Sarah Zoutewelle-Morris is an American artist, graphic designer and calligrapher living in Holland. With an established freelance carreer in her back pocket, she now works on making art meaningful not just for herself, but for others. Her encouraging words and her selfless efforts are so moving and inspiring. I’m really grateful that she’s taken time to share a view of her workspace, her materials, and her thoughts on her latest projects:

“I am a hands-on sort of person and I’d rather be in my sunny studio with art materials spread all around me than facing a computer screen. On my work table are several things that are precious to me- one is a felt bag made for me by a friend. The nice part is the colours in it were inspired by one of my oil pastel drawings. You can also see my ceramic ‘Queen’ pot, the one with all the little side pockets. It is filled with drawing tools now, but in former lifetimes it has housed mini-succulents and cacti.”

My favourite fine art materials are my oil pastels. But what I reach for when I want to play or make gifts for friends are my collections of rice papers, recycled papers, felt pieces, and the scraps of painted silk made by my artist ‘aunt’, Eve.

“Music is the one thing I couldn’t do without in my workspace. I always draw, paint and craft to my favourite CD’s. Also, when I’ve been sitting too long, I love to get up and dance! Dire Straits usually gets me moving, but I more often listen to Joni, CSN, and Pat Metheny.”

“Right now I’m working on my usual mixed bag of commissions: a logo and stationery for a small healing practice, lettering for above the door of the village church, calligraphy for a fine-art work of my sister-in-law’s based on Bach cantatas.”

“One day I will treat myself to the complete Sennelier oil pastel collection in the beautiful wooden box. I don’t really have a dream commission because I am pretty much free to make what I want. But everyone has dreams and one of mine is to create a thriving ethical business based on the work I do in healthcare facilities. I use the arts to establish meaningful contact with people with Alzheimer’s.”

{To see more of Sarah’s work and to read more about how she uses her art to help others, visit her website, ArtWell. In a world where we are easily swept up by personal ambitions and gains, it’s really worth thinking about how we can use our talents and skills in a less self-centered way, to create socially meaningful art.}

Creating stylized character illustrations that reflect her spunky personality, Courtney Reagor is putting together an impressive portfolio of work. She recently exhibited a selection of her pictures at “fully blown”, a group illustration show in Riverside, California. I’m so excited to get a glimpse of the desk and materials she uses to put together her artwork. She took time from her busy schedule to share her thoughts on her illustrations, her workspace, and her materials:

“I’m currently working on maintaining my sanity working retail, scribbling in my many notebooks, and getting overly excited about small freelance jobs.”

“The tools that I rely the most heavily on are: mechanical pencils, any paper surface, my scanner, my iMac, and my water brushes, ( the base is a vessel that holds water, ink, etc). Mechanical pencils are my favorite, not even the fancy ones, just because I can never keep track of my erasers and pencil sharpener. Part of me wishes that I didn’t need my computer so much.”

“My home studio is nestled in the downtown part of Savannah, Georgia, so I’m constantly being peeped on by tourists floating around the area gawking at the architecture. My computer sits in a pretty high traffic area of the house that I share with two of my closest mates. In my corner of the studio, I have a collection of ceramic masks and a print by Joe Sorren. I store most of my materials for sculpting and painting in an old white medicine cabinet that I found in my late grandparents garage. Often times I travel up to my bedroom where I keep my laptop if I need to escape from chit chats and our dogs that use the studio as their personal wrestling ring.”

“I love getting paint everywhere and creating things by accident with different messy materials. But I learned that I can create those accidents without the mess, which allows my turnaround time to be much faster. I hate that it keeps me inside on sunny days, which is why I prefer to work at night.”

“Part of the style that I have grown accustomed to is reusing found textures that I like to subtly incorporate into my drawings. Also, I collect jars to keep collections of brushes and use for water containers when I paint.”

“If I had access to any materials, I would want to have my own kiln in a ceramics studio. I would create busts of characters I’ve drawn, and a slew of mini figurines. I’ve always wanted to stock my cabinets with dishes and mugs that I’ve hand made. But my ultimate dream project would include having my own printing studio. I would die to be able to pull prints all day for the rest of my life. I wish I had more practice with screen printing, etching, and lithography. If I had a printing studio, I would create posters and limited editions of my silly drawings… But i would love most to print and bind my own books. I keep telling myself, it’ll happen one day, even if I’m old and grey.”

{Courtney writes more about her adventures in illustration on her blog, and many more of her fabulous illustrations are posted on her website.}

Summer is approaching, bringing with it warm sunny days of celebrating with family and friends. For Analea De La Fuente, it’s the time to see her months of work and preparation take center stage, as smiling brides walk down the aisle wearing her custom-designed wedding gowns adorned with hand-embroidered designs, French lace, and the finest Italian silks. With simple flowing shapes and the most intricate details, each dress evokes the dreams and traditions of the bride-to-be. I am in awe of the beauty of her designs, and I am so grateful that she’s taken the time to share her workspace and her thoughts:

“I am currently working with various clients to provide not only a one-of-a-kind gown, but a memorable experience in which they get to see the design and dressmaking process unfold.”

“One of my favorite things is my dress form. She has been the source of many inspirations, and has seen me through many “aha” moments. I absolutely cannot live without my sketchbook or my laptop. They keep me sane, and travel with me at all times. The sketchbook feeds my artistic side – all notes, drawings, and ideas happen there. My laptop keeps me organized, and allows me to ‘run a business.’”

“Most days, I keep a sweater (in case it gets cold), my measuring tape (because there’s always something to measure), and a vase of fresh flowers.”

“We strive to get the most efficient use of our fabrics so as to avoid waste. In many cases, we use vintage laces or beads and reinvent their uses by working them into new designs. I like to recycle buttons, or other heirlooms a bride may have that has meaning – and find innovative ways of using them.”

“The ultimate project would involve the finest silks, threads, and jewels, and handwork, from various eras. Our ultimate goal is to design “museum quality” gowns – something that will be cherished for generations.”

{To read more about Analea, her process for designing each dress, and to see her gorgeous collection of wedding gowns, visit her website, Analea De La Fuente.}

Michi and Yen, the principals of Front Studio, spend their days creating buildings and designing interiors that reflect their insightful approach to space and style. Amidst the fast pace of New York City and the stream of projects they have lined up, they still find time to notice the little details of the things around them, in art, literature, and food. I’m so excited and thankful that they are sharing their thoughts on their workspace, their materials, and the things that surround them:

 ”We’re predominantly architects but we love all sorts of things like eating, making things, reading books and oh yes, eating. In addition to our current architectural work (townhouse addition, sales office and bakery) we’re slowly cataloguing all lunch possibilities within a 15 minute walking radius from our office.”

“We can’t work without Papermate pens, manila folders, Stylist pens, no. 2 pencils, scratch paper, lined Muji notebooks, monthly planner/ agenda and sadly our computers. Aside from the inevitability of being tied to our computers, we love having a bevy of writing implements at the ready for doodling, drawing and sketching ideas. Each year the Ardco door company makes letter-size agendas as promotional items so each year we call them and ask them to please send us a couple. We couldn’t live without our planners.”

“Our studio is white, cream and oak so we like bits of color to keep us company – a bright yellow espresso machine, hot pink slippers for schleping around the office, mostly green cacti, dark blue wallpaper and multi-colored gummy bears. We still buy CDs and so a stereo is pretty essential as well.”

“We have paper slots built into our desks where we slide spam faxes and used paper – we use them as scratch paper and when they pile up we cut them into notepads for phone messages. We save extra plastic-ware and napkins from take-out and ordering-in for use later. In the office we have a set of ceramic plates, bowls and cups so we minimize the amount of plastic and paper use.”

“Since we’re architects we don’t need specific materials in creating our work but we often use materials and samples as inspiration for new projects. We dream of having a separate room to house an entire library of wall to wall materials. And then when we dream about that walk-in-closet of materials we also start to fantasize about having another room for a woodshop where we could play with the materials.”

{You can see a stunning collection of Michi and Yen’s work at the Front Studio website, and you can follow them on their midday adventures at LUNCH.}

Coastal Drive, oil on birch panel, 36″ x 48″ ©Nicole Strasburg.

Nicole Strasburg’s beautiful landscape paintings are a careful, alluring balance of nature’s quiet and sound. I am always really moved and inspired by her paintings, so I’m really grateful that she’s taken the time from her busy schedule to share a view of her workspace, her materials, and what she’s currently working on:

“I have just finished producing a solo exhibition titled “Tidal Change” which is now showing at my primary dealer here in Santa Barbara, California. My images are contemporary, tonalist landscape paintings in oil on birch plywood.”

(Above: “my paint table - my other appendage - the brushes ON the table are the ones in current use the ones in the bucket are either unsalvageable after years of abuse or a sampling of my father’s college brushes that are old painting companions, trophies perhaps.”)

“My materials consist mainly of Schminke Mussini Oil Colors from Dick Blick and my favorite brushes, the Manet series, from ASW in North Carolina. I work on birch plywood that I get at the local hardware store and my fabulous, woodworking husband cuts them into any shape I want. He then adheres bracer bars, so that I can avoid framing, with his manly pneumatic nail gun. I love having the stretcher/bracer bars on the plywood because it allows the painting to breathe, no boundaries of a frame keeping the viewer’s imagination from an endless horizon. I wouldn’t want to do without my husband as I remember the days of hammering the nails in with my girlie hammer. It took twenty times longer to accomplish twenty times less. He (Bill) keeps my supply of panels pretty well stocked without even being coaxed into submission. Invaluable support!”

“Other than a stock-pile of my favorite tools and materials, I have two black and white border collies that are my constant studio mates. They are raring and ready to go at any moment, so we installed a double swinging screen door allowing them the freedom to come and go at will. My other vice in the studio are audio books -can’t live without ‘em and don’t want to. They are a girl’s best friend. A fabulous book, read by talented narrator can keep you focused for hours and hours.”

(Above, “my paint table, easel, print press, flat files, movie chairs, surfboard with my painting design plus two furry beasties - home”)

“Aside from re-using and recycling EVERYTHING possible I am a member of One Percent for the Planet, businesses donating 1% of their sales annually to environmental groups. In addition, I have made my studio and home carbon neutral by purchasing Green Tags. “Green Tags are created when wind power or other renewable energy is substituted for traditional power. The result is a shift away from our dependence on burning fossil fuel to produce electricity. Using clean renewable energy is friendly to the environment and reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Green Tags represent the real savings in carbon dioxide and other pollutants that occur when green power replaces burning fossil fuel.” You can find out all the details at www.greentagsusa.org VERY COOL.”

Path to the Sea, oil on birch panel, 30″ x 30″  and Sentinel 02, oil on birch panel, 60″ x 60″ ©2007 Nicole Strasburg.

“[If I could work with any materials in the world for my dream project, perhaps I’d use] recycled woods to paint on from around the world and a year-long trip to document, in images, the lands that they came from!”

{If you would like to know more about Nicole Strasburg, you can see her portfolio on her website and read about her thoughts on painting at Pentimento.}

If you’ve spent some time visiting the crafty side of the internet, you’ve probably already heard of Dawbis, the talented lady who makes intricate, whimsical pieces of collage art and is the mastermind behind the paper quilt project. I am so excited and grateful that Dawbis is sharing her “tools of the trade” with us. Read on to find out what new project she’s working on and what materials she uses to create her inspiring pieces of art.

“I am a housewife with an ambition to save the world! I am currently working on a little project called “Paper Scrap Slogans,” which involves sewing paper scraps together and then scribbling short messages on them that I hope will encourage awareness for the environment.”

“I work with paper, all sorts of paper. I don’t think I could live without paper, ever. I also use micron pens, but all they do is give me trouble. I go through more micron pens than brushes! Most of the paper I own has been kindly given to me by blog buddies from all over the world. The last time I bought paper was about 4 months ago and before that it had been 5 months.”

“I have a stash of paper that I don’t use that is always in sight. It is simply there for inspiration; I am in love with all the colors, patterns and textures. Almost every paper I have ever come across is in there and I plan to add to it as more papers come my way.”

“I collect and keep all of my paper scraps in order to reuse them for other projects. If I don’t use what I have, I share them with others by giving them away, or I recycle what I can. I try to recycle or reuse materials as often as I can.”

“If I could get my hands on a few power tools and some reclaimed wood, I would make myself a custom desk to fit everything I need into it. I don’t need a lot of space, but I do need a place to put all of my materials. The dining room table just isn’t cutting it. If I could build my dream desk, I would be the happiest lady on earth!”

One of the best parts of having my own little stationery line is getting to know other artists and designers who make all sorts of things and live in all sorts of places all over the world. Our conversations are so inspiring, and I’ve asked for their help in putting together a little resource to share with others. In a series of interviews, “tools of the trade,” they generously tell us about some of the materials they use each day to make their wonderful pieces. I’ll add new posts throughout the coming weeks as these artists/designers take time from their busy schedules to share their work with us.

Some of the artists/designers featured in the interview already offer a view of their studios through their websites and blogs, and it is through them that I’ve found so much inspiration and practical advice. It humbles me to think that if this were five years earlier, before we all figured out how to use things like blogger and wordpress, there wouldn’t be any way to see all the things that these artists and designers now so generously share, and I would probably be sitting in an office building with my art supplies covered in dust from neglect.

I’ve learned so much from them, and am still learning ~ I’m so grateful as they now share their “tools of the trade.” I hope that you too are able to learn from and be inspired by what you see and read about. Enjoy!