Welcome to my art studio makeover and tour of my small home painting studio, updated in 2023! I decided to go dark and moody with an accent wall, inspired by dark academia, to create a little bit of drama while keeping the look minimalist and clean. I absolutely loved transforming my cozy tiny studio, and this video walks you through the redesign from start to finish. Since I'm working in a small home studio with very little space, I much prefer this new minimalist, contemporary look with hints of vintage. This video also tours you through my new studio storage system, including how I organize my paints, where I store my art supplies, and more.
I was initially skeptical of the new wall colour, but when I compare the footage of the white to the charcoal, it’s not even a close competition; I am fully Team Dark Side. The new accent wall has personality and feels oh so cozy at night.
For the peony acrylic flower painting course, I will be releasing the full course through my website, but I will also post a consolidated version to KZfaq for free that will show a quick timelapse. The course itself will be several hours long and will demonstrate the painting in real time, in addition to offering modules on materials, canvas preparation, transferring the drawing, colour mixing and theory, and more. I am also writing an accompanying syllabus with shopping lists, detailed written breakdowns, and more. You will also gain access to an exclusive Facebook group just for students of the course, which I will personally moderate to answer any questions.
I want students in this course to feel like it exceeded their expectations in every single aspect, so I am going above and beyond to make it special. Regardless of where you are located in the world, your learning experience matters deeply to me. I’m a teacher first and foremost, and artist second.
In the interim, while I’m editing the peony footage, I will be releasing tons of sketchbook related content, since I am currently keeping sketchbooks in a variety of mediums. First up will be an acrylic painting spread of a northern Ontario landscape, so stay tuned! I also have two brand new sketchbooks that you may have spotted in the tour…I have ambitious plans for those, as I plan to use the one to marry my love of food with art.
My blog is getting rebooted and will form the spine of future podcast episodes. There is so much in the works in this studio space and I am bursting to share it all with you.
I am beyond grateful for your support of my teaching, and if there's anything you'd like to see in a future video, please don't hesitate to write me a comment!
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✨Connect with me✨
Instagram: / mariannevanderdussen
Facebook: / artbymariannevanderdussen
Facebook Art Support Group: / artincubatorwithmarianne
My website: www.MarianneVanderDussen.com
My Amazon storefront for preferred supplies: www.amazon.ca/shop/artbymaria...
Quick synopsis of materials and finishes used in the video:
- Wall colour: Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore, in the Regal Select UltraMatte finish (not durable at all and hard to clean, but super flat for filming, which is my priority)
- Desk stain: Special Walnut by Varathane
- My preferred sketchbooks: Zeta series by Stillman & Birn, I typically buy the hardcover in the 8.5x11" size. I like the Zeta series because it's hot press paper, but if you prefer cold press, their Beta series is also fantastic
Special thanks to the following contributors:
My collaborator, Ed Regan, for his videography consultation and amazing August photoshoot work: / reganpictures
www.reganpictures.com/
Two Trees Shoppe, for thrifting, sourcing and styling all of the antique treasures in my studio, including the mirror: / twotreesshoppe
Chuck and Wood, for the custom desktop and patience with me while I waffled on what kind of wood to use: / chuckandwood
Johanna Courchesne, for selecting the blinds and interior design consultations:
/ joandco.interiors
Special thanks to my contractor, Steve Lucci, who installed the shelf properly and helped shim the cabinets and secure them to the walls.