I will catch you up on all the work in the studio to get it completely workable. I started with the two kitchen base cabinets from the hardware store and then stained them and put them on the old rug from our former office.
Patrick brought down the oak top he made to fit across…28″ by 68″. Then he and Marla got busy.
Shelves were added and the old unit Lee made for me to hold my pigments was brought in from the garage, stained and hung to the left to hold more things that I wanted in the studio. My small proofing press and the table made for it just fit to the right and holds all the books on or related to printmaking.
On the opposite wall the shelves are filled with more books, art supplies and small collections. The Cow Story now has a new home. It used to be in the guest room before.
All the characters are there with the book I wrote about them open in the background. Marla hung all the artwork, mostly egg temperas, in the room. She has an uncanny eye for where things fit.
An old drawer acts as a curio cabinet.
And the corner of the work table holds my most used tools. Now all my measuring devices are in one place. At the end of the table standing on the floor is my large cutter….easy to lift to the table when needed.
And the wall between the door to the room and the closet that holds all the papers and cutting boards. Another large egg tempera, two small white line prints, an aboriginal basket and tapestry woven doll.
Below them is my old tool cabinet with all the small drawers sitting on a chest that holds threads. A small table is next to it with all my book binding threads and holds two bins of envelopes and carved stamps stacked one on the other.
The two bottom drawers on the right cabinet under the work table will hold interesting fabrics and the tools related to machine sewing. The machine fits under the work table. The left cabinet of one wide drawer and a door holds all printing inks, brayers and barons. Below behind the door is my XCut XPress with its two sets of bases and felts and all the carving tools.
I continue to add things to the shelves above that I like looking at.
Now on to the other rooms now filled with artwork.
The bathroom with the newly assembled bamboo medicine cabinet fixed over my bamboo clothes hamper.
And inside my closet over my Migun bed are the degrees where I can stare at them while being massaged and the autobiographical drawings of what Lee and enjoyed doing more than a few years ago. Also my first wood engraving of a nest and a small painting of a child in a bath that was a gift a few years ago. We were bathed in a large galvanized tub when I was small and I loved her timid expression.
Once you start hanging art work, etc in the closet, you know the walls are full.
The last hanging job Marla and Patrick did before leaving early Saturday morning was placing the six fish I had left from the school outside my studio.
I can never look at these wine bottle fish without remembering the fun parties we had and actually drank this wine. I left a full bottle buried under a tree in my yard at the other house.
Just this morning I put together this floor lamp for the corner Marla said was in sore need of one. She was right. I moved my hand sewing baskets to this corner as well. I can sit by the fire, stitch, look at my garden and watch neighbors from this corner.
The old bamboo head went from my old porch to the new. I will wait til Spring to get two chairs and a table for the porch.
And the bark birdhouses now sit with the moss gardens below the tai chi figures.
Yesterday I sat at my new work table and addressed Christmas cards. I love being in this room!
The cats are snuggling on the bed.
And the new Louise Penny book with Inspector Gamache came yesterday so I will likely just go start it now.
Til later….
