Where Women Create:Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women

Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women by Jo Packham              Hardback Book: 144 pages      Genre:   Magical, Whimsical, Inspiring workspaces women created to bring out their sensationally imaginative spirits

WOW!  That says it all.    The artistic woman in this book each have a bit of magic up their sleeves.   Whether their passion is painting, working with fabric, creating one of a kind art pieces, working with glitter, cards and glass, decoupage, making beautiful antique looking dolls, procuring items that they will later produce into magnificent décor pieces, textiles into fashionable couture pieces, painting furniture turning the humdrum into the eye-popping exciting pieces that make you smile and maybe make your blood run faster when cat-like your pupils go from little to big with excitement just looking at them and there is so much more to see and read about here.   But more than the pieces themselves which are truly wonder-ful or full of wonder!   The spaces these designers of dreams have mapped out for themselves is so amazing.   Functional, motivating, like walking into a fairyland many of them and those of a lighter vein that allow the eye to sense you are stepping back into a gentler time with delicate roses on furniture, fabric, framed prints, hats like freeing all your cares and entering a lighter place and happy times spent with loved ones.   Oh I do so love the workspaces these ladies have carved out for themselves, often creating a space out of thin air and imagination.    These workspaces are like walking into the Disney Imagineers work stations full of fulfillment of these ladies wishes and dreams and this book allows us to tour those special fortresses they have created for themselves.    Many have  organized chaos – so much stuff in their space but with their flair for the eclectic it all blends into this wonderful dance you could just reach out and sweep up hands full of pearls out of the ocean of delights you find in each of these ladies’ spaces.   One artist in paper who is a former antiques dealer found items  like old crystals and dollheads uses a little wire and other trinkets that she turns into what she calls “Posh Little Follies,”  so cute and quaint.  In her workspace that includes paper menageries and framed paper ballet scenes as well as a repurposed dishwasher complete with the trays used at one time for dishes she pulls out and keeps her art supplies in.   Illustrator and product designer, Dena Fishbein’s studio is so colorful and fun “she and her whole family including their dog live in there.”      The kids are in there from the time they get home from school and they even eat their meals in there, she says, “it’s not your usual place of business.”   I can see why though, it is so colorful and full of fun looking craft things it beckons you in and I can see how you could linger there and time would pass and you would still be marveling at all the cool stuff she has there.   Eye candy!    Not to mention the window seat!  Kind of like I would imagine Mary Englebright’s home, full of whimsy and paintings and cards and fabric and all colorful lovely things that comfort our souls and take us back to when we could play and have fun all day with no responsibilities.   Oh wait, these wonderlands are actually their work spaces, lucky ladies!   Each artist offers a tip to the reader and also her favorite quote.   An excellent book to spend time perusing for long leisurely fanciful daydreaming and maybe making mental notes on how cool it would be to have such a special place to call your own.   Good book I highly recommend it for musing on clever ways to create a space of things meaningful to you and beautiful and awe-inspiring to others.

 - Shirley J.