Marshall Arts

When I first started making art seriously, I painted whatever caught my interest in the moment—a landscape here, an abstract there, a still life for good measure. It was exciting, but I noticed something: the more scattered my work was, the harder it was to talk about it, to exhibit it, or to sell it. It wasn’t until I started working in series—focused bodies of work with a unifying idea or style—that things began to shift.

Let’s face it: art supplies aren’t cheap—and if you’re anything like me, it’s easy to get swept up in trying the latest tools, paints, and materials. But over the years, I’ve found some very real (and very practical) ways to cut costs in the studio without cutting corners creatively. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at this a while, here are seven of my go-to strategies for stretching your art budget and still producing work you’re proud of.