works with you and your family and that you’ll actually USE.

But first, a quick squiz inside my own home art studio 💗

How to create a home art studio

1. Identify Your Current life needs

At different times of life, we need different things. For example, if the kids are young, we live in a shared space or we just need some privacy to create in, these factors will influence where we can set up an art space for ourselves.

Your creative space needs to work around your current needs, responsibilities and ways of living, otherwise, we can find excuses not to get creative!

Think about whether you need to be close to the family hub at home, or need a private reprieve when you make art or if you can use a shared space at certain times. Knowing that we can set something up just for now that works, can take the pressure off needing to create something perfect.

We can always refine our creative space as our life and art evolves.

2. Identify a physical space that works

Have a look around the house with curious, fresh eyes. Is there a space or nook in your home you can transform into a little art studio?

Maybe the kitchen table with a few pencil cases in a drawer is all you have space for right now.

Or can your office desk, double as an art desk?

Maybe there’s a vacant spare room or corner you could zhoosh up to make a studio?

Whatever the case, whatever space, claiming a workable area to practice creativity in is a symbolic way to back yourself in your art-making. When we make a space to create, we enable creativity in our lives.

Where will you make art the most easily? Start there.

Tip: Make sure you choose a place that you can easily make feel inviting. If it’s too dark or dank, you might avoid using your art space! However it doesn’t need to be perfect either. As you’ll see below, make a creative space that works for you now and make adjustments as you go. (Tips 4 + 5 below will give you some ideas for beautifying your home art studio and simple storage ideas.)

3. Let your space transform alongside you

An art studio is always a work in progress. What works for you now, might change in six months or a few years’ time!

At different times in my artistic career, I’ve needed different spaces. When I was working on canvas, I had a fold-away easel with a little foldable tray table to mix my paints on. Now I work predominantly on paper, so I prefer working on a flat surface that doubles as my office desk.

Allowing your home art studio space to be fluid means you can stay flexible in your art-making too. Plus, it can be fun to change your studio up!

I like having my art materials together, so I don’t have to hunt through the house for what I need. The last two tips below feature some ideas for keeping your home art studio space both workable and beautiful.

4. Flexible storage ideas for your home art studio

I recommend storing your art materials in portable, flexible ways - especially if you have a family at home! If you need to move your art-making to somewhere quiet in a separate room or closer to the family unit, it’s easy to grab a basket or pencil case and create art anywhere.

I often make art on my front deck beanbag overlooking my massive poinciana tree, or at my office desk while my son is in the lounge room within eyes reach, so having a few portable storage options means I can pivot as I need and make art on-the-go.

Below are some examples of flexible storage for your art materials:

• Baskets of all shapes and sizes for pens, pencils and brushes

• Recycled containers like glass jars, clean food cans, yogurt or ice-cream containers for water containers

• Lightweight drawers for easy storage

• Cane hutches or bookshelves that can be easily shifted

• Pencil cases

• Art-cart trolleys for tiered storage of all your art materials in one place

• Plant pots (I use them to store my brushes and pens!)

• Ice-cube trays for paint palettes

• Ceramic plates and bowls for paint palettes - when dry, acrylic paint peels off easily for the bin

• Cutlery trays for paint tube and brush storage

• Tabletop or foldable easel

• Foldaway table

• Large A3 sketch books with a hard backing, so you can lean on them easily

• Recycled cardboard or lightweight plywood for a portable drawing surface

• Op shop finds for quirky ways to store your art materials

5. Beautifying your creative space

Adding little inspiring touches to your home art studio makes it more inviting and ‘YOU’. It also means you can freshen up your studio space by just adding or shuffling a few inspiring goodies around!

Bring a little personality and beauty to your space with a few, simple home art studio beautification ideas:

• Your own art!

• Lamps

• Indoor plants

• Crystals

• Personal trinkets

• Inspiration Cards

• Small, framed artworks

• Printed quotes

• Colourful or natural fabrics

• Candles

• Essential oil diffuser

• Original artworks or prints that uplift and inspire your heart

So, that’s my top 5 tips for creating a flexible home art studio that you’ll actually use!

Remember, start where you can and adjust your art studio as you and your family’s needs change.

Share with me

I would love to see your home studio creations! Feel free to take me on instagram or facebook @chrissyforemanartist and share your home art studio space photos with me 💗

P.s. Would you love to learn to make art with me?

💗💐 I am sharing a beautiful new guided Inspired by Nature Online Course that commences April 19th and I’d love to get creative with you!

Inspire your soul and creative flow with nature in this guided and heartfelt art course, suitable for all creative abilities. The course includes an online community of like-minded souls, to share your artistic journey with.

Inspired by Nature class commences Monday April 19th, 2021 and runs for six, colourful weeks together.

Find out more HERE.