Virtual Studio Tour - Laurie Weiss

Soon after I moved into my house, 17 years ago, I converted one of the bays of my oversized garage to a studio.  The previous owner restored old cars and had the original garage hauled down into the woods where it now serves as storage. 

1.        What sort of artwork do you do?  What are you currently working on?

I am a book artist.  I make journals, both custom and some standard, including travel journals, wedding albums, guest books, baby books, etc.  I also repair cookbooks and bibles, and bind family histories. 

This week I’m working on part of a collaborative edition of Dark River of Stars, a limited edition collection of Valentine’s Day poems by Oregon’s poet laureate, Paulann Petersen.  The edition is for 50, but I don’t make them all at once; just batches of 7-10 as they sell.  You can see more at www.blackdogbookarts.com/darkriverstars.html.

2.       How does your studio need to function?  Give a brief description of your working space.

I had one of the garage bays cut off from the rest and put in a wall of cabinets (higher than normal for a tall person standing).  I converted the old fluorescent lights into track lighting so I could put pendant lights over my work spaces. 

I keep one of my craft tables open in the middle of the room as an extra work space.  It helps me designate work areas: the back end of the built-in cabinets for gluing and sewing, the desk for piece work, and the craft table for cutting/tearing down parent sheets of paper to smaller sizes or for paste paper and stenciling.

3.       What do you love about your studio?

Because I need to keep text paper clean for books, I tend to keep my studio pretty clean and organized, with stuff for only one or two projects out at a time.  I love all the storage in my studio, for paper, leather, embellishments, etc., so I can keep the surfaces relatively clear.

  My newest purchase is an antique letterpress cabinet that has both drawers with cubbies for embellishments and flat files for my smaller (<20”x30”) papers.

Also, the light from the large sliding glass door and the skylight is great, even on gray days.

The space has electric heat, but I find I mostly use the wood stove in the winter.  It’s great for getting the humidity out (helps the glue dry) and keeping the room cozy.

Finally, I love the view out into my front woods.  The setting is very relaxing.  (That’s Oz and Buddy minding the driveway.)

4.       What would you like to change about your studio?

Not much.  I’ve modified it over the years, including the drying rack over the sink and the rack by the door for my book cloths.  I think I need to add a mini-fridge for snacks, since I’m often in there for hours once I get started on a project. 

5.       What would your dream studio look like?

This is pretty much it.  I sometimes wish it were about 4’ wider – I’d like to put in a standing Kuttrimmer to cut binders boards, but there’s just no space. 

6.       Do you have any organizational tips?

My dad always said “A place for everything and everything in its place.”  I try to follow that since it means I know exactly where what I’m looking for is.  I rarely get frustrated trying to find a particular item or tool (bookbinding uses a lot of tools).  Of course, for that to work, you have to have your storage organized and enough of it for everything.  When I’m working on a project, I haul out everything I need onto the craft table, but it goes back when I’m done so it’s right where it should be next time I need it.

You also need to keep the tools you use the most right at hand.  I keep a jar on my desk with most of what I use right there, and built a small shelf into the wall for those items I use most at that work station. 

Finally, adding the drying rack over the sink really helped to keep my work surfaces clean (and dry!).

My main suggestion is to look at how you use your space.  Walk through it and see what doesn't work first and make sure it's laid out best for the work you do. 

Stitched Waterlilies by Lenall Siebenaler

The Menucha weekend went very well.  I spent the time working on 70 postcard sized painted, collaged and stitched pieces.  Here are 5 waterlily pieces.  I did more poplars and bird and nest pieces also.  Using the sewing machine in my pieces is working for me!  I will probably make a lot of these pieces into 5 x 7 cards and call them "Suitable for Framing."

Which Wedding Card?

I decided to make several prototypes of Wedding cards for my niece's wedding which is in 2 weeks.  I used collage and then added the machine caligraphy on top to integrate them.  I did several and now need to decide which I like better.  What do you think?

I'm working on something new... Lenall Siebenaler

Collage with machine stitch caligraphy

Paint with machine stitch caligraphy

I purchased a sewing machine 4 years ago and took a class at the time but for some reason, I did not feel comfortable working with paper and freeform stitching.  I wanted to try using my handmade papers and fabric and stitch onto a piece of art.  There were too many roadblocks with the machine clogging and thus making the projects move slowly.  I decided that I either need to learn how to use it and give it a try or sell the machine.  While participating in the Prosperous Heart Book by Julia Cameron, I put it out there on the yahoo group that I wanted to take another lesson or class.  Sandy Keating, Master Fiber Artist, volunteered to help me!  Last week, I took a lesson with her.  In just 2 short hours, I felt comfortable to make a go of it on my own.  She gave me a lot of great pointers and showed me how to solve many of the issues I had originally been experiencing.  On top of all that I was able to spend time with her and get to know her better!  It was really a treat for me and I really appreciated her generosity!  I will be posting several different looks that I have created in the past 4 days...  These are all made card size so I will try working on bigger surfaces next!

Outside the Box: Escaping the Frame

Both Stephanie and myself were invited to participate in a group show at Peoples Art of Portland. The show is titled Outside the Box II: Escaping the Frame. Each of the 50 participating artists were given five 8x8 boards and one 16x20 board and one month to create six pieces of art . . . . the art needed to extend off the board, of course, since the show is about going outside the box. Here's Steph and I picking up our boards last month.

And here are my completed pieces of art.

The show opens May 19th and runs through June 7th. Peoples Gallery of Portland is located on the third floor of Pioneer Place in downtown Portland. If you want to see more about the process of how I made my pieces, check out my blog post by clicking here. You can also get more information about the show or updates on my art by liking me on my Facebook art page: Dayna J. Collins/Alley Art Studio.

Spring has Sprung at my House! by Lenall Siebenaler

I have come to look at my yard as part of my art. It is full, full, full! It also reflects riotous color. Like my art it can be somewhat whimsy and eclectic and it has gobs of texture. I have always spent a mint each year adding to my collection of plants and have got to the point where I should probably stop but, of course, can't. I still buy and actually went to a local plant sale on Saturday where I purchased 3 boxes of very healthy plants at great prices! I am also lucky to have friends who also have a lot of plants and totally enjoy exchanging with them.

 This past Fall, I purchased a few more red and yellow tulip bulbs to add to my front yard bed along my driveway. I'm really glad I did as it looks so pretty! I just had to share! Later in the summer I will share the back yard. The perennials are getting taller but not quite there for your viewing pleasure. Till then...

Prepping for the faire

Hear Ye!  Hear Ye!

Well, the fair season is about to kick off for me next weekend with the Society for Creative Anacronym’s Faire in the Grove.  It’s a fun weekend in Forest Grove with the McMenamin Grand Lodge’s park-like grounds transformed into Medieval Europe. 

To get ready, I’ve been busy in my studio making books. 

They’re everywhere! 



I got the leather cut and paper folded last week.   With only a few days left to get ready, I’m heads down with my sewing.

Be sure to stop by and enjoy the activities.

Virtual Studio Tours--Debi Koenig

I recently decided to convert the guest room into my studio. Before that, I mostly made art in the living/dining room. All my messy paint “stuff” was stored in this main part of the house. I had replaced the dining room table with a long, wide, heavy “school” table which worked really well for painting my large paper pieces. I’ll still do some creating on that large work table; it’s a great place to spread out to paint a lot of paper or have friends over for an art play day. But, now that I have created a cozy studio space, this is where I like to work. And, I can just shut the door on my studio when I want to contain the “stuff”. As with most things in my life, my studio is a “work in progress”.

1. What sort of artwork do you do and what are you currently working on?

Like others, I’ve tried many different types of art (quilts, doll making, paper, jewelry, soldering, collage, etc, etc, etc!). The last few years I have mostly been creating paper, doodling, and art journaling. I use the paper I decorate to cover journals, planners, stars, and other items. I have always loved fabric, and have recently started painting fabric, sewing, and making quilts again, too.

2. How do you need your studio to function? Give a brief description of your working space.

I love the visual stimulation of color and texture, and I am inspired by many things. I have art and color and eye-candy all over my home. While I do like to be surrounded by inspiration, the most important thing in my studio is have the space “user friendly”. I kept two goals in mind while setting up this studio; 1) supplies need to be within easy reach, and 2) supplies & inspiration need to be visible. I am an “out of sight, out of mind” kinda gal. Things need to be out where I can see them, or I forget what I’ve got!

My paper, art journaling, and fabric painting are all wet and messy, and I love it. But, I don’t want to get paint, dye, etc on the nice clean sewing/quilting items. I try to keep the “wet/messy” away from the “dry/clean”. This can be quite a challenge since I only have one work table set up in my studio and I like to work on more than one thing at a time! My house is very small, but, in a pinch I can set up a second table, or move out to the dining room. If I start doing a lot more sewing, I’m going to have to consider setting up two separate areas on a more permanent basis.

The next photo shows the view to the left of my desk. I have all my paper painting supplies (paint/ink, paper, stencils, rubber stamps, mark making tools, etc) in one metal shelving unit, within easy reach.

Next, see the view looking to the right of my desk. The “eye level” shelves hold my art journals, tapes (gotta love the duct tapes and washi tapes!), paper and other journaling supplies.

The photo below shows the larger view of the shelving on my right side. This second metal shelving unit holds the art journaling supplies and my fabric/sewing supplies. I organized both of the shelving units so the items I use most often are within reach from my table, allowing me to keep on working.

3. What do you love about your studio?
Several years ago I found a wonderful bright blue wooden “cubby” unit, rescued from a preschool/daycare. Still one of my favorite things, and I got it for $5.00! It is sitting under a window in my studio, filled with my books. I also love all the light from the two windows.

Recently my husband extended the window sill above my desk, making it into a very useful shelf. Now I use it to keep pens, markers, and tools in colorful containers . . . visible, easy to reach, and off my painting surface!

4. What would you like to change about it?
I wish it didn’t have carpeting! Carpet and paint . . . always a disaster waiting to happen! I did put down a colorful area rug under my desk, and that helps.

Organization of “stuff” is always a challenge for me (my sister got all the organizational genes in our family). There are two closets in my studio. They are full (I’m afraid to look?!), but there is great potential for more studio storage space. Also, I need to add labels to many, many, many more containers! I still spend a lot of time looking for things. But, I make some “happy discoveries” while searching, so this doesn’t bother me too much. Someday I’ll make some colorful happy labels for all my bins/boxes/tubs/etc . . .perhaps ;-)

5. What would your dream studio contain?
My dream studio would be large enough to have friends over to play, have lots of windows for natural light, have non-carpeted floors that might welcome a paint splatter, and, have huge double garage doors that would open up to let the light and outdoors in on a sunny day. I would also have a sink and water available, plenty of storage, and heat for the cool winter days.

6. Do you have any organizational tips?

The photo below shows my inspiration board, currently covered with some canvas I painted. It’s made out of an old bulletin board, and sits on top of a dresser. It is not attached, so I can store it behind the dresser when not in use. On the cork side, I tack up inspiration. When I need a design board for quilting projects, I flip over the board. I have covered the back side with flannel. I have art on the wall behind the board. This board takes up very little space, but is very useful! I love this sort of “multitasking” space, especially in a small studio.

On my paper/painting unit I left part of one shelf rather bare. It seems I always am looking for more space when I work! This empty shelf is within easy reach, but doesn’t take up “valuable space” on my work table. One of the things I use this shelf for is my dye inks. Normally, I store my dye inks (and spray bottles, sponges, alcohol, etc) in large shallow boxes on the very top shelf of this unit. I am very messy, and the permanent ink can quickly get all over everything. Not as easy to clean up as my acrylic paints! When I am using these messy things, I bring down the whole shallow box, and set it on this lower shelf. When done, back it goes to the top shelf, contained and out of my way. I also use this empty shelf for a drying rack while working on multiple art journal pages, or anytime I need something “handy”.

Thank you for visiting my studio! As I mentioned, it’s a work in progress. Perhaps next time you visit, I’ll have conquered some of my organizational “challenges” . . . or perhaps my organized sister will have come for a visit! In the meantime, let’s all make art and have fun.