Patricia Vargas picked up a paintbrush as a child and fell in love with the creative process of painting. Her mother’s artistic example and her sister’s encouragement have gotten Patricia through the fear of becoming a “starving artist,” and she is now thriving in her business and art as an abstract painter. Patricia launched Parima Creative Studio in early 2o13 and has since worked on collaborations with Anthropologie and has been featured on Minted, Etsy and in magazines. Her studio is a large part of her success – being able to seek inspiration, paint, and fulfill orders in one space is fundamental.
Previously working from a 270-square-foot studio, her devoted workspace is now less than half of that (at 110 square feet) after her move from Oxnard to Los Alamitos, CA this last fall. Patricia’s move into her partner’s home meant a lot of downsizing for her studio space. “Condensing into 110 square feet was definitely a challenge, especially since I am one of those artists that has boxes and boxes full of sketches, large amounts of canvases, and painting supplies,” Patricia shares. “For about two weeks prior to me moving, I tried my best to edit out old tubes of dried paint, sketches that didn’t serve me a purpose, and anything else that was no longer useful to me. Though, admittedly, we couldn’t fit everything into the new studio and had to put some things in storage. Even though it is small, I am thankful that there is enough space for me to be able to work from home. It allows me to spend time on focusing on my health, as well as more time with my partner during the week.”
One of Patricia’s goals in designing her new space was to keep her artwork and inspiration bold and punchy throughout, while keeping her furniture light and subdued. “I wanted to create a space that was serene, inspiring and intentional,” Patricia reflects. “Everything needs to serve a purpose. All of the cabinets are filled to their max capacity, and we added built-in shelving to the wall closet. My work is very saturated, bright and colorful, so I like to keep the furniture pieces in my working space white or neutral. It gives me breathing room and mental clarity.” Though this new studio is tighter quarters for Patricia, it’s clearly full of energy and ready for even more of Parima Creative Studio’s beautiful concepts to become reality. –Lauren
Computer Desk: Micke by IKEA
Computer Desk Lamp: Ranarp by IKEA
Chair: Vegan Leather Mid-back Chair with Arms by Meelano
Workstation Cabinets: Alex by IKEA
Flat File Cabinets: Alex by IKEA
Workstation Tabletop: Linnmon by IKEA
Workstation Lamp: Target
Patricia's in-home studio allows her to create, run a business and be inspired while keeping the importance of her health and relationships at the front of her mind.
"The wall of cabinets and flat files has been a lifesaver! I store my chipboards, flat mailers, art prints that have already been printed, fine art printing paper, shipping and cutting supplies, artwork on paper and canvas sheets, and thank you cards," Patricia says.
"I have a board filled with clippings from magazines, catalogs, birthday cards, sample prints of my paintings, and interior spaces," Patricia shares. "It’s right next to my easel, and whenever I am stuck on a piece I look to it for inspiration."
"Growing up, I would often watch my mother paint beautiful landscapes and floral scenes. She inspired me to try my hand at painting. At the age of 10, I bought my first cheap set of canvas, brushes, and paints. I immediately fell in love with the whole messy process. I loved how the paint got on my hands, and how the colors were bright and saturated."
"My desk is where I, surprisingly, spend a lot of my time. I am either doing business administrative tasks or painting digitally. This side of the room is where I try to keep everything clean and neat as much as possible," Patricia says. "I purposely kept a mostly white color scheme to give my mind and eyes a break from all of the color stimulation. It allows me to think more clearly, and plan more efficiently."
Patricia saves space in her studio by using a drawing clipboard attachment on her easel. This allows her to paint on sheets of canvas versus bulky, stretched canvases.
"My favorite time to paint is between the hours of 10 am - 2 pm. The warm light streams in beautifully through the large window and allows me to see the true colors that I am working with," Patricia says.
"We took down the less than attractive renter’s vertical blinds, and replaced them with blackout curtains that help control the temperature of the room. In the summer the studio get an enormous amount of sunlight and it gets hot in there quite quickly. As long as the curtains are drawn, the temperature in the room stays cool," Patricia says. "The curtains where a giant pain to install, not because the hardware was complicated, but because the ceiling isn’t level. We had to install it at an angle to make it look straight!
"Truth be told, I love inexpensive brushes. My favorite ones are the value pack craft brushes that you can [buy] at Michaels in the hobby section. Most of them hold up surprisingly well. The thinner brushes you see in here are over three years old," Patricia says.
"I am often asked, 'what do you think about when you are painting?' and to be honest, I actually try not to think about anything. I might have a color palette in mind, but that is about it. I find that if I plan it too much in my head, the painting ends up feeling stiff and lifeless. If I just trust my hand and let each brush stroke dictate where the next will go, then I am more likely to be pleased with the end result," Patricia explains.
"I love documenting my palettes," Patricia shares. "I have boxes full of old palette sheet covered in dried colorful paint. They are an artwork all on their own. They tell a very raw, unfiltered story about me as an artist and the journey of my creations."
Those colors! The artwork! What a beautiful studio space.
I love seeing inside artist’s studios. I love that you also shared that it’s 110 sq ft (which would be a fairly average size bedroom) and that most of the furnishings are IKEA, and what they are exactly.
I’m not sure I believe she paints while standing on a white carpet, however the styling for these photos make them such a pleasure to look at.
Thanks so much Debra! In regards to the carpet, I put down a clear sheet of vinyl to protect it :)
I love this series, getting a peek inside others’ creative spaces.
And I’d be proud to have her artwork in my home. It’s so beautiful.
So great to see Patricia’s work here! And her studio looks lovely as well, always nice to have a look behind the scenes.
Hi, where is the 3 tiered trolley from that Patricia stores her oils/paints. Thanks!
Those colors! The artwork! What a beautiful studio space.
I love seeing inside artist’s studios. I love that you also shared that it’s 110 sq ft (which would be a fairly average size bedroom) and that most of the furnishings are IKEA, and what they are exactly.
I’m not sure I believe she paints while standing on a white carpet, however the styling for these photos make them such a pleasure to look at.
Thanks so much Debra! In regards to the carpet, I put down a clear sheet of vinyl to protect it :)
I love this series, getting a peek inside others’ creative spaces.
And I’d be proud to have her artwork in my home. It’s so beautiful.
So great to see Patricia’s work here! And her studio looks lovely as well, always nice to have a look behind the scenes.
Hi, where is the 3 tiered trolley from that Patricia stores her oils/paints. Thanks!