Studio Guests

I was painting last week during the night when a few guests came down to see me.  I don't often have guests while working.  It's like the family knows Momma needs some time.  But this night I didn't mind so much.  I mean look at this cuteness!

Allow me to introduce the newest Horne member.  This is Lawrence.  I'll post the story about how we came about getting him later.  I've got to get a few photos of things to complete the story.  I will say he is a little light for our family.  And yes, Lily loves him too.  Whew.  Because we were not giving him back!

Mailey brought Lawrence down to the studio and was sitting on the stool above.  I asked her, as I do anytime she pops in on me, if she wanted to paint.  This time she said yes.  I gave up my seat and let her explore the encaustics I had out while I worked in the other room on the computer.   I kept peeking in on her to be sure she was okay.  She just painted away!   You know, she is one lucky little girl to be exposed to so many art mediums.  How many 11 year olds know how to paint with wax?  Much less normal paints.  She has wicked good hand skills.  I can't wait to see how she grows under another teacher. 

The nest below is what she started.  Mailey is very disciplined about bed time.  In fact she kept asking me, "Mom, what time is it?"  As soon as the clock struck 9PM she was outta the studio.  I can't wait to see the nest finished with the carving tools and oil stick.  I told her we might have to open her an Etsy shop or give her a section in my show tents.  Her collection is growing!

The Studio Tour!!

OK.  Way too many boxes and a storage unit later, I think everything is in the studio!  Wooohooo!!  I love it down here in the basement.  And although it's an unfinished room, it feels rather cozy.  And the ceiling height rocks!  Once I get everything hung on the walls I think you'll not even notice the rawness.  For now though, I've got to get to work.  So I am done "nesting" down here and ready to go.  Let's take a peek, shall we?

So you enter the rooms through this little vignette.  Of course I had to make an entrance.  With an orange curtain.  And my mannequin Bertha with the OPEN/Closed sign from my old studio.  Love.

This room is going to be for painting and sewing.  It also has all the white cabinets the previous owner left behind chocked full of supplies for all my projects.  Everything that was in the old house garage and studio is now neatly tucked away in those cabinets!! 

I am super excited that some of my favorite pieces are now out of the garage and storage.  Like this flat file!!

I intend to use many of my display pieces in the room so I can see what I have and what I need.  Right now, looks like I need to paint.  This is all I have in stock.  Yep.  It was a good show season!

Of course little vignettes make it cozier feeling.  The pencil portrait I did as a child.  I found it in the move.  So sweet.

 Yes, I do know how insanely lucky I am.  Yep.  Smitten with this house.

Off the painting area is a giant work room.  I've set up my press area in here(because that's where all the plugs are).  Which is important to the success of the upcoming Country Living Fair.  The 250 frames I picked up and $1200 order from the sublimation company are all a part of the big picture too!!

All my display pieces have a shelf now so I won't buy something I don't need.  Well, in theory anyways I won't buy anything.  I do like my display pieces though!  It is nice having everything out of storage.  The bigger display pieces like the grids, tables, tent and shelves are in a different part of the basement.

And last, I was trying to figure out what to do with this area when it hit me....JEWELRY.  I am thrilled to not be using the painting table for this anymore because the soldering is messy.  And it's a perfect height for standing and stamping.  You can see in this photo how the rooms connect as well.  The other side of this room I've promised to my husband.  Yeah, I know.  I'll be sneaking over that way too.  But for now I am pretty contained. 

And most definitely content.



Another Note to Self

This has been a weekend of magazines for me. I stopped at the local big box bookstore Friday night to enjoy coffee and glances through all the latest design magazines when I hit the jackpot on the latest art magazines! I found Somerset's Artful Blogging (which I just posted about), Cloth * Paper Scissors Nov/Dec issue and Cloth * Paper Scissors Studios issue. Yes, jackpot! Earlier in the week I'd found Somerset Studio's Where Women Create as well. So here's my brief re-cap of these amazing publications. I could move in and live with Sally Jean. Her studio space just speaks to me...it says come create with me in here! They had several other big name artists all whom I enjoyed seeing in their work spaces. Their space tells alot about them to me. In Cloth * Paper Scissors Studios I found creative spaces of crafters who are more at my level of fame and fortune. In fact I love what June Daley had to say about her space. June had admired the spaces of many before started her new room. After she finished her creative space, she stepped back and realized that she had gotten caught up in too much of what others had and not enough about what she needed and wanted for herself. She did a little changing up and voila! a fabulous space you can see in the magazine. I love seeing what others have, especially how they organize, but I love my space. Here I am with Mailey and lap dog Lily. It's about 10"x10" and ALL windows.

Actually right now it's a bit messy with piles of things to do. Seeing this makes me realize maybe it's time to clean-up a bit! I also found some great new ideas in the regular publications of projects for my students. I love that artists are so willing to share not only their artwork, but their techniques in those publications. What a wonderful source of inspiration! I'm off to clean up my space now! Have a nice evening!