release and get naked...

this release was urged on by this post.  thank you jenny!  we have been in our current home for about a year and a half and my studio has undergone two re do's already.  I had the perfect furniture all picked out for when we moved in and then it just wasn't working.

so I sold some pieces and started over with what I thought was my dream studio.  except that it now feels like it still isn't inviting.  I dabble in many areas.  I am a painter, a calligrapher, a book maker, I teach art workshops and also sew and whatever else I can get my hands into.  I have tried to narrow down my loves and tried to get rid of what no longer serves me.

that being said I still seem to hang on to things that might one day be useful in a class or project.  the thing is that these "things" are taking up space in my studio.  space in my head and in my heart.  they are weighing me down but what to do with them?

work in progress on the fold down table

the pieces that I painted, the bags that I sewed, the jewelry that sits.  some came back to me from a store that was consigning them for me.  some are etsy fails.  some are just pieces that I worked on and put aside.  where do they go?  do I just throw them out?  it seems like a waste.  and that is another thing.  I like to use recycled items in my art work so nothing is waste to me! 

sewing station with artists I admire wall in the background

 I used to have three bedrooms upstairs and now I have two.  it seems like some of the things have been stuffed in here because they have no where else to go.  like the printer!

the printer unit next to pieces already framed and works in progress

the corner unit was purchased so that the printer would be out of the way.  that whole corner unit really serves no purpose.  it houses the typewriter and some trinkets that are near and dear to me but other than that no real storage purpose.

the closet with all my filled art journals, books, paper and empty sketchbooks

 when I see it in pictures it looks like a disaster!  I have been working hard on my innards and it seems like my outer is not reflecting what I am seeking to feel on a daily basis.  peace.

great room

 we finally committed to a new couch for the great room.  the rest of the house seems so wide open and uncluttered.  people walk in and comment about how I haven't unpacked yet.  no, I have.  this is how I am.  simple.  things that matter are scattered about, but not a lot.

shelf with treasures from travel and friends

 we still need to buy key pieces of furniture but we hunt and then we freeze.  the uncertainty drives me insane!  my hubby keeps reminding me that our old house did not come together over night and to be patient.  I am all for patience but I need my studio space, my sacred space to feel inviting and peaceful.  right now it feels like a dumping ground.  it's like holding on to your old boyfriends picture that you might want to look at again one day.  although that is not a very good example cause I do have his picture - somewhere.  

dan's guitar sitting on a chair I found in a snowbank and refinished

 there are reminders of my loves all over.  it is a home and not just a house.  it feels peaceful and calming.  inviting and comfortable.  except for the studio!

bathroom shelf with more treasures and trinkets

what is the real fear in releasing these things that do not serve us?  albeit things we created and although they did serve a purpose through the process of creating them - now what?

I could get all caught up in using the old paintings and creating new ones over top.  yeah!  keep those!  blah!  ugh!  I thought about leaving them in public places for people to pick up if they choose, but isn't that littering?

it's funny.  I have no problem going into other artist's studios tossing and revamping but for some reason I am stuck with mine.  do I haul everything out and set up the furniture and only bring in what I use?  but I MIGHT use THAT someday....

I remember my mom who used to clean houses for a living and how she would toss out things to clear out spaces for her clients.  she always told me I had too much junk.  hmmmm....in going through her house and her things I discovered that the fact is she had a lot of junk!  she just hid it well.  on the surface her house was always clean and always tidy but in those drawers, boxes and closets was a whole different story.

I think she held onto things - just because too!

so let me pose this question to you today - what if you let go of something and it allowed you that space to live in peace and be open to all the new and wonderful things to come?  and I am not just talking about material things here.  think about it.  and let me know how it goes!

in the studio today...

 this was certainly not the plan for today but the "idea porch" works in mysterious ways.  whilst out on the porch this snowy, grey, cold morning my thoughts wandered to this canvas.  it has been sitting around waiting for something for quite awhile.

according to the photos I dug up this piece began in the old house.  which would be circa 2010.  apparently whatever was once a beginning was in the process of being covered up.

I am assuming that I picked the blue and yellow because those were going to be our colours for the new place.

and somewhere along the line I decided that the yellow stunk and covered it up with white and then did some doodling, speckling and who knows what else.  I do recall finding a quote that I wanted to incorporate into the piece and set it aside for - later.

the "idea porch" was telling me to dig out that piece right now and get the letters on there.  the other day the man asked if I had any finished art work to hang on our still bare walls.  uh, nope!  so maybe that was in the back of my mind.  not sure but I pulled the quote out from the back of the frame and lettered it on.  I used watercolour to fill in the letters and declared it done.

then I pieced some scrap paper together to see how it would look above the tv.  hmmm....what do you think? it's an odd wall with the fireplace and mantle to the left and that ugly black box in the middle.

 I took another look at the piece that I declared done and thought that maybe it needed something else?  I am tempted to take some sandpaper to it and see what I can uncover underneath!  oh dear!  just when we think we have ticked something off from long ago we still question its completion.  then again I can always splash some gesso on it and voila - blank canvas!

well, we all know how terrifying the blank canvas can be!  gawd!  whatcha working on in your studio today?

studio stories

at one time my studio was in the basement. low light, carpet, but tons of room. too much room! then the boy decided he wanted to take over the basement and so I moved my studio upstairs. it is brighter, no carpet, but very little room compared to the basement.

before I moved upstairs I painted, I purchased new furniture and I got rid of tons of stuff so that I could fit into the new room. over the years I have purchased more furniture and bought more stuff and so the circle continued.

at least once or twice a year I get this itch to change it up. this usually happens when I feel like ignoring all the "should do's" and just want to spend a week going through all my stuff and tossing what I haven't used and moving furniture around.

the before is the first attempt this year.

before:

I removed some furniture and changed the set up and a few months later I still felt crowded and unhappy. I was working on a quilt in the kitchen a few weeks back and while cutting, sewing and moving around the table I realized something. I really liked the extra space! so I decided to move the studio into the kitchen! NOT!

I went through everything as per usual, but this time I removed the bigger table and reconfigured the two small tables. I also removed the tall unit and took some things off the walls. the result makes me very happy. it feels bigger, less cluttered and brighter. and tonight I spent time in my "new" room creating up a storm. will share pics soon!

after:

I once was lost, but now I am "FOUND"

when I say "found" I am of course speaking of the "found" part of the studio.

after emptying out my room completely and going through every single item one by one I am finally ready to reveal. I started this around january 1 and was determined to do it with the thought in mind that "less is more". I seem to create better when I have less options. and so here we go...

as you enter you see the door and my new huge cork board and the closet door:

and then a pic of laurie's table. and the start of mine as well as my artist inspiration wall (kristen, laurie, anahata,estelle, kal, lisa & marg) to which I will continue to add to:

and more of my table including the new file cart and my inspiration clothes line:

next my "n" wall with a wipe off board and my sewing machine with it's brand new cover and my book shelf with project cases, my bag and mail out items:

then my bookcase with all the paper, paint, embellishments etc.:



and back to the door where I have put my motto in big bold letters:



and some close up shots:

all my pieces are from IKEA and can be set up in different ways. the table top boxes are from IKEA.  the blue baskets are also from IKEA.  I purchased the 12 x 12 project cases at michael's.  other plastic bins are from london drugs, but you can probably find them anywhere.  any questions just add to the comments and I will try to answer them.