4 minute read
New Beginnings: Influence of Studio Space
BY SONAL RAJE OWNER, BLUE AMBER ARTS
Sonal's studio overlooking her balcony and the river. The perfect place for creation and new beginnings.
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An artist’s studio is more than just a work space. The energy of that space has a great deal of influence on the art that is created there. For years I had a dedicated studio space to paint. I had canvases stacked everywhere, a big easel, and would bring in all kinds of paint material to experiment with. Acrylics, encaustic, fluid art, I had to try it all. The art I created could make a mess and create spills which sometimes went unattended for days. And that was OK too, as what happened in my studio stayed in my studio! We had so many fun paint nights there with family and friends.
That space was my sanctuary as well, where I would spend hours meditating and reading. I expanded my knowledge about colour energy and art as therapy reading through books and online learning. All this reflected in my art and teaching.
Heraclitus
All that seems like a distant memory now. We had entered a new phase in our life and decided to downsize and move to a new city. From a 3-story house with a studio to a studio apartment. A small but gorgeous space with an amazing view of the water, and lush greenery all around with walking trails. Quiet evenings watching the sunsets, and the shimmering glow of the moon over the water. All the inspiration I needed as an artist was right in front of me.
Alas, there is no space to prop up huge canvases and store the boxes of paints and brushes. So did that stop me from painting? No way!
Where there is a will there’s a way
And find that way I did. Actually, Mother Nature showed me the way. Who needs paint and brushes when there are trees, sun and water? All you need is paper. Paper coated with a solution that makes it sensitive to light. The process is called Cyanotype print or Sun prints. Having moved here in summer, the trails were full of greenery and wild flowers. I collected these flowers and leaves, pebbles and branches on my walks. That’s all I needed to create the prints. The process of sun prints appealed to me as it is so organic, exciting, and full of surprises.
The colour olive combines green of the heart centre of love and yellow of the solar plexus centre of power and wisdom. An expansive yet soft, feminine power that is in harmony with Mother Nature. It stands for new beginnings, hope and creativity. The Cyanotype prints gave me all this and more. It is also a very beautiful way of honouring the earth and nature by discovering beauty in small things, and not dumping toxic paints and waste in our garbage.
Painting with sun and water.
So let’s see how this works. As mentioned earlier, the paper we use has a coat of the Cyanotype solution. You can either put this on the paper yourself or get pre coated paper. The first step is to take one of the sheets and lay the leaves, flowers and other materials that you have collected in an interesting arrangement on the paper. Then take the paper out in the sun. Yes, a bright sunny day is when you need to do this project. If it is windy, keep a piece of clear glass on top. Leave it out for 15-20 minutes for the Sun to work it’s magic. Bring the paper in and remove the materials on top. Now comes the fun part and the moment of truth- rinsing the paper in water. Fill up the sink with water and soak your paper in it. You will see the blue getting darker, and the areas where we had the leaves and flowers stay white. Remove the paper from water and leave it to dry.
Done!
Can’t wait to go on another walk and see what lies to be discovered.
New Beginnings, Hope, Nature, Creativity and Feminine Power.
Yes, I have extended the Olive branch and made peace with myNew Beginnings.
