Your studio is where you create from yourself. I believe our studios should be sacred and almost a little holy. They are a place where we should perform ritual that almost bounds on the religious.
I have completely redesigned my studio after seeing Bill Whitaker's. I painted, cleaned, blocked off windows, and got rid of tons of old art supplies that I knew I would never use again, but was keeping anyway. Anything that did not directly equate to making art I took out. I even created a little altar to "the Muse" on one shelf.
After the transition, my studio really became a place where I wanted to spend time. I have developed this morning ritual and this evening ritual.
In the morning, I will go in, put some music on, burn a little sweetgrass (incense), and sit and look at what I did the previous day for about 5 minutes. Then I prepare my paints and palette for the day.
In the evening, have taken to going into my studio a few minutes before I go to bed. I put on some music, and study what I did for the day and think about what I need to work on tomorrow. I then clean my palette, rub a little walnut oil into it, polish it, and hang it on the wall. Next I clean my brushes I used that day, dry them, and put hair conditioner in them. Finally, I clean up a bit, burn a little sweetgrass (incense), and take the trash down. Then I sleep.
It has made a profound difference on how I look at my art and the creative process.
What is your studio like? What rituals do you perform, if any, to get you oriented to painting, or just enjoy your studio space?
Here is the tranisition:
BEFORE
http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/My...Before-400.jpg
AFTER
http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/MyStudio1-400.jpg