Palette

I was employed as manageress of a small art gallery for a couple of years before I established 'The Sea Garden', and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the job for me was to visit artists in their own studios and select work for sale. It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to step into someone's studio as it is always a very personal space. I love the smell of them; the jumble of paints and  brushes and canvases, the mess on the floor and the walls, the half-finished pieces, the preliminary sketches that give you an insight into the development and thought processes involved in producing a completed artwork.

My friend Angelica is a full-time practising artist, and after struggling to paint in a cold and very damp outhouse for the last few years she has finally managed to rent a fine purpose-built studio in a lovely location not too far from home. 

Today was my first visit there, and whilst Angelica pottered about unpacking her things and preparing paints, I took the liberty of taking the following photographs, which she has given me permission to share with you all.

Having a space in which to work away from the distractions of everyday living is so important, she told me. 

She hasn't had time yet to stamp her identity on the place, but already there are a few things tacked to the wall to lend inspiration, and some finished pieces:

She works with a mixture of oils, acrylics and pastels.

Some close-ups of the palette....

A well-earned cuppa!

Truly scrumptious-looking pastels, they appear as though they have light shining out of them!

The accoutrements of the artist: palette knives, brushes,

canvases and frames.....

tubes of paint and sketchbooks....

Whilst Angelica prepared a new canvas ground I sat and produced a little drawing of my own, just for fun. I very rarely sit down and produce any kind of artwork these days.

I used oil pastels, not my favourite medium, but all I could find to hand to bring.

This was my chosen subject: in a corner of the studio a shelf with two of Angelica's paintings and a vase of daffodils, and a comfy chair on a rug.

 Et voila! 

The chair came out a bit elongated, and I used artistic licence with the colour of the shelf and the skirting board, but I enjoyed the challenge!