Art Storage: Studio Ideas
It is very important to store art away nicely to prevent damage to the artwork. I do not know about you but for me every piece of art is precious. I treasure every painting I produce and I have never disposed of any painting since I started painting.
I am still holding unto the works I produced several years ago, if anything they remind me of where I started and how far I have come. I treasure every painting I produce and I have never disposed of any painting since I started painting.
Again many of them if not all of them have a story to tell about my life and they most often reflect where I was mentally at that point in time.
After labouring and pouring your heart and frustrations out on a canvas, there is often a huge problem with how to store them away nicely.
There are several reasons for needing an Art Storage which really all depends on how much space you have at your disposal and how you choose to manage your space.
For me the main reasons I needed one are:
TO PROTECT PAINTINGS FROM DAMAGE
Considering I work on stretched canvases that vary greatly in size from 2.5 inches to 60 inches (Depending on what I am in the mood for!!). It did not take long to realize I needed some sort of organizational unit where I could put new and old canvases.
This ensures they do not get damaged like the canvas tearing or the painting smearing.
TO AID DRYING
I work with both Acrylic and Oil. With Acrylic, the drying time is very short but I still let the painting stand for about 2 weeks before I apply the final protective finish. As for Oil paintings, I work in layers allowing each layer to dry before going on to the next layer.
Having a place to store the wet paintings safely helps a lot because the drying time varies depending on whether I used a quick-drying medium or not. Check out my post on the different types of Oil Painting Techniques.
TO KEEP THE ART STUDIO TIDY
It is very unsightly having canvases strewn out in every corner of an art studio. Not everyone has the leisure of having a massive space to work in. When working in relatively small spaces, every little space matters and having a good storage solution ensures every inch of the studio is utilized appropriately.
Bearing all this in mind I went about creating what I needed and got my other half to bring it to life for me. It took him a few days and a lot of alterations due to my inability to make up my mind what I really wanted (Typical!!)
And here is the finished work...
It is by no means perfect but it is just what I need and it costs so much less making it compared to buying something like it. It is divided into various sections to accommodate the different sizes of canvases I tend to use often.
I used chains to divide up the various sections. I will definitely make more tweaks to it as I go along. Most importantly it is on wheels which means it is so easy to be moved around when needed.
Other Art Storage options include
ARTIST BOXES like the Basic Black Archival Boxes from Jackson's are the ideal way to store your drawings, prints, photographs and documents. Acid-free archival boxes such as these will safeguard your precious artwork from discolouration or yellowing.
PLANCHESTS are a great solution for safely storing works on paper, protecting it from damage and dust. Although they can be quite space-consuming the top of a planchest often forms another horizontal work surface on which to work on.
PRINT RACKS are perfect for not only displaying prints but also for storing them away off the floor. I have a couple of print racks made from Beechwood which I use to store and also display my art prints.
Pinterest is filled with so many inspiring Art Storage ideas and I must admit I did get a lot of inspiration by scrolling through the site.
WHAT SOLUTIONS HAVE YOU COME UP WITH FOR STORING YOUR ART?
All the best
Nkoli
