First, the Studio Tour

Let me show you around. This is the place where I work (it is also my favorite "spot" at home)-- a clean, bright corner surrounded by tubes of paint, recently-finished work that has yet to dry, an antique Bavarian pot full of delicious loose-leaf tea at hand.
I tend to look outside quite a bit (particularly, of course, at the fountain) and I rather dislike artificial light, so I chose the brightest place available near a large window (in what should have been the dining room) and generally work in the morning. I often play music on my stereo when I paint-- one can never guess what might emit from my corner-- Wagnerian opera, the waltzes of Chopin, Edith Piaf, Radiohead, folk songs, Frank Sinatra, fugues for organ, European dance music, or even heavy metal. . . I tend to be curious about music and appreciative of talent in general.
I keep my paints, brushes, and other smaller supplies in a wooden box which I bought and burned my name into. This box often travels with me-- once, a bottle of ink broke in my luggage and splattered over the box, adding to it a few less deliberate markings!
Being environmentally conscious (not always easy when it comes to paint) and concerned with "thrift", I try not to waste materials. I also do my best not to put paint in the trash can or sink. I am usually fairly good at using everything I put on my palette, but once in a while I end up with a brushstroke or two of "waste paint", and that ends up on a folding screen that I found gathering cobwebs in my parents' garage, cleaned up, and use now to block off my studio space. Many people say they like the screen as it is, but I may finally put a design on it once it is completely covered.
I work almost exclusively in water-soluble oils and the way I begin or complete a painting depends entirely upon how I wish to depict a given plant, creature, building, et cetera. At any rate, I always have a cup of water, a towel, the color chart I "invented" for myself, and many different shapes and sizes of brushes nearby. The studio is where most of my paintings are created and is therefore, in itself, an art medium. Hopefully, I will soon be able to expand my studio to include a small "home gallery" space. . . stay tuned for updates!