THE STUDIO REMODEL IS JUST ABOUT COMPLETED

I am excited to report the cleaning out and organizing of my studio is completed.   Here is a quick before and after shot.  I was working in utter chaos before.  In the bottom picture, there was a couch and a coffee table there too!   The bookshelves had everything in it from old picture albums, annuals, just stuff.

Now - I have a wonderful working table with a shelf that keeps it all organized.  The book shelves were cleaned out and only collage supplies (i.e. old games, maps, books, playing cards) remain.

Next to the table, we installed a view shelf.  I can put 4 canvases that measure 20x24 on it.  Down the road - I'm going to instal a metal bar about 2-3 feet above the shelf with magnets, so I can hang up works on paper.

Here you can see the flat file we purchased when Fay Gold closed her doors.  The door leads outside, and I plan on putting some flagstone out there because I do use spray paint out there and I use my fence to hang work on to dry.

The biggest thing left to do is paint the floor.  Above is an example of what it will look like when complete.

It is so nice to finally have everything in it's place.  I purchased a padded stool for the table, and a anti-gravity recliner.  All of my collage material is filed.  All of my drawing supplies are divided into water soluble and not.  My paint is divided by colors in baskets under the table and arrange in the order of the color wheel.  

Down the road?   A nice flourescent light, but I bought an Ott lamp for the meantime.  And, maybe a sink down there one day.

I am looking forward to creating and exploring!!!!

WHAT A MESS I'VE MADE, AND IT ALL BEGAN WITH REFINISHING MY GRANDMOTHER'S DINING ROOM TABLE

My uncle recently refinished my grandmother's dining room table for me, as seen above.  Somehow getting this table has caused me to partially gut my studio downstairs and begin the dream studio I have long wanted.   How are these two thing related?

Well, first of all a brief history of the table. I remember eating on this table from my childhood. My grandparents lived on a farm, so I remember the creamed corn, fried squash and okra, fresh watermelon,  being served on it.  I remember my grandmother pouring buttermilk in her saucer and dunking her cornbrad in it.  We did some great "eating" on this table.
 Somehow my brother ended up with it and somewhere along the way it became a computer table.  The chairs were not used and languished in a basement sonewhere.  Then it ended up in my mother's basement and I vowed then I'd have it refinished and restored and used again for what it should be used for!   My previous table was a larger, darker more formal table.  I prefer this table and it began a huge cleaning out project.

So - on to my studio.... Getting the table left me with an extra dining room table.  Also, the storage room downstairs that was busting at the seams. It was time to have a garage sale and really clean this out. The room that had become my studio began as a downstairs den - so the remnants of that life was still there. The room had a sleeper sofa, a coffee table, 3 bookshelves (that held picture albums and annuals), and other furniture. Interspersed in that were my easels, an ugly wire shelf that held alot of supplies, an art table that was on it's last leg. I am happy to say - that is ALL gone (except the easels of course). What remains is what you can see here.

Yes, it does appear overwhelming to get it back in order again.  But I have a plan.  All the junk you see sitting around came off the shelves that I got rid of.  I am going to have a table in the center that is 6x8 feet, with a shelves underneath.    I have a double door cabinet that I may possibly cover with cork board.  I also want to put an oversized chair rail somewhere to view pieces as I'm working on them  - and possibly in the future invite artists over for critiques.  The large bookshelf will be cleaned off and will hold only art related books and books I use for collage.   There are 3 closets at the other end of the room.

The door on the left has shelves in it and I store framed pieces in there.  The middle drawer has rice paper in it, along with past Halloween costumes - it is time to find them another home.  The 3rd closet on the right doesn't belong to me!

I'm excited about the prospect.  In the next week I want to go through everything and make sure it belongs in the room.  Next weekend I plan to paint the walls and get the material for the table.  Then decide where to place everything and decide what else is needed.

Follow me on this journey - I hope it ends in a nice studio grand-opening to invite my friends to, so they can enjoy it with me.