What's in YOUR Studio??

July 23, 2023 in Studio, YouTube Videos

Aloha artists! Today I want to hear from you!!

I am about to move to my *forever home* of Chattanooga with my fiance - yay!! - and I would love your help setting up my new art studio. Now this house will be a rental.. but hopefully it's the last one until we buy land and actually build our own home, so I wanna make this space great for the time being!

Please leave me a comment below on some of the pros and cons of your own art studio, such as: what about your setup do you love? what do you wish to change? are there any items/storage hacks that you can't live without? are there any useful things/arrangements you use to help productivity?

My goal is to get you folks sharing ideas here with me (as well as on my Instagram @caleighbirdart and newsletter) so that I can setup an awesome new studio and share y'all's best tips with each other! This could be an explosion of great ideas for us all to share!!

It will be a few weeks til I move in, and then a few more after that to setup, but I'm hoping to have a 'results' video for you in September - stay tuned!

Thanks for contributing!!

7.23.2023

Travel Art Studio + Supplies

July 02, 2023 in Adventure, Studio, YouTube Videos

Do you like to bring art supplies when you travel? I love to create little works of art while on the road (or over the ocean!) to help commemorate my adventures and really cement them in my mind.

Today I want to share my compacted art supplies and how I set them up while out and about in the world, taking inspiration from all that's around me. I'm sharing what I bring, how I setup and record, and what my experience with bringing these art supplies through TSA has been.

Don't let distance from your home studio prevent you from making great art! There are only a few items that you'll be able to find or borrow wherever you land that will help complete an efficient studio space:)

My Art Supplies:

(some of these are affiliate links which help to support this channel at no extra cost to you - thank you!)

Himi Gouache

Tiny Gouache Sketchbook

Princeton Size 1 Round Brush

Da Vinci Size 2 Round Brush

Map Eraser

Washi Tape

Rechargeable Clamp Light

Phone Mount Articulating Arm

And thanks to the folks who submitted their own list of travel art supplies to be included in the video! I often ask my viewers for input thru Instagram Stories, so if you haven’t already, find me there!

7.2.2023

3 Tools You Didn't Know You Needed for Oil Painting

February 19, 2023 in Studio, Tutorials, YouTube Tutorials

Hi fellow Artists! Today I am sharing three totally essential oil painting tools that you may not have even realized you needed, but will never be able to live without once you have used them!

(And I even include a fourth one at the end that you could literally implement today for free!)

The Goods:

(Here are a few affiliate links to the items I'm sharing today. Any purchase here helps to support my channel at no extra cost to you - thank you!!)

Tube Wringers:

Metal:https://bit.ly/3lDCo7O

Plastic: https://bit.ly/3EkuDu8

Mahl Sticks:

Metal: https://bit.ly/3SbXPZW

Wood: https://bit.ly/3IkwyAa

Chamois so you can make your own: https://bit.ly/3KjpoOX

Neutral Lights:

Table Clamp: https://bit.ly/3kaNJMl

Standing: https://bit.ly/3EmoLQZ

(and there’s more through these links if you peek around!)

2.19.2023

I Did an Art Trade!

June 01, 2022 in Studio, Artist Diary

If you’ve watched any of my studio tour vids (especially my latest one!) then you may have noticed am nice healthy original art collection on my walls that is not entirely mine. Now I do love monetarily supporting artists whenever I can, but I also seriously love to do art trades - one of the best hidden reasons to even be a fine artist in my opinion!

The full story….

I initially created this Puma Skull piece back in the fun quarantine days of 2020 and it had not yet found its forever home, although I did have a few inquiries, no one had yet taken the plunge. It was just hanging out in the studio waiting patiently for the right collector.

Fast forward to about a month ago when one of my sister artists Alithia Gomez (who was actually featured on my ‘Pandemic Real Talk’ vid) posted on Instagram that she was clearing out her studio and needed to get rid of lots of old pieces. She posted a quick vid of her full studio and I spotted one last black sand resin piece hanging amongst so many others.

Alithia had spent lots of her quarantine time experimenting with resin (like me!) and has since gotten really skilled with a multitude of different techniques. She can get so many effects out of the material, but my absolute favorite was when she would seemingly recreate the incredible lava-based black sand beaches of Big Island Hawai’i, which I miss literally every single day.

When I noticed this piece in the mix I immediately dropped a DM asking if she would be up for a trade and coincidentally she had been really keen on the various skull pieces I hade been posting previously. Total kismet!

Here’s a lil vid of me packing up the Puma….

And a video of me opening up the black sand piece (it’s honestly even more beautiful in person!)

I’m so super duper psyched to have this piece in my art collection! Not only does it just look so realistic you can practically hear the splashes, but it reminds me of one of my fave places on earth, AND a super inspiring sister artist who I can’t wait to meet in person one of these days.

Here’s a more detailed view of this incredibly realistic water, and you can see more of Alithia’s art at @artbyaligo

6.1.2022

My Nashville (Art) Studio Apartment Tour

November 26, 2021 in Studio, YouTube Videos

Welcome back to the Nest! One of these days I may settle down and quit moving so much, but until then, enjoy yet another studio apartment/art studio tour!

This one will be different though, because this is the first time in 6 years I’ve been able to have my art and nature collections out on display.. so get ready to see some one of a kind and unusual pieces!

If you love all the organizational possibilities of the the Mollie Ollie caddy as much as I do, pop over to this link with the discount code 10Caleigh https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089RRRJN3#CaleighBirdArt

11.26.2021

Home Creative Space Inspo

February 25, 2021 in Studio

Since moving into my new spot in Nashville I’ve recently been cruising some ideas for my home art studio and three of the sites I stumbled upon were too inspiring not to share!

The photo above is a little glimpse of my new setup. I think I need more plants and possibly more art on the wall too, but at least my easel and lightening are good to go!

This first one has really great, specific tips on how to set up a creative space in often overlooked areas with some seriously envy-worthy organization and layout idea pics. Oddly enough this post comes from a storage unit website, but it’s right on point, so I’m sure you’ll love it too! Your DIY Guide to Designing a Home Art Studio

This page has some fabulous ideas for all kinds of creative spaces if you have an extra room in your house, the first half of the article features rooms that look especially nice to have during these times of staying at home constantly. 13 Ways to Convert a Bonus Room into a Usable Space

And this last one is for the realist in all of us - ha! These are actual working art studios (some with the artist in them!) that are such a delight to peek into. No joke, one of my faaaaaavorite things is to see where and how other artists create - both neat n tidy and full of frenzy. Sometimes I feel so torn between wanting to stay in my small-home art studios or eventually getting a spot with 10 foot ceilings - they both just seem to explode with possibility! 44 Stunning Art Studios That Will Inspire You To Get Back To Work

If you enjoy tours of artist home studios, I’ve created a few from the various places I lived in Hawai’i on my YouTube channel. You can also see tours of the two tiny houses I lived in on island too!

2.25.2021

How to Clean + Maintain Your Art Studio

August 09, 2020 in Studio, YouTube Tutorials, YouTube Videos

Today we are getting down to the nitty gritty of cleaning, organizing, and maintaining your art studio because it is important to take care of the spaces we love and that nurture our creative spirits.

A tidy and maintained studio is a productive studio so I hope you feel so inspired to refresh your space soon!

Grab a Tube Wringer here: https://bit.ly/3ipAm4w

If you use my special link it helps to support my channel at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

How to Clean + Restore Paint Brushes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwdYu1chYGE

How to Get the Most Out of Your Paint Tubes (a super old vid so don't judge too harshly - ha!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il1RHs9QL18

8.9.2020

What To Do With Used Oil Paint

October 11, 2019 in Studio, Tutorials, YouTube Tutorials, YouTube Videos

Aloha folks, I hope you find today’s video especially useful around the studio because I’ve had a surprising amount of questions regarding what to do with used paint, either as a way to extend its life and keep using it, or as how to properly dispose of it.

Lucky you because today I’m gonna cover both!

Shout out to Mike Cleland, amongst a few more, for this video idea :)

As a side note, let me please emphasize again that it is very important to dispose of oil rags + old paint properly and not in your household trash. Unfortunately, that stuff is not good to seep in the soil no matter how ‘odorless’ or inoffensive it may seem. Let’s all do our part to clean up after ourselves and love our Mother Earth while we create amazing works of art, ok?

10.11.2019

Hawai'i Art Studio Tour

July 12, 2019 in 3D Paintings, Art Vlog, Aloha, Studio, YouTube Videos

Aloha and welcome to my third happy Hawai’i studio tour! I have recently moved into a new spot and finally have my lil Nest set up just the way I like it so I am excited to invite you in today!

I live in the super lush and peaceful back of the Palolo Valley here on O’ahu and I literally just listen to birds singing outside my studio window all day. My home and work/creative space are one in the same so I have figured out a number of ways to stay organized and productive. I hope you like how I have my lil space all set up:)

If you haven’t seen my last studio tour (of the bungalow I refer to in this current vid) here’s the quickie tour of that space as well as my detailed art setup and living area - including my outdoor bathroom! Those are some of my most popular videos and really offer a fun view into my life as a Hawai’i based artist.

Ergonomic Studio Habits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2-AFpNG41M

Sock Monster Release Update Here:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/sock-monster-release

Shoutouts to the artists on my wall!

So fortunate to be able to build such a personal original art collection! What a way to remember the fantastic artists I’ve met here on island (since we’ve become friends through attending the figure session when I’m not modeling too).

How excited was this girl when she first received this portrait in the mail all the way from Scotland a couple years ago?!

Nicola @nicolpops and I did a portrait trade in our own styles back in 2017 and it’s one of my most treasured possessions to this day :)

Thanks for joining me today! Make sure to jump on my Birds of a Feather list to hear all about the personal ups n downs in the Nest I don’t share anywhere else:):):)

7.12.2019

Ergonomic Art-Making Habits

October 25, 2018 in Artist Diary, Studio, YouTube Tutorials, YouTube Videos

It's absolutely essential to ergonomically set up any workspace you use on a regular basis to be kind to your back, neck, wrists, and knees. Many office and studio habits, although mellow, are actually terrible for your body and can cause strains, overuse, and even tendinitis.

Now I am no medically trained professional, but I have done a fair amount of research to create a safe and physically stress-free environment for my art-making as well as office work. Today I am sharing some easy and inexpensive ways to work efficiently and with your body's health in mind.