The Caribbean is the cradle where art is born, from the paintings of Barrington Watson to the tapestries of Ebony Patterson. We support their galleries and collect their pieces, and a special few of us get to join their ranks.
But even the most talented artists run into blocks, especially when they don’t have a place to bring their works to life. If you need a place to house your muse, follow these four tips for designing an inspiring studio.
Start With Functionality
As artists, “practicality” is not our home address. But when our space isn’t functional, we spend more time worrying about where to fit the canvas or where we left our brushes than we think about what to create next. Here are a few functional things to include in your studio space:
- Sufficient storage space for supplies
- Ample natural or non-colored light
- Easy access to a sink or other water source
- Areas where work can dry
- Flooring that can get dirty
If you aren’t sure whether your space is functional, pretend you’re about to start a new project and walk around the space. Do you know where your supplies are? Are you bumping into or knocking things over every time you turn around? Do you feel cramped?
Remember Your Muse
Everyone has something that lights their creativity. Maybe it’s the beauty of nature, the love of your culture, or your raw emotion. You should surround yourself with things that call your muse to mind. For example:
- Make sure there’s plenty of window space
- Potted plants
- Photos of places that inspire you
- Pieces that invoke memories: seashells, bracelets, pressed leaves
- A shelf of art books
Don’t be afraid to put another artist’s work up in your studio as well. Creativity breeds creativity, and sometimes seeing the art of people we admire can spur us on to create something grand as well.
Make Your Studio Your Canvas
Art is self-expression, and creating a space that expresses you is at the heart of designing an inspiring art studio. For some people, this means a studio that explodes with color, with an ombre accent wall on one side and tapestries on the other. For others, this means a clean, white space covered with fairy lights.
This isn’t to say you have to pressure yourself to make your space look Pinterest-worthy or like some kind of “artsy” persona. The goal is to create a space where you feel most yourself. With a studio like that, your art is sure to flourish into another masterpiece to add to the Caribbean art pantheon.
