Work on the StudioHouse progresses. This is the sewing room. So far. I've sewn since I was twelve and now my 2 youngest girls are starting to so a sewing room was a must for the StudioHouse. Since sewing requires lots of time and space (we'll also use it for embroidery, crocheting, quilting, and re-upholstering) I figured the third floor (attic room) would be a great option. The kids painted the walls. Straight untinted white. Then I decided green for the floor. (Sticking with my Brand Palette) I worked on the floor with Cassie and Erica's help. This is the beginning, before I found out that the paint wasn't mixed completely in the can. One side of the floor ended up a cool green and the other side a warm green. When I got to the bottom of the can there was yellow pigment that wasn't mixed in. Grrrrrr! Usually after the store mixes it I can just shake it and go. That's IF the store mixes it properly. So here's a tip - TIP: DON'T TRUST THAT THE STORE AUTOMATICALLY MIXES THE PAINT THOROUGHLY. I ended up buying more paint (making sure it was completely mixed) and did it all over again. There's a door leading upstairs to the sewing room that usually stays closed. I finished up with painting them. Every time I open the door to the stairs it makes me happy. I'm a painter and I messed up. Tell me I'm not the only one who has projects take longer than they're supposed to.
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The StudioHouse has a landing on the second floor that's about 6' x 7'. The crazy thing is that it has 5 doors leading to/from it. Yes 5. One of the doors we removed while remodeling or it would have been 6 doors. When you go up you wonder which door to pick. Door #1, #2, #3, #4, or #5. (Flashback vintage game show - "Let's Make a Deal". Web search it youngsters.) With so many doors (and the intended use, sometime down the road, being classes) I wondered how I was going to differentiate for students which door leads to which room. Should I have signs on the door? Different colored doors? Numbers on doors? What exactly? Then I remembered seeing something one of my sisters did. The inspiration for my choice came from Creative Mommas. (They happen to be some of my creative sisters. It totally runs in the family.) Chelsea built her own bookshelf and added lettering above it. I totally love the subtlety of the look. See what I mean. There but not there. I wanted something that said what each room's use is but nothing that jumps out at me each time I go up there. I can direct people and even if they forget which door, they'll still be able to figure it out. The rooms will be for Sewing, Photo Shoots, Painting, Bathroom, and Crafting. We're busy people. These aren't the "before" or "after" pictures but the "during" photos. I've added captions to each of the gallery photos for how-to info. 8" chip board letters from Hobby Lobby @ $1.99 each liquid nails spacer piece Besides Tina and Allen, what do you think? (They already let me know they did not approve. But I still like them :)
As I mentioned on the home page, changes are happening. I'll be honest, after Leila died I realized I didn't get really excited about anything. You know? That spark inside that just makes it so you can't wait to get to it. I still felt happy and blessed for so much but excitement was gone. About 5 months after, one of our rental houses became available. Allen asked if I wanted to use it for my studio because I'd outgrown the one pictured below. The moment he asked, something surged right through me. Something I thought was gone, just like Leila was gone. It startled me at first because the feeling had been so absent. But I felt excited! Giddy almost. That deep, happy spark inside me was still there. I was so happy. And relieved. It was still there. Well, I could go on about creating and what it does for the soul but I will leave that for a later date. What I want to talk about is my studio. I had a really nice home studio, even HGTV's Rate My Space thought so and came out to film it. But as wonderful as it was I was outgrowing it. (I feel spoiled just saying that.) If I just painted then it would have been fine. But I don't. I end up doing ALL. SORTS. OF. THINGS. So enter the StudioHouse. Well, it's just a regular house in this shot and it's likely to get painted on the outside last but here it is. She's about 100 years old and still looks good. Though she had a Christmas morning fire a few years ago, she's still got a great personality on the inside. We got her after the fire and there's plenty of work to be done but every reason to do it and keep her.
We've been remodeling so you'll see lots of that in coming posts. But for now I just wanted to introduce her. Maybe being an artist doesn't lend itself to writing a Bucket List. It's kind of depressing and it's limiting. Doesn't leave room to recognize the moment and seize it. But, as I was lusting over some artistic type tools this morning, figuring out how I can manage to get them (oh, and I will get them) I realized that my Bucket List (a wish list of things to do before I die) came in an entirely different form. Mine is a Studio Wish List - a wish list of things to try before I die. So, I have started to create my wish list. I'm dreaming already. STUDIO WISH LIST (a bucket list for artists)A Bucket List? No. A Studio Wish List? Yes! Yes! Yes! (Can I use anymore Yeses or exclamation points?) This is the way people must feel about their Bucket Lists, the way I feel about my Studio Wish List. I would give up food for some of these things. Is that sick and wrong? Wait, don't answer that.
Since I am just starting it today, what would you suggest goes on a Studio Wish List? I am so giddy I can't think of them but if you mention one I've probably thought about it before :) Southwest Art Magazine features Rick Howell's artist's studio
with a little interview. I love to see other's creative spaces. |
Shannon's Studio
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