Out of chaos comes cleanliness!

It is usually a feat to get order out of chaos.  I've been on a roll lately since reading that book, see a few entries ago for more information. I've been doing pretty good but got busy with volunteering, Christmas parities and other things so I neglected finished the room until today.

On a whim, I turned my efforts to the kitchen which was in much need of love and organization.

My room mate let me know that this cupboard has never been cleaned. I could barely fit in the space without cracking my ribs a bit and now my back is super sore from it. I recycled a tonne of tupperware and cleaned all the shelving, it took oven cleaner and a metal scraper to get them looking like new.

Mid tidy, I took this picture then I had to take everything out and reorganize it. You'd be surprised how much one can fit in the cupboard and how much is less than necessary. I also emptied out every other kitchen cupboard and organized it as well, no sense in doing half a job.

I went back to Ikea for more bins and nicely labelled all my herbs and combined other cupboards into this one freeing up more space. It feels and looks good. I moved onto another room witht eh glow of achievement under my belt.

I keep my bathroom really clean, but went the extra mile removing the hard water stains.

I also picked up a unit that goes under the sink to place all my bathroom stuff and leaving the sink less cluttered. Its a joy to shave and sh*t in here now.

My new studio space is finally ready to be used, there is a bit more i can do but its functional enough to make me happy as I really want to get back to work painting! 

SLOG BLOG

Another night in the studio.....

Here is some of the lumber I got from my room mate that he collected over the years. A few pieces have a bevel and can be use to build future stretcher bars. They are about 8 feet log which is good if I need to build them for my next exhibition for Stride in October 2012.

 

I laid them down on the floor for the time being, I need to create some room to stack them against the corner wall. Beside them, you can see the shelf I had to paint for over the doorway. The paint was free, the great thing about the artist studios I work in is that everybody shares and swaps stuff around. I found this by the sink = score!

 Here is the shelf installed over the door. I am finding that I have too many places to put stuff now, hopefully it doesn't have me collecting so much more that moving out becomes a chore of fear. I put a bunch of stuff on it already, but I intend on putting some decorative toys and such, figure models etc in the near future. for now I'll keep them at my house in case any kids come over and I have to have toys for them to play with.

 A place to hang my hat. This snail hook was a gift from my god friend KT, it used to be in my home studio but I am slowly cleaning that out so that we can have an empty room in the house, possible for another renter. I want to get some hooks for the back of the door for a place for others to hang their jackets. I can't mount anything to it, its metal, so I need to find one of those wire ones that hangs over the door.

 Yesterday I got some new jeans, all my pairs are trashed and can only be suitable for painting. ON the way to Marks I stopped in at the Home depot to pick up a few things. I saw this shelf, at $15 I thought it was perfect for the little kitchen area I am planning to put in, so I picked one up.

Here it is by the garbage can near the front door. There is nothing on it, yet. It will probably be stacked with snacks and bottles and drink mix. I am taking a bar tending course at the end of the month. I want to get some experience in mixology so I can provide the best libations to visitors. Hopefully it will lead to work opportunities during the Stampede if I need it. Otherwise bar ending truing can be put to good use as I strive to be the "Host with the most!" The space between represents where the mini fridge will fit.

Here is the slide projector doing its work putting some old growth forrest into my space.  I went thru some slides. I cannot believe how impressed I am by my library. I have them organized by subject in huge binders. EX. Animals, Clouds, mountains, structures etc. Virgo power!  I also discovered some of famous artists, trips to NY and Toronto, Japanese gardens (i love them!), my old documented work and to top it all off slides from my first Burning Man. Woot woot! Indeed, something to be excited about!

Up, up and away....

thats where I'll put all these canvas stretchers!

I put in another long night in the studio, up a ladder........ screwing.

I went straight to the ladder and put up most of the remaining stretcher bars. I also emptied out the white wire rack shelving unit beside the table, in order to place foodstuffs in it instead of paint. I brought my bountiful collection of models to the studio. I spent all last night getting washing them and getting them separated and put into ziploc bags. I recycled all the excessive packaging this morning.  I put down my persian rug and inflated the exercise ball I got on Groupon. Its just the right size to work comfortably at the table.

I did a lot of things you can't see...... like replacing and packing various boxes under the table, and putting my markers, pens and Copic markers into the half desk.  I found it near the dumpster over a year ago and have eagerly anticipated putting it to good use.  It is also good for drilling pilot holes and doing cutting since the top veneer is trashed.

 I tore off the canvas on the stretchers that were a gift from KT and hung them over my work area to save more space. I left the fifth one wit the canvas intact because I like the background painting and might be inspired to work with it. Down at the far end of this photo over the door you can see the beginnings of a shelf. The wooden pieces are from a shelf that used to run along the top of my parents kitchen, where they displayed collector plates. The pieces needed pilot holes drilled in them and anchors in put into the drywall for stability. All I need now is a piece of wood to act as a shelf that can run across the top of the door.

I spent the last bit of time before the clock struck midnight sweeping, throwing out trash and bringing out my recycling. I packed up my tools and put in eyelets and wired up the back of few more primed canvases. With these off the ground it is starting to feel very spacious gain, and yet there are even more surfaces waiting to be turned into artistic visions!

There are only bits to be organized here and there so I can look forward to getting back into the process of painting very soon. Yaay!!!

Progress goes like this...

And then something exciting happened.....

I brought out my old slide projector. I decided to put it by a chair, on top of my bookshelf. I put on a random carousel and started to click thru. I turned out the lights, the projector screen filled the top half of the far wall. The slides weren't falling into place so I kept clicking thru for about two hundred slides, and then...... I got distracted but he excitement of seeing old slides from a trip I took to a bunch of museums in New York. I am so excited about this slide projector. So much to see, so many possibilities. I forgot how this type of technology could be so awesome! I can't wait to look at all the slides I took of landscapes over the years and use them as reference for new paintings!

Here is the view from the door, I decided not to go out at all this week-end, (except to my opening across the street, of course) instead, I reinvested my tim into myself and my space. I moved all the furniture out, set up the ladder and drilled a bunch of holes, sunk in some plugs and screwed in some long screws into the mortar.  I hung up a bunch of canvas stretcher frames to get them off the floor and out of my way.  I also hung up a bunch of paintings. I repacked some clear bins and moved the table and furniture back in to place. I decided to set up a microwave and toaster over on the corner of the table. I have a whole little hospitality section on the make. We have a communal kitchen and fridge at the studio but I wanted a little area in here for guests. The toaster oven can be used for sculpey too.

This is the view toward the door. You can see all the canvases and empty stretchers hung above. The table is still pretty chaotic but I'm working on it.  I spend the whole night doing stuff after the brief distraction of the slides. I was jazzed, not really tired at all, things are going so good. My space is really coming along and I am very excited to hang out in there a lot more. I made a list of all the bits and pieces I need to grab before I get back to arranging the space; from speaker wire and extension cables, to a shelf and hangers for near the door. This is going to be sweet by the end of the week!

Chaos reigns supreme!!!

"Sometimes you've got to make a mess to clean a mess!"
I remember this saying my mom used to say during my childhood.

It couldn't be more true. This nice weather must have me fooled into thinking its spring.  I'm working on my accounts and taxes and getting everything in order. "Out with the old and in with the new". I am also revamping my studio space.  Its hard work but it feels good. I helped a friend move this week-end, and in doing so I got my huge red bean bag chair back that I lent her. This was the impetus to create some more room. Also I have a feeling I'll be having more visitors in the near future...

The before.
So this is the view toward the door, you can see the bean bag charm hiding to the left.  There is a stack of new lumber (i.e. stretcher bars) that KT gave me for helping her move since she isn't planning on painting any time soon.

The Before (2)
I want to create a space at the back  to hang a large piece where the light is better. I plan on setting up a time lapse photography station to capture the process of creating my work over time. I ended up having to move everything in my study to make this happen. The reason the back was kept clear was that I let photographers use this half of the studio now and again. Now the room is reversed so they can use the other end for their set ups.

During
I painstakingly moved all the furniture and it really opened up the space. Plus having my painting table at the far end makes it closer to working on the projects. I had to move the shoddy animation table and it fell apart on my again, but nay where I hadn't added brackets for stability. I took every book off the shelf, moved the shelf, and put the books back on it. If you can believe it the three pieces lined up perfectly. You can see just behind the painting of the girl on the tiger there is a silver electrical conduit rising up. The shelf butt up against the outlet with not a mm to spare =  a perfect fit, a little tight but it holds everything together!

Not only do I have this stack of Ikea frames to deal with, I found 10 more in a free pile outside my studio. They need backings and glass but they could also be used for panel paintings, and they have a cool chrome finish = score!

I am trying to set up the half of the room close to the entrance as an inviting and cosy area for guests, to first enter that is relaxing. BIG PLUS: also for DJ Cosmic LurkN to have his own area where I'll put out my nice persian rug and have a little place for amenities and treats for peeps who sep by while he is spinning tracks. The work table I'm going to try and keep clear so I have a large working space, maybe I'll put a shelf up above it in the future to store more materials. I have a long and busy few days ahead of me but hopefully I can get more work done. Borrow a ladder and get stuff hung high on the walls, I have more vertical space than these photos show that news to be put to good use. Frames off the floor. When its done, I'll get cracking on some new paintings. I cant' wait!