That reminds me - what do you do with the used paper towels? Is is totally wrong of me to put them in the compost recycling bin? Would it kill rather than feed the environment? (I use tons too)

I don't know what the answer is to the paper towel question.

I do know that every time I start a new project in my little studio, I go through the ritual of cleaning and preparing. Which means it must be vacuumed and neat.

I am in the "Jekyll and Hyde" category of neatness.

I am always surprised at how much paint I end up with on myself, so I usually wear one of my husband's old shirts as a smock. Since he goes through a lot of them, I don't worry about big splotches of cad orange. I can't seem to avoid getting paint on my easel, but I try to wipe it down so there aren't globs of paint all over it. Giant drop cloths for the floor are handy on occasion. So is barrier cream for hands!

Every now and then I can no longer stand the mess, usually after searching fruitlessly for some thing or other. I then clean and organize fanatically. Sadly, I can never seem to maintain perfect order. I still dream of finding the ideal system!

I recently read an interesting book titled "A Perfect Mess" which posits that the costs of maintaining order are higher than the benefits gained. I know I have probably spent time cleaning up my studio that I could have used more wisely to finally finish my latest painting. I think there may be a little procrastination involved wherein, right now, cleaning up my studio is less painful than figuring out what to do with my portrait.

A female master Wang Shuhui http://www.artnet.com/Artists/LotDet...9D38A85415EB2E
and Norman Rockwell agree with you.

In any production situation, when things are truly busy, "housekeeping" is the first thing to go. I can "buy" the premise of maintenance costs outweighing benefits only so far as the mess remains "orderly" enough to keep the work-flow at full efficiency.

I know for sure when I start finding studio chores that are "absolutely necessary", it's because they're such a safe refuge from the terrors of having to deal with paintings that have stalled . . . I could "neatly" procrastinate myself into never picking up a brush again!

Richard - Your last paragraph should be imortalized in the book of truths. When I am doing studio clean-up it is usually for just this reason.

One of these days I will figure out how to properly insert a quote or delete a posting. It just won't be today.

That's my philosopy, too-- as those who have seen my less-than-tidy studio can attest!

I saw a documentary on a recently deceased Irish artist (London Based) which described how archaeologists were recording the contents of his studio/home prior to moving it to Dublin.
I can't remember his name at the moment, but he was quite famous and suffered severely from asthma.
I think he had not thrown out a rag, a brush, an empty tube, anything at all for his entire life.
There was mountains of stuff piled on every surface. Empty and half completed canvases stacked against walls, and piled to the ceiling. There was a little track through it all which allowed him to move from his bed to his easel to his bathroom to his stove.
The museum mapped every little item, numbered everything, packed all his rubbish reverentially into little plastic bags, and then into padded foam boxes ready to be transported and reconstructed, complete with dust and grime, in the studio's new home. I immediately went into my studio and had a big cleanup.
I don't think I would like to be that famous!!!!

... "Irish artist? - do you mean Bacon?