Designer Craftsmen Studio Art Walk

I love to snoop in other artist's studios and work spaces. Don't you? I like to see their work in progress and look at the way they have organized the space. My own studio is always a bit messier than I would like and is very much not ready for a big tour. Ever. I try to make excuses that the girls are in there every day and so all the clutter is because I have to accommodate two small children, but the reality is that I can clutter a space up with the best. Generally, this is not a detriment to my work; I like to have all the possible parts for my project out where I can see them and then I also like to have items at hand that might inspire me to create, and then I also need that big bowl of assorted glitters to be right there where the sun hits it. Don't I? Touring the spaces of others can make me feel better about my own mess OR inspire me to fix up the piles, depending on what I see. Gee, she has such a clean space, that must by why she does such great work - or - Wow, this space is so junky, it's amazing he gets anything made at all. My preference, of course, is to walk into the space of a talented but really organized artist and see that it's messy. That reinforces my own paradigm and makes me feel like I must be doing something right.

This new studio art walk from the Carolina Designer Craftmen has gotten my hopes up. I am especially eager to look at the studio of Lillian Jones (that's her enameled pendant on a hand made chain pictured above.) She does such precise, exacting work I imagine her studio will be very finely organized, but then I could be wrong. A girl can dream.

The Carolina Designer Craftsmen Studio Art Walk is Saturday, May 2nd, 10-5. Yes, that's the same day as the Tour De Coup.

For more about the tour visit carolinadesignercraftsmen.com or stop by Ornamentea and pick up a map. For more about Lillian's work visit enamelist.com or see her classes at Ornamentea.

(I do want to add that a sort-of famous artist friend of mine who shall remain anonymous has a front room in her studio that is basically all the public sees. It's set up for a photo shoot just about every day and she meets clients there, too. It looks very nice with just enough mess to seem real but is actually a set, a faux studio. There is a flea market cute desk and old chair, an old cubby box from a torn down hotel with supplies in each cubby, vintage glass jars of glitters, buttons and ribbons. The REAL mess and work area is in the back, with inexpensive folding tables, rolling office chairs with pads from Staples and unattractive-but-needed items like shipping boxes, tape dispensers and glue guns. Shh...it's where the magic happens!)