Inside Carrot Top Studio

Name: Jenny Gallo

Occupation: Artist, Educator

Welcome to my studio!

Time I start: 7:30 a.m. but then I take a break mid-morning for breakfast, the newspaper, and then a workout.

Time I clock out: 5:00 p.m. and I wrap the day with a walk. That’s followed by a glass of wine while I Wordle (that’s a verb, right?)

How I get to work: It’s the best ever, a short commute straight to the lower level of my home.

Three words that describe my space: Creative, bright, and organized.

How I found it: When we moved to Michigan for my husband’s job nine years ago this house spoke to us. Partly because the lower level was an apartment for the previous owner’s parents. Today 2/3 of that is Carrot Top Studio.

Most important thing on my desk: The photos of my family. They are my best cheerleaders and I can’t image life without them.

What’s on the walls: Front and center is my design wall where I can see works in progress and job tickets for the near future. It often helps to step back and see the work at a distance and I’m thankful I have the space to do that.

What I turn to when I’m stuck: Books (mine, the library’s or a book store), a stroll through an art museum, or getting outside for a long walk.

How I stay organized: It’s pretty natural for me. Because if I don’t my thinking and creating is paralyzed. It took years to realize this but it works for me! At the close of each day I tidy the studio so I am welcomed with a great fresh start the next day.

Favorite pen: Signo Uniball Ultra micro 207. They are so smooth to write with! A lot of my other favorites are in this post.

Table I convene around: This Ikea table. It’s countertop height and holds a large cutting mat and a small cutting mat on a turn table. So there is often fabric planning happening here. But I can also easily remove the cutting boards and paint on it. All the paint splotches are a little visual history of my career. The icing on the cake is that the sawhorses adjust the height and make it all easy to move outside or to our dining room when there is a crowd to feed!

How I fight the 3 p.m. slump: A cup of green tea and a cookie.

Preferred soundtrack: Cello music for when the work takes a lot of concentration, Broadway musical soundtracks if I need to be pumped up, and a book on tape when the work is repetitive and doesn’t require a lot of thought.

Thanks for your interest in my work! Want to know the latest about the studio?

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Coming soon: A list of some of my favorite fiction books that center around art!