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Denver, CO, United States • Visit Website »


Take a #CraftRoomTour or Carol Ann Waugh's professional artist studio in Denver, Colorado.




I love my studio for many reasons. First, its about 4 miles from my house so it's easy to get to and I can make a mess without having to clean up for company. Making art outside my house allows me to treat my art making like the business it is. I can concentrate, keep regular hours, and make sure I spend a substantial amount of time creating.


Tell us about your space

My studio is 485 sq. ft. It has a large area where I can store all my supplies in one place and lots of shelves so I can organize everything. I have my fabric on one wall, extra threads, ribbons, and cords on another and in-between, I have my paints, stencils, stamps, mediums, glues, and other "mixed media" tools that I incorporate into my fiber art. I also have two 6 foot tables on risers that house my ironing surface and cutting mats. Underneath these tables, I also have extra storage for equipment and supplies in only use occasionally.

What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?

Actually, the space itself is my inspiration. One wall of my studio is full of large windows so the light is amazing. I have a great view of downtown Denver. My ceiling is 25 feet high since my studio is in an old industrial building. The walls are brick and the floor is concrete. I have a large design wall where I work so I guess you could say my unfinished art is the thing that inspires me every day.

How do you keep organized?

It's hard. I'm a messy artist so I have lots of stuff around when I'm working. Sometimes, I can search for days to find a tool I know I have but wasn't put back where it should have been. I have to be organized when I teach so all my teaching materials are kept in one place so I can quickly pack a bag and get ready to leave. My teaching supplies are all duplicated so I don't have to use them when I arrive back in my studio.

Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?

I use everything I can find. Plastic bins are great since they stack and you can see through them. Recently, I purchased some rolling bins that I keep by my work table to store tools I use every day. But for my fabric, I like to see the colors just sitting on the shelf. I also use a lot of thread so I as overjoyed when I found a twirling plastic bin at a going out of business sale. I filled it with thread, organized by type of thread and then sub-organized into the color wheel. Bookshelves are great for storing my sketchbooks as well as art books and magazines.

Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?

My favorite supplies change every week, depending on what I am working on. I can't live without Sari ribbon and thread. And, of course, my Bernina sewing machine. Right now, I'm into drawing and watercolor so pens and paints are my favorite right now.

How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?

I have many many sketchbooks where I draw out my ideas. Most don't get made into art but the ideas evolve over time so it's interesting to look back and see where my thinking as last year or 9 years ago.

Where do you look for inspiration?

My new ideas come from making art. One piece will inspire the next. I find that my creative ideas don't "pop out" fully formed. I don't wake up in the morning and have a new idea. (Although I have woken up with a new way to solve a problem on a piece I've been working on). My art evolves over time and I can see how all my pieces relate to each other although each series is quite different.

If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it the dream space?

First, of course, would be more space at a lower rent. Second would be adding a gallery to display my art instead of just storing it. And third would be adding a "conversation" space to entertain visitors.


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