art+play space.
May 19, 2010
Continuing the conversation about being a full-time mama and an artist… I’ve thought a lot this past year about how to merge the two. It seemed strange to keep Tulsi completely separate from my art, especially since a lot of my illustration+books are kid related, and she is inspiring so many new ideas. While I can’t paint during the day when she is awake, there are occasional 20-30 minute spurts when she is very content playing on her own, and I can catch up on email, work on sketches, organize and/or prepare for painting at night. Since we’ve been living in a one-room house, Tulsi has never had a nursery or any room to keep all her toys. For awhile, the living room-by-day/bedroom-by-night housed a big toy basket and was perfect, but with her mobility and curiosity, she has quickly out-grown it. Along with that, came the task of Tulsi-proofing the house…and making everything within her reach safe+fun. This inspired me to transform my studio from my waist down into a play space. It will naturally evolve as she grows, but here it is as of now:
• First, I covered the rough, concrete floor with those cushy (and affordable) puzzle mats. This was essential.
• I found a fun, thick soft wool 5×8 ft version of this rug on overstock.com
• Next, I converted a lower cubby on my bookshelf into a music space with drums, rattles, shakers, flutes and more. She LOVES it and really knows how to shake her booty when we drum! I also moved books for her on the lower, reachable shelves and put storage in the cubbies with doors.
• I traded out my computer chair for a big, bouncy exercise ball (which I prefer anyway). It’s softer and safer (no hard edges to bump her noggin on), takes up less space, inspires spontaneous back bends and yoga, and it’s fun to bounce and roll and drum on.
• I have samples of my Oopsy Daisy art that I give away or that sit in storage, so it was fun to hang my World Wonders growth chart on the nearby bathroom door. I just marked: Tulsi 13 months: 29 1/2″, 18 lbs, 1 oz !
• When I was little, my favorite spaces to hang out were in my closet and in our kitchen closet underneath the table-desk. I thought it’d be really fun to create a similar, sweet space beneath half of my work table. First, I replaced the awkward, funky old table end with this perfect book/toy shelf that our friend made just to fit this space. (I’m still debating whether to paint this a fun color with flowers or with chalkboard paint…or to paint the wall where the painting is now, with chalkboard paint…ideas?) I found another fun rug on overstock.com, hung up my original painting of Kimono Moon from Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids, added some soft pillows for leaning up against the side of my flat files, and topped it off with a sheer, silky curtain for playing peek-a-boo, taking spontaneous naps (if those ever happen…), or for times when she’s older and wants to just be in a closet (like I did, hee).
As this art+play space was still being converted, Tulsi got into a couple basket drawers full of collage and inspirational images…
She helped me do some spring cleaning which inspired a new play house that she LOVES.
One fun part about “sharing my space” with Tulsi is that, when we aren’t outside in the garden, she wants to be in here playing — and just playing in this studio-play space (even when I’m not working) seems to really fuel my ideas and energy for making art. Tulsi is the best studio mate! It feels really perfect. “All” it needs now maybe is some fun dangly, mobiles from the ceiling…
Here is Penny’s blog post about a studio-playroom she created last year, although I think she’s since moved from it and maybe will be creating another one soon. Has anyone else made one? What did you do? I’d love to hear more ideas!
16 Responses to “art+play space.”
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© 2012 jenny sue kostecki-shaw · coloredsock@mac.com · 575 586 1726
May 19th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Wow, I’d come hang out there too. How fun, and what a supportive environment for both mother and artist. You know I don’t have kids, but my studio does evolve depending what the focus is- be it an animal I bring into to hospice, or switching from sewing to painting. Rather than fighting the distraction of having Tulsi in your work space, you have created a mesh.
May 19th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Looks great Jenny Sue! So much fun for a girl her age… My studio is very child unfriendly at the moment so I only go in there at night when E is asleep! I have plans though, and what you and Penny have done is inspiring.
May 20th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Looks like so much fun for Tulsi (and you)! She’s so lucky to have such a creative mama. Give her lots of kisses from us. We miss all of you so much!
May 20th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Jenny, you never cease to inspire the (colored) socks off me! What good ideas you have here. I might steal some. :)
Painty-play love to you and Tulsi!
May 21st, 2010 at 3:49 am
Wow, Jenny, how wonderful. It looks like so much fun…Arun and I want to come to play and make some art!!
May 21st, 2010 at 5:02 am
I have loved watching your life and Tusli’s evolve and change as time goes on, thank you so much for taking your readers on the journey as well.
May 22nd, 2010 at 6:18 am
Beautiful! What a fun, happy space for both of you. I am also a “new” (12 month old) mama artist, and I am so inspired by your quest to blend the two. I find it very hard.
The playhouse is absolutely amazing. Can I ask you if it’s made from one giant cardboard box? I would love to make one for my daughter.
May 24th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Love this post, Jenny! It’s fun to hear the problem-solving approach to how you made your spatial design decisions. And it definitely helps all of us reconsider how much space we really need in life, and how to make spaces for multi-functional. I actually prefer smaller, more efficient spaces over big, vast, sprawling spaces.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:26 am
hi Vela! it’s nice to hear from you and also to know your work — it’s wonderful. i’m in awe of your productivity, too! awesome! and congrats to you on your Lila and being a mom. and i know it’s hard creating art and being a mama!! i can see how it’s getting a little bit ‘easier’ though. it’s all worth it though! i’d love to hear how you are doing it… (i’m assuming you know how i’m trying to do it, nearly all at night or during a nap here and there…) OH! and yes, i made the house simply out of her new car seat box. i used really strong (stringy) packaging tape to reinforce the corners and roof, and after we lightly glue-stick’ed’ all the collage on, i used cheap, clear packaging tape over it all for durability (and so Tulsi couldn’t pull it all off.) let me know if you make one–i’d love to see it! xo,jenny
May 24th, 2010 at 11:31 am
thanks, Betsy! as much as small spaces are challenging, i also prefer them and enjoy the problem solving that must happen. two experiences that REALLY inspire me with small spaces — traveling in Japan some years ago (with Maria C) and living on a 26ft sail boat for a couple months in the bay area.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:33 am
thanks everyone. glad you like the ‘finished’ space. let me know if you create a similar work/play space, too! i’d love to see more ideas…
May 27th, 2010 at 4:24 am
Is that not the cutest? (No, not her little buttskys, the playroom! uh, play area–sorry!) Just wonderin’ can I come over and play, too?
May 27th, 2010 at 4:26 am
Actually, her little buttskys ARE pretty cute,…and that little sprite on top of her head…my kids had those, too. :-)
June 3rd, 2010 at 5:02 am
What a wonderful creative space for both of you. I particularly love the collage playhouse. FUN!
July 26th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Lovely post, and a great kid-friendly studio. I linked to this post in my own about sharing a studio with my two kids.
Cheers!
Mari
August 1st, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Hi Mari, thanks for sharing your studio, too! i loved seeing how you share yours with your ‘slightly’ older kids…because that will be us before long. and yes, i certainly cleaned my studio/play space before taking these photos — otherwise, no one could see it! ha. so yes, it does get quite messy in a lived-in way, but i always clean it (like the pictures) before i start painting. i just can’t think and i’m not productive if i don’t.