Lady Bug Circus

Work Space

 

Inspired by Nia Michaels' studio I decided to get a little more organized myself. So this weekend after the Dia De Muertos project was finished I started in flattening more tin. I love the way it looks.

Another Tin Studio

Today I had the honor of meeting up with another tin artist, Nia Micheals, and seeing her studio. She came over here, then we went to her place. I had a blast talking with her and viewing her work.

Her work is beautiful, the color combinations and compositions are lovely and thoughtful.

Her space is well lit and very organized. These snapshots don't even come close to the experience of being there. Out of respect for her privacy there are no photos of her.

Junk

In the studio I am surrounded by junk. All sorts of stuff that has crossed my path.

It settles into it's new home as though it had grown there.

Seeing it makes me happy.

Even though I may not notice it every day.

Paper sushi for the afterlife from a trip Kerrie H. took, to Vancouver- not the afterlife.

One of the things I like about this junk is that it all has a life of it's own. One day it will be in a thrift store waiting to go to it's next life with someone else.

Simple Things

These are paper balls that you blow into to inflate and then they stay that way unless they get crunched. The material is more like what is used to make kites than paper. They have a translucent quality that changes their appearance as the light changes throughout the day. They're above my desk and remind me of candy, beach balls, Cost Plus and childhood. Looking at them gives me so much pleasure.

Another Cool Studio Space

This is part of Robin Siegl's studio. It's very inviting and cozy, like a play house. I could be quite happy there,I know Robin is.

Robin has it well organized, there's lots of work going on. She uses rich colors to show what she sees when she goes rowing on the Duwamish. Click on this photo to enlarge it so you can see her excellent charcoal drawings on the back wall.

Here she is gessoing a support. Her space is in the C Building in Ballard where many artists have studios. They have an open studio event every second Saturday of the month in the evening. Currently there is a group show at Gallery 63 Eleven in Ballard. We went to see it today and it's swell.

Just About Finished

A place for everything and everything in it's place. See the big garbage can? It's full of collected soda cans for making birds. Which are now available on Etsy.

Almost done

So it's a lot better and certainly very workable. Most of the drawers need to be sorted out though. It's like being all dressed up with out showering first. I am hoping over time, little by little, to sort that out. Having the Boeing cart is going to work out nicely because it is movable and provides another work surface.

I would feel like a fraud if I didn't also share the other photographs of the process with you.

This is only part of the overflow, it's all tin that needs to be flattened or disassembled.

Then once all this is flattened,( yes I am tempted to just run over it all with my car)it can be placed in plastic tubs and stored in the shed. It will be so great and I will be overjoyed with happiness!

Getting There

The studio is almost done, thanks in part to my darling girl. She's been a huge help. Anyway it has become abundantly clear what I should keep and what I can part with. Some art supplies are available here.

Artist Studios

Recently I have been in the studios of friends. This is Melinda Hannigan's studio.

It's dreamy, so spacious and well lit.

That's Melinda showing me a painting she is starting in on. To learn more about her work click here.

This is one side of Iskra Johnson's art studio. It's very well organized, well lit and has the feeling of being in the coolest tree house ever. (She has a second studio for her business art.)

This is the other side. I could be so happy there. To learn more about Iskra click here.

This is how my studio looks at the moment. It amazes me that I can actually work in a space that looks like this. It's 8' by 17' but feels more like 4' by 4'. So it is my hope that while I am between jobs that I will be able to make some progress in better organizing my space. We'll see.

Projects

This is the top layer of a 3 layer metal cake. What I am trying to show here is the garland. It is made from a My Little Pony tin and works quite well, surprisingly.

Ever growing collection of tools.

Tin waiting to be cut and flattened.

Bird pieces waiting to be assembled.

The vise is from Grizzly and is so heavy I can't lift it. There is a magnetized brake that fits in it's jaws. Here it is holding a punch. I'd have to say that the vise and the Boeing Surplus cart are my 2 favorite things in the shed.

Putting pieces together and figuring out how to form and attach shapes is when I am happiest. It is then that it feels like my brain is firing on all possible cylinders.