gourd art workspace

This is my indoor painting station. I have taken over one end of a room (in this case our office) and set up a drafting table and small cabinet. I have to admit that the area rarely looks this neat and uncluttered! The table top holds items that I use all the time and a TV which I listen to, but rarely bother to watch.

On top of the table, I keep tubs of brushes, and bottles of specialty paints (such as patina paints, oxidizers, rusting agents, etc.) I also have a spinner type storage rack for small tools and other odds and ends. There is a tub of commonly used colors of acrylic paints on the right side. I turn the paint bottles upside down in the tub so that the color of each bottle is immediately visible. This also reminds me to shake the bottle and keep the paint mixed before I use them. I also have a large light attached to the table. The light is attached to a flex arm so I can move it and angle it for more light.

On the floor below is a box with oil paints. I generally use them as a stain in lieu of leather dyes as they are much more color fast than dyes. I also have a plastic box with a woodburner for small touch ups when it is too dark to go work outside.

The cabinet to the left holds miscellaneous supplies inside and items I want to access quickly on top. These include a container with pencils and markers, a trash can and an assortment of extra supplies. Extra paints are stored in a plastic box where they are accessible but out of the way.

This is my outdoor work station. We have a covered back porch so the area is protected from sun and rain. I feel very fortunate to live in a climate that allows me to work outdoors year round. It does get really hot in the summer (I run a fan to move the air) and a bit cold in the winter, but it is still better than trying to clean up all the dust and mess that would be created indoors.

The old used office desk was inexpensive, and it is perfect for holding all my tools and supplies. I keep some things on top of the desk, but much of it is stored in the drawers below. I do keep a couple of worklights, my Foredom tool, dust masks, cordless drill, and containers of pencils, and some gourd scraps handy. I also have an small hand brush to sweep away the mess at the end of the day.

Closeby are a trash can and a box of tools for scraping the insides of gourds, and a TV and radio to listen to while I work.

The left side drawers are perfect for tool storage. I have a power strip attached to the side of the desk and it makes it convenient to leave the tools plugged in and just close the drawers at the end of the day. When I need to use a tool, I just pull out the drawer!

The top drawer holds all my carving burs and a dremel tool.

The middle drawer has a transformer and all the associated tools such as saws and sanders.

The bottom drawer holds my woodburner and burning pens.

The right side drawers are are used to store a variety of supplies.

The top drawer holds small hand tools such as knives, files and pliers. I also use this to store items like wood filler so they can be accessed quickly .

The middle drawer has sandpaper and scrubbers for gourd cleaning.

The bottom drawer is taller and is perfect for storing frequently used cans of paints and finishes, solvents and glues.

I have to chuckle just a bit when people ask to see my studio! I actually have two separate work areas. One area is indoors where I can escape the heat, use good lighting, and can work in a dust free environment. The second area is outdoors, where I do all the messier jobs such as cleaning, carving and burning. I store my raw gourds out in the garage, where I also have some larger tools including a belt sander and band saw. (Surprisingly, we also manage to squeeze our cars in there!) What I use for my work stations may not be suitable for your needs, but it may provide you with some ideas for setting up your own work area.