Studio Stories from our WAOW Artists
Deborah Allison • Studio Stories
It's a beautiful time of the year in Santa Fe, New Mexico! And it is also the time when Santa Fe artists open their studios to the public. There will be about 95 studios participating this year in one of the largest art communities in the US.
Though #38 is a small studio, I will have loads of artwork on display and for sale during the two weekends at the end of June. It is the perfect opportunity to see how I work and to ask any burning questions about my methods, color choices and inspirations. I will have my palettes, sketches and demonstrations on display as well.
Debra Keirce • Studio Stories
Debra Keirce
The team at Fine Art Studios Online asked me to be a guest speaker in a recent webinar. I write monthly articles that they share, about sales and marketing in the life of an artist. So, I was at once, happy to appear on their show, but also wondering what I had to say that I don't already write about.
Then it came to me - why not talk about the exact things I never write about? Why not have a discussion about all the things that artists don't say out loud? We are all thinking them. I'm sure of it. Yet, we never post or write articles about them.
Judy Thompson • Studio Stories • Iowa
Judy Thompson - Iowa Artist - Studio Story
Two of my paintings, Stars and Stripes and Prairie Pathfinders, have been selected for Still Becoming: America 250 at the Center for Western Studies, Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
This exhibition explores the landscapes, histories, cultures, and identities that continue to shape the American experience.
Mary Sirody • Studio Stories • California
Mary Sirody - California Abstract Artist - Studio Story
My studio is a converted shed, 100 steps down from my house in the high desert of Agua Dulce, California. It is light-filled and airy, and I feel very lucky to have such a nice space.
I paint every day and work on many canvases at once. I love it all, the highs and the lows. But there is nothing like starting a new painting…
Stephanie Burk • The House of Nevill Show, Ft Worth, Texas
Stephanie Burk The House of Neville “Oh the Places You Can Go!”
“I am extremely honored two of my paintings, “To Everything There is a Season” and “The Best Views Come from The Hardest Climbs” were juried into the Ft Worth Texas Art Show, “Oh the Place You Can Go” at the House of Neville Gallery.”
The Exhibition is June 10, 2026 through August 29, 2026.
Debbie Hughbanks Art
I am extremely honored that my painting, “Garden Delight”, was one of 107 artworks selected from over 550 submitted to be part of the upcoming 20th Annual International IGOR Juried Exhibition at Principle Gallery Charleston in Charleston, SC. “Rendezvous in Charleston” focuses on and celebrates realism in art with accepted pieces from around the world.
Watercolor with Judy Thompson
One of the most meaningful projects to emerge from this studio is a collaboration with my daughter, Kristin Gifford, a published poet. Together, we’ve merged our two art forms into Becoming Midwest, Life Between, an exhibition at the Visual Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls featuring 27 artworks and 12 poems.
Painter Destiny Bowman
My studio is my favorite place to be. It’s where ideas flourish, problems get worked out, colors move on the canvas, and my many objects that I’ve collected gets put into my paintings. I have collected skulls, bugs, vases, books, bowls, flowers and contraptions to use in my still life work.
Painter Nori Thorne
I love to paint in the American Southwest where time and erosion reveal the bones of the earth and ancient artists left their marks in the remotest canyons. In my canyonscapes I try to capture the strong sense of place, of secrets suddenly revealed—a vista glimpsed through a redrock window, a water pocket shining on slickrock, the cold walls of a slot canyon reflected in a black pool.
Rotating Canvas . Painter Sara Bloodwolf
I work on several paintings at once using one large palette.I rotate the canvases on the easel as they dry and as my inspiration and patience changes on each day.Even though i paint every single day I take a long time on each, my average painting is 3x3 feet and takes a month of daily painting and i mean every day.
Ever Changing Studio . Painter Amy Evans
“My studio has changed according to where I live. One constant is that I have a portable one for occasions when I am in the outdoors. My outdoor studio is the one I frequent the most since I love painting the landscape. I use my indoor studio for large paintings as well as studio paintings derived from my references.” Amy Evans
“Before it Hits” by Amy Evans 20 × 16
From an Exta Bedroom to a Studio . Painter Mary Russell
“My first studio space was in an extra bedroom when my daughter was eleven. I would get her off to school, walk over piles of laundry, and get right to my easel. I loved it!
In time, I had an opportunity to have a studio away from the house which I shared with another artist. It was a huge space in an old shopping center. ” Mary
From Life to Clay . Sculptor Lori Kiplinger Pandy
“People and the stories of their lives fascinate me and that is why I sculpt the human figure. Learning about a person’s accomplishments and how they have dealt with adversity matters. I can benefit from their choices and wisdom, celebrate their achievements and believe that others can too.” Lori
Color Addiction . Painter Laurie Pace
Treasured history and stories make up all of the paintings in Laurie Pace’s studio. This is the story behind all the horses used in the old TV series, The Lone Ranger. She has included parts in this small blog. The painting sold immediately from the gallery when it arrived, and it was on to the next story.
My Happy Place . Painter Kathy Soliday
This painting was from a photo opportunity I had to visit a longhorn ranch at feed time. These amazing creatures with their longhorns know exactly how to move without hitting those enormous horns. For being huge animals they move like dancers but their eyes were mainly on the food pellets.
God’s Creation . Sculptor Pamela Winters
It all began with God. My biggest influence and reason for my sculpting is simply… God’s creation. Through my faith is how I look at all of my pieces; how God originally created them and what did He create them to do.