Work Zones and Studio Flow
As 2025 comes to a close, I'm taking Studio Deicide into 2026 with a fully sustained practice. That alone feels significant. My studio continues to evolve alongside my confidence, my workflow, and my understanding of what I need in order to keep showing up consistently.
One tangible shift this year was the upgrade of our woodworking station. We now have a table saw to complement my trusty miter saw. The table saw is a lightweight hand-me-down, and while it gets the job done for now, I know I'll need to invest in something sturdier as my practice grows. Even with limitations on when I can use it, having that level of control over my process feels incredibly freeing.
As my practice grows, so does my confidence as an artist. I know I'm not alone in this — many artists, at every stage, struggle with the gap between the work they imagine and the work they're able to produce. For me, growth came from pushing through that disconnect and accepting that art has a mind of its own. Letting go of overworking, allowing pieces to breathe, and trusting the process made room for the growth I always felt was missing.
That trust extends beyond the canvas and into how I organized my space. I've spent a lot of time planning and re-planning my studio layout so that it works for me. My space needs to stay interesting enough to return to day after day, while also holding me accountable. This post is about the different work zones I use in my studio practice — and how learning to manage my space has become just as important as managing my materials. I'm constantly adapting, rearranging, and working with what I have.
Currently, Studio Deicide has four primary work zones.
Woodworking Zone
Our garage serves as the woodworking zone. Technically, it's also where the laundry lives—but if you just ignore that corner, it feels like a full woodshop. It's usually a bit messy, and while sawdust comes with the territory, safety does not get compromised.
Protective gear is non-negotiable. Wood dust is not something you want in your lungs or your eyes, and gloves are essential when working with high-powered saws. I keep goggles, a ventilation mask, and impact gloves within arm’s reach. When safety equipment is accessible, I’m far more likely to use it consistently. While I’m careful with saws, I’ve learned that other hazards—like solvents and adhesives—are easy to underestimate, so I keep protective gear anywhere I might need it.
The table saw sits in the center of the garage, where I also measure and mark wood before cutting. It’s the only spot long enough to lay out 96-inch planks. The miter saw lives on its own dedicated table along the wall. It’s heavy, so it rarely moves, and the shelving underneath is perfect for storing smaller cut pieces that are ready for future projects.
And then there’s the real star of the woodworking zone: the discard bucket. Without it, my workspace would be buried in half-inch scraps. Having it right by my feet keeps the chaos contained.
Painting Storage Zone
This may not be the most exciting area, but it's one of the most important. Storing finished paintings requires more thought than most people expect—humidity, dust, pet hair, and time all matter.
I use the walk-in closet in my studio for long-term storage. It has good circulation and ample shelving, and I keep it meticulously clean. This is where finished works and long-forgotten works-in-progress live.
More recent paintings stay in the studio itself. One of my work tables happens to be the perfect height for storing 30-inch canvases, which has been ideal given the scale I’ve been working at lately.
Laptop Work Zone
My standing/sitting desk completely changed how I work. While I haven’t used the standing function recently, the flexibility alone makes it invaluable. I keep this zone as clean as possible and limit it to dry materials only—there’s nothing worse than setting your phone down and discovering a surprise smear of paint.
All my art books and journals live here, and I recently added a second monitor so I can watch videos or movies while I work. Some might argue that’s distracting, but for me, it does the opposite. Spending time in the studio—even casually—makes me restless in the best way. I always end up wanting to work with my hands.
Studio Zone
The rest of the studio is dedicated to painting. I have two easels: a beautiful H-frame my mom gave me for graduation, and a lightweight A-frame that’s currently in storage.
Paint organization matters, especially when working with both acrylics and oils. My current oil paint cart is on its last legs—it survived college with me, which feels like an accomplishment in itself—but it’s time for a replacement. I’ll repurpose it somewhere else in the studio when the time comes.
One of my favorite solutions is my rolling palette cart. Palette carts are every painter’s dream—and every painter’s financial enemy. So I made my own using a $20 rolling side table and a glass palette. It’s slightly top-heavy, but storing heavier materials on the lower shelf keeps it stable. Practical solutions like this are what make the studio functional.
Finally, there’s my extra-long work table with shelving underneath. This is where works-in-progress live, along with brushes, extra palettes, and tools. This space is usually messy, and I allow that. Containing the mess here helps keep the rest of the studio usable. The rule is simple: if I need to build a new frame, this table gets cleaned. Accountability is built into the space itself.
At the end of the day, my studio is not a finished system; it's a reflection of where I am in my practice right now. These work zones exist to support the way I think, move, and make, and they will continue to change as I do. Learning how to work with my space instead of against it has allowed me to show up more consistently, take bigger risks, and trust the process a little more. Studio Deicide is growing because I am growing, and this setup is simply one moment in that evolution.
If you'd like to follow along more closely, I share studio updates, new work releases, and behind-the-scenes process notes through my email list. You can sign up below to receive occasional updates directly from the studio.