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"...