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Studios ®

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CONTENTS
4 Editor’s Note

6 The Proper Disposal of Supplies, Solvents, and Waste

BY DANIEL GRANT

Artists savor many things, including sketches, correspondence,

studies, frames, and art supplies. Although there may be avail-
able space to store some of those treasures, many others must
be discarded to maintain studio safety and cleanliness.

12 The Well-Equipped Studio: A Custom Guide to

Proper Studio Practice

20 Tales from the Studio

BY M. STEPHEN DOHERTY

Over the course of his long and distinguished career,

Nelson Shanks has painted in palaces, embassies, corpo-
rate offices, living rooms, art schools, the White House,
and historic spaces occupied by the ghosts of great artists.
As long as the light was good and the space adequate, he
was able to create major works of art.

34 Historical Studios of Master Artists

BY STEPHEN MAY

Across America, dozens of studios once belonging to master

artists have been preserved and are open for artists to visit and
learn from. Among them are the historical studios of Thomas
Cole, Jasper Cropsey, and the Wyeth family.
34
42 Making Small Compromises in Paradise
BY M. STEPHEN DOHERTY

Artists move to Hawaii for the temperate climate, clean air,

inspiring scenery, and friendly art community. In exchange
for these pleasures, they have to accept the higher costs of
studio spaces, art supplies, and travel back to the mainland.
44 Jim Lynch
46 Anita Marci
48 Philip Sabado
50 Wanda Russell
52 Carmen Gardner
 COVER

Nelson Shanks in the

natural north light of
his home and studio
in Philadelphia.
Photo: Nathan
Kraxberger

54 Light, Open Space, & History in New Mexico

BY M. STEPHEN DOHERTY

Four nationally known artists have either adapted or

built studios in the style of those used by early-20th
century painters and printmakers.
56 Joan Potter 50
62 P. A. Nisbet
68 David A. Leffel & Sherrie McGraw 54

74 A Rare Look Inside Private Spaces

BY M. STEPHEN DOHERTY

Professional artists from across the United States opened

their private studios to American Artist Studios magazine.
76 Sam Knecht
82 William Chambers
88 William A. Schneider
96 Michael van Zeyl
102 Heide Presse
106 Carl J. Samson
114 Ruth Ann Sturgill
116 Ruth Ann Greenberg
118 Christine Ivers 114 88
120 Gerald Simcoe
124 Arthur Egeli
128 Luana Luconi Winner
132 Deborah Chabrian & Edward Martinez
136 Sharon Abshagen

138 Studios for the Serious Pursuit of Art Education

BY M. STEPHEN DOHERTY
141
Anthony Ryder and Ryan S. Brown rent spaces in New
Mexico and Utah, respectively, where their students
follow a progression of rigorous, intensive courses in
drawing and painting.
138 Anthony Ryder
141 Ryan S. Brown

Copyright © 2010 by Interweave Press, LLC, a division of Aspire Media, all rights reserved. Title registered ®
in U.S. Patent Office. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without
consent of the copyright owner. American Artist Studios is printed in the U.S.A.

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Studios EDITORIAL
®

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Michael Gormley
MANAGING EDITOR
Brian F. Riley

EDITOR’S NOTE SENIOR EDITOR

Allison Malafronte
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Naomi Ekperigin (646) 841-0050
Dreams and Details About Artists’ Studios Austin R. Williams
ONLINE EDITOR
Courtney Jordan
CONSULTING EXECUTIVE EDITOR
After American Artist’s 2009 Studios special issue sold quite successfully, I asked M. Stephen Doherty
artists what they liked about the publication and what more they might want to EDITORIAL INTERN
see in the 2010 edition. Their responses indicated that there is an endless curios- Leah Rogers

ity about the way artists pursue their creative process, and people want to peek ART
ART DIRECTOR
inside private work spaces. Other respondents said they needed more practical James B. Bogner III
advice about resolving issues that are common to artists’ workplaces. In response ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
to both requests, we decided to make this issue even bigger than last year’s by Jill Burks
adding more information on lighting, floor covering, ventilation, furniture, stor- PUBLISHING
age, and waste disposal, and also by featuring more of the fascinating studios hid- PUBLISHER
David Pyle
den away in historic buildings, spread out behind adobe walls, and tucked away in
MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR
community centers. Jim McIntosh (513) 961-0034
In order to find another group of studios, I requested information on Facebook, MEDIA SALES MANAGER
Mary McLane (970) 290-6065
Twitter, and ArtistDaily.com. Those generated useful leads about converted recre- Suzanne Meyer (970) 685-0109
ation rooms, new additions, and specialized equipment. I also made trips to New AD TRAFFICKERS
Mexico, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut to personally Melissa Brown
Tina Rolf
inspect studios, sometimes in the company of a professional photographer. CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
This issue features several studios that were built a century ago, some of which Bob Kaslik
are still being used by painters and others that have been restored to their original CIRCULATION MANAGER
Sheila Derrington
condition. The historic spaces being used by Joan Potter and P. A. Nisbet in
MARKETING MANAGER
Santa Fe (pages 56 and 62, respectively) are especially interesting, because they Christan Humphries
provide documentation of the period when artists settled in the young state of PRODUCTION
New Mexico. And Carl Samson’s 1920s studio in Cincinnati has been a labor of PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
love since he bought it 10 years ago (page 106). Nancy M. Pollock
PRODUCTION EDITOR
We also present studios built or renovated in the past five years, and one Nancy Arndt
that was just completed. Sherrie McGraw and David A. Leffel opened their
spacious studios near Taos to photographer David Huff (page 68), and Heidi
Presse explains how she utilizes a recent addition to her Florida home (page
102). Arthur Egeli sent photographs just as he was putting the finishing touches FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Linda Ligon
CEO: Clay B. Hall
on his California studio (page 124). CFO: Troy Wells
On the more practical side, William A. Schneider gives a detailed list of the VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING: Bob Kaslik
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING: Stephen Koenig
design features, lighting, ventilation, flooring, and wall coloring that make his VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION : Trish Faubion
Illinois studio a safe and comfortable place for him to paint and teach (page 88); VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY : T.J. Harty
: David Pyle
and Christine Danylik Ivers shows what can be done when a downturn in the VICE PRESIDENT AND DIVISION PUBLISHER FOR ART AND JEWELRY

economy forces an artist to make better use of office space (page 118).
I’ll soon be gathering leads for American Artist’s 2011 edition of Studios, so
please let me know your suggestions.
Send editorial mail to American Artist magazine, 29 W. 46th Street, 3rd Floor,
New York, NY 10036.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without
the consent of the copyright owner, Interweave Press, a division of Aspire Media.
Attention Retailers: To carry American Artist in your store, call IPD at (866)
473-4800, or write: American Artist Dealer Dept., c/o IPD Source Interlink
Companies, 6195 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121-2729.

M. Stephen Doherty PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Consulting Executive Editor

mail@ArtistDaily.com

4 American Artist