Monday, January 28, 2008

It Doesn't Get Any Worse Than This- In The Middle of A Polymer Clay Artists' Studio Overhaul

I confess- I'm challenged when it comes to maintaining an organised space. I do have a lady who is a professional organiser who comes in periodically to put me back on the right track but every now and then I do have to take matters into my own hands. I wasn't planning on it this week- I actually have a big polymer clay project in my sketchbook and the first stage of the project is actually on my worktable but yesterday I was going through some cupboards full of materials that had absolutely nothing to do with polymer clay and one thing led to another... I'm being brave to post these pictures of the studio at the mid-point of a cleanup. It sort of looks as if "The Big One" (the long overdue west coast earthquake) has struck.

My studio is in the basement of a 1911 house. There's a 6' ceiling and I have to duck occasionally to avoid overhead pipes. I do have a resident ghost who likes to make thumping sounds every now and then. I had the studio wired but snce the job was done I knocked out a wall and added a room so now I need new outlets. My furniture in here is an ecclectic mix of IKEA cabinetry that is on the verge of collapse and odds and ends from other parts of the house. I always wanted a black and white checkerboard floor but the love affair is over as the vinyl tiles are covered with polymer clay and other unidentified substances... I occasionally scrape the floor clean with a garden hoe. I'd like my studio to reflect the funkiness of the house but to be pleasantly efficient. If I wasn't working towards a wholesale show I'd remove every last item in here, paint the walls, redo the floors and reinvent the entire space. For now I'm banishing EVERYTHING that isn't directly related to polymer clay. It brings up a question... What do you do with old polymer clay artwork that you can't save, sell or recycle?

The most organised space in the studio is my computer desk which has actually improved lately as I connected my laptop to my cable so the computer multitasks as a TV so I have more workspace. This newsjunkie can work and watch CNN at the same time! I also found a rotating oraniser at Staples that holds discs, paper, pens and just about anything that used to be scattered around.
I have some tidying to do today and hopefully the space will evolve as time allows. Over the next while I'll occasionally blog in some of the improvements I come up with. wish me luck!
Tomorrow I'll share my upcoming clay project... there'll be less dust and a lot more fun!













3 comments:

  1. Wow and I thought you lived in a new house.
    Inspiring!

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  2. Good Luck on your studio project G! The garden hoe has me ROFL. What to do with unsellable or leftover projects? If you have any wall space, glue them onto framed foam board and use them as wall art! do the same with the occasional future piece...maybe even write on the foam board such as a date or from whom. I f you don't have wall space, painted ducts can be used a canvas too.

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  3. that is neat compared to the space I work in!! But good luck getting it all looking good the way you want it :)

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