And you may tell yourself this is not my beautiful painting

Take me to the river

Drop me in the water

Art is an ocean

I don’t know why I love you like I do

All the trouble you put me through

Some days things are a little rough in the studio.

We’re on a road to nowhere

Come on inside

Maybe you wonder where you are

And its alright baby, it’s alright

When things become a bit surreal, I may as well go with it.

And you may tell yourself this is not my beautiful painting

And you may ask yourself how did I get here

You may ask yourself, how do I work this

You may ask yourself, where is that beautiful painting

 Seems all my work goes through phases.

I’m checking them out

I’m checking them out

I got it figured out

It’s only the river; it’s only the river 

 It's just part of the process, part of the flow of it all.

And in all fairness to these paintings,

none of them were involved in today's 

long deep breath/sigh in the studio.

Studio Update and Artist's First Aid Kit

As I work with creative people and artists I find that many of us face similar challenges when it comes to creating our art. One challenge often mentioned is negative self-talk. You know, that little voice of doubt, or that bigger voice that says - well you know what it says.



Nearly every artist can benefit from an artist's first aid kit, starting with a tool to dispel those thoughts, and turn them around into honest appraisals of where we are now and where we want to go.



I used this tool myself just yesterday when I painted in my temporary studio for the first time. "I can't paint in there" I said to myself. "It's too cold, and it's too dark."...I turned those thoughts around. It worked!



I got past my own negative self-talk and remembered how much I love being an artist. It wasn't long before I was deep into the paint and enjoying the process of working on small studies for my next series. The time just flew by, and I never even noticed that I was in our garage. Oh, how I love to paint!




If you would like to learn a simple tool for getting those thoughts out of your way so you can create to your hearts content, then the complementary teleclass happening this Tuesday at (4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern) may be just the ticket for you. If you can't attend live, I will send you a recording if you sign up for the event.

If you are curious about creativity coaching for artists and creative people, or you just want to know the tool for quieting your inner critic, then send me an email to coach leslie @ olypen.com (remove the spaces) and I will send you the details about participating in this complementary event. It's my gift to you. We will have some laughter and some insight. It's going to be fun!



Meanwhile, this week two very competent individuals, my husband and his son, will spend the entire week hanging the walls and ceiling of the new studio and wood working shop.

If they get that done, they will proceed with more work on the building. I am soooo excited!

Studio Visit with Bob and Susan Cornelis

Untitled (as of yet) Collage, 6 by 6 inches, by Leslie Avon Miller



Susan Cornelis outside her lovely studio.



Interior of Susan's Studio



Interior of the Photography Studio of Bob Cornelis




Interior of the Photography Studio of Bob Cornelis; another view

This week we are visiting the studios of a husband and wife team of artists; Bob Cornelis who is a painter, blogger, photographer, and all around interesting person, along with his lovely wife Susan, who is a painter, blogger and instructor.

I asked Bob what works best for you about your current studio space?

The fact that the studio is separate from the house, though on our property, makes it extremely convenient yet private. Another critical factor is that it serves 3 purposes: I run my fine art printing business there, it acts as a gallery and as my photography studio.


What one thing would you change about your current studio space?

While the multi-purpose nature of the space is a plus in many ways, I would actually prefer it if my business were situated elsewhere. Since I am there 9-5 everyday working on the art of others, sometimes it is harder to want to spend even more time there working on my own art. I would prefer a space dedicated just to making my own art. It would feel more of a refuge and a place to escape to. Instead, when I walk in I am confronted with work I know I need to do the next day. This situation does have its pros and cons (see below).


“For some artists the studio becomes a temple, a place invested with a sacred energy. You walk in and your thinking changes…It is your temple, the place where you focus your energies to express yourself. Your creative home base.” – Ian Roberts, Creative Authenticity

Would you care to comment on that?

I do feel there is an energy in my studio and it is related to artmaking. But I have to take a larger view of it to feel comfortable. For the last 10 years I have worked probably 50-60 hours a week making art in this space. But most of that time has been spent working on the art of others. So if I just reflect on my own efforts, I can feel a little frustrated that I cannot just focus on my own expression. On the other hand, when I think about how much wonderful art has passed through these doors over the years, I can feel that it is a temple with a sacred energy. I have surely benefited in my own work by helping others with theirs. It is a space I share with many in that respect.

One unusual aspect of my studio which must seem very strange to painters is that there are no windows. The first thing I did when I built the studio was to board up the 2 six foot windows, one of which looked out over a wonderful landscape. But this is essentially a photography darkroom and I require lighting that I can completely control. This helps with my photography work but I do miss natural light on a day to day basis. The things we sacrifice for our art!

Susan's studio is just the opposite - flooded with light from skylights and one entire wall of large windows overlooking the valley. Must be why she has a cheerier disposition!


Susan responded to the same questions:


What works best for you about your current studio space?

My studio is just a few yards from the house - separate yet close enough to reach in just a moment. I love that the light pours in from all directions and that it is surrounded by gardens, apple trees, a chicken coop, bird houses, and in the summer, bees and butterflies!

It's also just big enough that I can hold classes here.

What one thing would you change about your current studio space?

It is just one big room. I wish I had a storage room that was separate, and I definitely wish it were bigger. When I hold classes I have to put away paintings I've been working on and clean up my messes, and often I misplace things in the process. While I'm wishing, I might as well wish for a room for classes and a separate room to paint in.


“For some artists the studio becomes a temple, a place invested with a sacred energy. You walk in and your thinking changes…It is your temple, the place where you focus your energies to express yourself. Your creative home base.” – Ian Roberts, Creative Authenticity

Would you care to comment on that?

It is definitely my experience that my studio is my temple, my sanctuary. In my studio I am surrounded by the things I have chosen, from arts and crafts to books and a boundless array of art supplies. So it is both a comfortable and comforting and stimulating environment. I usually have a variety of projects out on every surface, new art materials, paintings in progress, my sketchbooks and art books lying around. I often turn on music when I enter, choosing the playlist which matches my mood. When students are coming I generally prepare the atmosphere by placing flowers on my altar, putting on soft music and preparing a meditation for them. The private space then becomes a space of shared creativity, and the air sparkles with that energy after they leave.

Thank you Bob and Susan, for inviting us to tour your creative spaces!

Continuing on the creative theme, I found a very creative video allowing us to walk around inside Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, Starry Night. You can see it here.

Studio Space

Untitled Collage, 6 inches by 6 inches, by Leslie Avon Miller

I think of my studio as a vegetable garden, where things follow their natural course. They grow, they ripen. You have to graft. You have to water.

~Joan Miro

Some more progress has been made in the last two weeks on my studio space. Although the physical progress is small, we continue to work on the logistics of the process – who, when and how being our primary questions.

We unloaded two pick up truck loads of sheeting. That’s 72 sheets of wood; 72 trips up and down the stairs. Can you see my biceps flex? Me neither, but I feel powerful having helped with that task! This material (called OSB) will be used for walls and ceiling. The equipment that will assist with this material installation, called a sheet rock lift, has been delivered and assembled.

I appreciate all the good wishes for a quick finish to the studio, but since we only work on this project weekends and we take some weekends off to do other things, I suspect the earliest the studio will be finished enough to move in will be late summer or early fall.

As the project unfolds, I’ll post a few photos. Today’s image is from a couple of years ago when the building was first constructed. My studio is the top floor, this end. Kurt’s woodworking space is on the top floor of this building at the other end.




I added some links to artist studios on my blog side bar. I love to see how other artists arrange and use their space.

It is my pleasure to share with you another art studio tour. This time we are visiting the studio of Rebecca Crowell. I have included here a video of Rebecca working in her studio. When I first saw this video, I knew we were kindred spirits when Rebecca pulled out her whisk broom and used it to create texture. I love to do that too!

It is also interesting to me that Rebecca’s studio and mine are similar in a couple of ways. They are separate buildings but just a short walk away from the house, and they are nearly the same size. We both live in the country and have views of nature out the windows.






Rebecca tells us I love my studio and want to be there almost every day-- and sometimes even in the middle of the night. I am fortunate to be able to work full time as a painter, so I spend a lot of time there.

It's kind of shockingly messy and disorganized to anyone else's eye--although for me it's fine, it's comfortable. (It is a mystery to me why a messy studio is OK with me when I like my house to be neat.) When I'm working I leave a trail of stuff everywhere, and usually have no interest in picking it up.

I have a lot of work in progress at any one time; piles of panels, stuff scattered on various tables and stacked along the walls. I feel engaged as soon as I walk in, so I guess there is some energy in the disorder.

What works best for you about your current studio space?

It's large (about 850 sq. ft.) and well lit with daylight fluorescents. There is one long open wall that I can spread my work in progress out across, then I can back way up for the long view. It's a separate space from the house, but close enough (just across the back yard) to be there in no time at all. We live in the country so there is beauty all around, including a sweet little rock garden just outside the studio door.





What one thing would you change about your current studio space?

I'm going to say two things, because one is already in the works--which is better heat. For over 20 years I've relied on a wood stove in the studio that has to be constantly fed in winter, and it takes quite a while to heat up the space to a comfortable warmth. However, the studio was built with coils for hot water in the cement slab floor...we have not had the resources so far to get the whole system going (which includes a wood-fired outside boiler.) BUT that is going to happen in 2010, or I'm moving to Arizona!

The other thing I would like are proper storage racks for older work--right now it's all just stacked and piled in the back of the studio.


The studio is no more or no less sacred than any other place where people work at what they love. But it is certainly more private than many. My studio feels uniquely mine--coming in to the studio does trigger a shift in awareness towards what I think of as my true, inner self. When other people come into the studio, I am happy to have them yet I do feel slightly nervous and over-exposed.

Rebecca's web site has more information about her work, and her blog has even more images of her studio.

Creative Space

Collage, untitled, 6 inches by 6 inches by Leslie Avon Miller

The studio is less important than other things, like the burning desire to paint. If you don't have this disease, you can't catch it from a nice studio. ~Warren Criswell

My studio is under construction, and I’m feeling a bit displaced. To distract myself, beyond working on small collage, I thought I would see what words of wisdom artists have about their creative space.

Today I am paying a virtual visit to the studio of Cheryl Taves. As luck would have it, Cheryl has just moved her studio. Her long term plans include building a “purpose built, private studio” at her home.

In Cheryl’s words “here's a bit about my studio re-birth. Re-locating my home studio has been such an interesting and revealing experience about the close, connected relationships we artists have with our studio space. The new studio is large and open...too large for just myself, so I'm sharing the space with another artist, Maggie Cole. The first thing we did was separate the space with a free standing partition wall that serves double duty by giving us our privacy while providing us with another wall to work on....plus additional storage on the shelving installed in the returns at either end of the wall.

This new studio had everything I needed for a great working space....and interestingly....and somewhat unexpectedly, I resisted packing up and leaving my old studio for some time after securing the new one. When I did start to dismantle the old studio, I realized that most of the work I had done to date had been generated from within this space...and I was firmly attached. It felt precious, sacred and somehow tearing it apart, a betrayal. I took photographs of this tiny, cluttered, unworkable space to remember it by...and wrote endlessly about the arising feelings in my sketch book/journal. I felt unsettled, anxious and quite lost as the moving process began....and yet, strangely excited about the new beginnings to come.





I took my time and planned the placement of everything into the new space, very carefully and thoughtfully. I knew how I liked to work and what wasn't working for me in the old space could be considered and rectified in the new. I bought new things, de-cluttered and arranged, and re-arranged, everything so it was just as I wanted it. But, I wasn't working there....I didn't feel connected to the space, as yet. I'm working again now, after several weeks of settling in and attaching myself to the space. The more time I spend there and the more of myself I bring into the space, the more my connection deepens. And on those quiet days when no one is around...it's absolutely perfect.

Through this process, what I've come to realize about my studio space is that, for me, there needs to be a perfect blend of access vs. privacy. My old studio was so integrated in to my home (situated in the loft above my living room) that there was not enough privacy at times....and yet, it was so close and easy to go to that art making could happen at any time of day or night...going to the studio meant walking upstairs. But being that accessible meant that phone calls, email, laundry and my husband could all pull me out of my working space all to easily. In the new studio, because it is a destination, I go there to work - no phones, no email and on good days very little interruptions. There is more of a mental transition that happens when I go there to work. It's purposeful and filled with intention. I've been more disciplined with my studio time as a result. But, I find that I don't go there as easily as I would go to my home studio. But when I am there, I'm there for many, long, productive hours.



So, for me, the ideal space is attached to my home, easy to get to and far enough away from household activities that I can work without distraction or interruption. It will have wonderful north facing light and lots of storage for painting supports and supplies. There will be access to the outside, as connection to the ground and garden is really important to me. It will have large walls for working on and a movable central island that will provide a flat surface for working as well as more storage. Thankfully, I have lots of time to plan this new space...and now even more information about my needs due to this recent studio change.

Our studios are such an important part of our art making...the energy of that space should align with what feels right and good for each artist...and that is a very personal thing. For me, a studio should always have a sitting area for reading, writing and contemplation. Our studios are not only for working, but a respite from the normalcy of life...allowing us to drop in to the art-making space within ourselves. I think of it like a vessel...a holding space. Upon entering, there should be a sense of transition, an opening and a quiet comfort....welcome back."

Thank you Cheryl, for allowing us to see your new creative space and hear about the process of settling in to a new space. I am looking forward to seeing your next creative endeavors!