You’ve scheduled your creative time and you are MOTIVATED and READY to get painting (AKA - THE BEST FEELING EVER). You grab your supplies to get to work. You lay out your supplies on your kitchen table. Your easel, paints, jar of water and acrylic paints are all ready for you and you take the leap of faith to begin your painting.

With all the color mixing, brush indecisiveness, and CONSTANT layering of paint, it is THEN that you realize that your kitchen table and your fingers have more paint on them than your canvas does.

It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. (I hear you, friend. lol)

Although this is all a part of the creative process, and we all secretly love getting paint on our hands… There’s a more efficient way to create a pop-up studio that you can enjoy, get messy and clean up more efficiently.

POP-UP PAINTING + CLEAN UP

#1

THE WATER JAR

Your paint water jar is a necessity to your painting workspace. Whether you use it to water down your acrylic paint or only use it for cleaning your brushes, your water jar needs to ALWAYS BE HANDY. I suggest using a glass mason jar for your paint water. (That’s what I use!)

I use the same water jar every time I make a work of art (and of course, rinsing it when I need to). After many times of use, the jar accumulates beautiful dried paint and turns into a work of art in itself. It looks super artsy.

Using the same water jar every time takes care of having to wash your water cup every single time, eliminates waste and also looks really pretty and inspiring every time you go to use it! It’s a win, win situation, really.

BONUS:

You’re mid-masterpiece and want to switch paint brushes.

Done with your paint brush? Leave it in your paint jar. This will make your counter WAY less messy. Thoroughly clean all of your brushes at the end of your paint sesh. BOOM.

#2

Paint Towel

Acrylic dries quickly, so why not use the same towel during your paint sessions? This method also eliminates waste and makes for easy clean up.

Find a rag that isn’t precious to you and use it every time you paint. Use the towel to wipe off your brush mid- paint session. Another bonus- the towel looks uber colorful after your done with your painting! When you’re done using it, fold it up, plop it in with your paint supply bin and use it again and again! This method works great with acrylic paint bc the next time you go to use it, the paint will be dry.

#3

Under Your Easel

Okay, we FOR SURE don’t want paint on the kitchen table… so let’s brainstorm some products to put on the kitchen counter for easy clean up.

•An old neutral colored towel:

-the reason I say this is for the same reason as tip #1 and #2. You can use it again and again… and the random paint that’s left behind is so inspiring to look at! I would recommend a “neutral” colored towel to designate as your “table cloth” so it doesn’t compete or take away from your painting:) I would also recommend a towel because it absorbs the paint much faster than any other surface.

•if you don’t have a towel here are some other ideas for you:

-Newspaper, scrap paper, cardboard, or even a table cloth that isn’t precious to you- if you don’t use it or were going to get rid of it…. why not repurpose it?

#4

USE YOUR BRUSH WISELY

PAINT CLUMPS - ya love ‘em or ya hate ‘em. lol

When you dip your paint brush into the paint…(and depending on the brush your using)… sometimes the paint sticks to the metal part on your brush. And if you’re anything like me… it ALSO gets on the handle of your paint brush.

THIS IS YOUR RED FLAG TO STOP AND CHECK YOURSELF LOL.

Stop what your doing and wipe the paint off of unwanted areas on your brush. The paint will get ALL over your hands and unwanted areas of your canvas if you aren’t careful. I know it sucks to waste paint… but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and get rid of unwanted paint before you continue to create.

**The paint and the brush are way easier to manipulate if the paint stays tidy on the brush bristles**

#5

CLEAN UP + STORAGE

Clean up is easy when you can just leave your supplies laying around… but most of us don’t have that convenience….and that’s okay because WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY. AMIRIGHT?!

If you’re painting from your kitchen table, I would highly recommend designating a storage container for the paint supplies that you use most frequently. If you want to stay tidy and somewhat organized- you’re definitely going to need it. Plus, it makes you feel really artsy and it’s fun to see your tools all in one place glistening in the light :D

Your easily portable storage container includes your paint brushes, paint tubes, paint jar & small towels. <<< This makes for an easy clean up situation, for sure.