Judy Levin's Studio

What kind of Art/Crafts do you do?
I am an artist that works in a variety of mediums. Currently I'm re-visiting one of my very favorite mediums, watercolor. I also paint with oil and acrylic. Clay is another medium that gets pulled out often at Lot 5 studio.  I sculpt and create functional pottery, both wheel thrown and hand built.

Where do you do your art/crafts?
My studio is in the basement of my home in Northern Virginia. I feel very fortunate to have my workspace so close as I can go to work in my pajamas if I like and or stay up all night if the creative juices are flowing.

How do you keep all your supplies organised?
Organization is a constant battle. One way I discovered that forces me to put things away is to contain them in an attractive manner. I like to use vintage containers as well as modern plastic containers that wipe clean easily. For some things having a clear container makes all the difference as I can see what's in it and not have to pull it out to find what I'm looking for. In a clay studio having lids helps too, clay dust gets into everything. I love finding the perfect old chest of drawers at a yard sale that will hold my paints, or a metal rolling cart that moves around the studio and be where I need it as I move around. 

How do you keep yourself motivated to keep your space tidy?
The Perfect thing to motivate is to invite people in to see my space. Who doesn't clean for company ;) Twice a year I participate in open studio tours & also have an open door policy. Not knowing when or if someone may pop over for coffee and an art chat forces me to keep the creative chaos to a minimum.

Any tips for how to keep art spaces tidy or organised?
I learned this one from my mother as a child. I could only have three toys out at once and if I wanted to get out a fourth I had to put one away. It works for art too.  Also the phrase "a place for everything = everything in it's place" is very true. Find a home for whatever materials you bring in immediately, that way things don't pile up. Also there's not such thing as too much shelving and pegboard is a gift from the creative gods that will make anybody's life easier ;)
 

 Do you get stressed out when your space gets in a mess?
Only if I actually can't move around, then I get a little nutty. When I'm in the middle of a project the clutter doesn't bother me, but I can't seem to start anything in a cluttered space. One thing that does get me stressed is if somebody else has been in my space and moved my tools around so I don't know where they are. I'm not going to mention any names ;) 

If you could have your dream space tomorrow what would it look like?
Open and white, clean floors and lots of electrical outlets and windows. Actually I would just be happy to have drywall and shelving right now ;)

 
Is there any craft you would love to do but cant due to limitations of your art space?
I think I'm very fortunate that I will try anything that my imagination throws at me. If there is something that proves to be difficult, I'll figure out a way to be able to do it. Isn't that part of being creative :)

 

What is the next big thing on your wish list for your art space?
I've been coveting the Billy cubby shelving system from IKEA, something about those white shelving cubes stacked to the ceiling just make me drool. I also want to paint the cement floor, then expand my wall/shelve and drywall and more electricity. 

 
Is there a website for people to see or buy your art/crafts? 
Yes, I have an etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop/lot5studio?ref=si_shop a web page lot5studio.com and am on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Lot5studio stop by and say hello :)

Thanks to Trudy for talking the time and effort to answer my questions and take photos of her studio, Thank you!