Studio Musings

The little studio out back, on an almost-spring day

Thank you for your responses so far to my previous post -- if you haven't thrown your name in the hat for the giveaway, you have several more days to do so since the drawing happens next Wednesday morning. I always enjoy reading about what other people are doing and seeing their workspaces and materials. I was surprised by the comments about how nice my studio looks because, while I am very grateful to have a neat little space that I can dedicate to my creations (in fair weather; it isn't heated), it is really a rather... modest... little building.... It is, in fact, a small tin shack with a particleboard floor, a cracked window and, taking up almost half of it, too much clutter that I hope will disappear in a community yard sale soon.

All that said, it IS a great space, one I can play in and mess up and not worry about cleaning up till I've finished whatever I'm working on (or can't find anything!), and it does have electricity and even a little air conditioner my mom put in a few summers ago. Last summer, after she died, I couldn't even bear to go in there, and when I did the thought of moving her paintings and supplies seemed almost sacrilegious. Slowly, though, during the autumn months I started shifting things around, respectfully packing everything of hers up and moving in the old kitchen cabinets, table, and countertops just so they wouldn't get weather-beaten over the winter. I also needed storage space when my dad moved out here (they lived primarily in Philly), hence the clutter... But every once in a while, on a sunny not-so-wintry day, I would step in there and shift a few more things around, put up a rack to hang unfinished mosaics or tack some inspiration pictures on the wall, and just feel the peace. I understand why my mom, who was so sensitive to aesthetics, nonetheless chose this for her painting studio: it is outside but not right in the elements, it is peaceful, and it is a very easy space to be and create in. So once I get over my fear of firing up that torch (I may ask a friend to show me the basics), I hope to create beautiful things in this modest studio -- in fact, if I didn't already love my business name of "Laughing Raven" I'd seriously consider something like "Tin Shack Creations"...

Confession: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Clean-Up Resolutions

 Yesterday I made muffins because I was feeling both hungry and creative... and because my kitchen is WAY cleaner than my studio. I should probably be ashamed to show these pictures, taken a few moments ago, because who lives like this?? Well, I do, when I'm as ridiculously busy and stressed as I've been in recent months; I just finished another quarter of my masters program (six down, two to go), which always takes over my life for 10 weeks, and I also was mired in a court battle that is now over, thank God.

So, um, yeah, this corner of the studio/office/dining room got messy as I attended to more pressing matters, and now that I am feeling rested and creative again I have time as well as reason to clean it up. Posting these pictures inspires me -- yeah, that's it -- and also makes me accountable because every "Before" shot needs an "After" shot, right? I also have to clean up this space before my parents arrive next month. The mosaic side (top picture) isn't too bad, but the jewelry side... I guess I'll start there, because it's the messiest and also because I've been feeling the urge to make pretty spring jewelry again. I know I have the stuff I need, somewhere in this mess.... In the meantime I can grab some Kumihimo supplies to take with me to the kids' playdate today; I have some beautiful bird pendants to string. Somewhere, in one of those piles.

Controlled Chaos

Above is a shot of my work table -- one of three work tables, in fact; I have this one (from the gallery, which is closed for good now), my jewelry table (now jewelry/mosaic table) just to its left, and the glass sorting and grouting table over by the wall, which is actually the dining room table and is covered with two sturdy plastic covers. Yes, I've spread out a bit, as is my habit (don't worry, Mom, I'll compact it all before you guys come out to visit)... I tidied this table up a bit before snapping this picture, which shows six of about ten projects I have in progress. The red heart on the left has been in progress for a week and had to sit for a while as I figured out whether to keep the rather imperfect word tiles I'd made or make new ones. I'm leaning toward making new ones (I'm discovering my inner perfectionist these days, to my bemused surprise) mainly because the copper wash under the glass doesn't work with the mirror and should probably be silver instead. I seem to be experimenting, always, and although I sometimes take a while to figure out how to solve a problem, I love the learning and playing involved.

I also love how mosaic work fits my "multi-tasking" style perfectly because when I get stuck on or frustrated with one project or process, I can move to another piece in a different stage. Last night I got tired of how the blue glass I'm using for the piece in the upper middle of the picture was splintering rather than breaking cleanly, so I grouted. I'm finding glass cutting particularly baffling these days, perhaps because I'm using rougher-than-usual artisan stained glass panels that do not break cleanly at all. This morning I cut a much easier batch of glass for the "black heart" (shown above in the bottom center of the picture) for a piece that's been floating in my head for a few days now, and as the picture at right shows I've made more progress, perhaps enough to start piecing it on Hardibacker tonight.

... And Four Minutes Later:

(Read the post below to find out what the heck I'm talking about.)

The Right Tools

Always have the right tools on hand for the job, my Dad tells me, or you're just wasting your time. I've taken this to heart with my jewelry business, though I've had to acquire my tools gradually as I built my business. Moving online added a new demand: taking good pictures, to showcase my creations in an appealing manner to customers who can't just pick them up and look them over, try them on, and so forth. So I have a decent digital camera (though it now has a scratched lens thanks to a recent mountain [mis-]adventure), and I have Photoshop to make my pictures clear, color-corrected, and Web-ready.

But I've known I was missing one important element: a proper shooting environment. Lacking serious studio space and equipment, I improvised with deflected sunlight, but finally I found the perfect solution: a light tent made of special fabric that diffuses light evenly. You can see the difference it makes in these two shots, both un-Photoshopped, taken in the same window at around the same time of day:



I am ecstatic -- I was spending at least 10 to 20 minutes Photoshopping each picture, and this will cut that way down. The second photo just needs lightening up a bit, maybe some sharpening, and it'll be ready to post. And that leaves me more time to spend on my creations....

Studio Makeover!

Well, it took a while, but I finally got my jewelry work area spruced up, turning it from this:


to this:


Yay me!! Now I can get back into creative production mode! I have many ideas brewing and finally have the space to work them out.... It helps to be able to find my tools and materials, too....