Screwed!!

According to my weekly schedule yesterday afternoon was "art time"!! Now THAT sounds like fun!
(To check out my weekly schedule see the Page under the header picture) Now... in order to get creative and actually make some "art" (whatever form that may take) I have to get my workroom in some kind of order.

It's scary in there!

Lots to be sorted, tossed and rearranged!

In order to get my workshop in order (way too much order in this sentence!) I have to be able to get into it!! Yikes! So some LOTS of rearranging and decluttering is in order.  I took apart a broken coffee table and threw the broken bits and the legs away keeping one large piece of wood for future projects. I found a new home for my bicycle in the storage area off the laundry room - it fits perfectly and if there's anything I need back in there it'll just have to wait til spring!! Another shelf and large pilates ball found a new home in the closet under the stairs. Yes!! I can move around now!

Bicycle's new home.

After much sweeping and dusting, sneezing and rearranging boxes and bins (SOME EXCITING FINDS!!) I had just the little stuff (screws, nails & other fun stuff) to organize. My workshop needs to stay super organized as it will have to double as a fix it place as well as studio. It can be done - I know it! I spent a fun couple of hours sorting stuff out while Luna found a bin to sleep in and Lily curled up on my lap.

Luna wants to be sorted too!

The bits and bobs...

You can't mix screws and nails, or washers and bolts...or...

Unfortunately I have downsized my art supplies over the past few years thinking I was going to be moving to PEI. Instead of mourning what's gone I've decided to look at it as a fresh start!! I went through my art supply dresser and made a list of what I need in order to start production - I still have a $100 Curry's (art store) gift card so will be putting that to use today!! Things are coming together.

I found a perfectly sized piece of glass to use for printmaking (mono prints) so decided to test it out. I used what I had which was some old and crusty acrylic paints. No brushes yet so I randomly squeezed globs of multiple colours of paint directly from tubes onto the glass.  Then I placed a piece of paper onto the glass (I LOVE making mono prints as anything goes!!) I still have a few brayers so I used one to roll over the back of the paper spreading the paint into an abstract design. I used a burnisher to draw some curving lines into the back of the paper - this will show up when I peel the paper off. (More photos to follow!)

I peeled off the paper and left it to dry and cleaned the glass - today I will add more colours, perhaps draw with a fine line marker depending on what I see. It was so much fun and I actually felt happy!! Can't wait til I have some proper ink, brushes and tempura paint for other projects. One of my "happy finds" when reorganizing was a box full of soapstone carving tools!!  A fellow artist and friend, Jules, recently gave me a few soapstone chunks to work on. I need to invest in an air purifier and I'll be set to go!!

My soapstone carving tools!!

All sorted!

A place for everything...

Today's silliness!

Today's cuteness!

Baby, it's cold outside!!