Studio changeover

In a moment of brief madness, I looked at this corner last night and decided to Do Something About It. It looks fine at a glance, but there is a problem; where I used to have easy access to some of my favourite source and reference books, my way is now blocked by a tower of two printers, with two large vintage chocolate boxes on top.

I have crammed this room with almost as much stuff as it will take, without the central beam underneath the floor collapsing. That beam has held this little place together for over two hundred years, but I don't think it's ever had a load as big as this. However, there was all this wall space behind me, taken up by a large notice board which I barely use -

About an hour later, it got to that stage where you wonder why on earth you ever started and sob quietly in a corner hoping it will go away.

But we got there, eventually and I squeezed a little more book space up that wall - room for my lovely new Christmas books, as well as my old darlings, now easily to hand.

(I am sure there are people like me who click on photos to have a closer look at titles)

And I even had enough space over to hang one of my own artworks up - now that IS a novelty!

Studio shots (again)

I love my studio. I never thought I would be lucky enough to have such a comprehensive collection of books and equipment, all of which are invaluable to me as an artist. It has all been carefully garnered over the years, mostly cheaply or for nothing. It is my nest, my solace, my friend. I've posted pictures of it before, and I don't think the Internet will break if I post a few more. As so many of us love looking at other people's books (I certainly do!) I have kept these pictures quite large, so if you want to click on an image, you can browse some of my thousands (really) of books.

This is my main notice board, with various cards from friends - artist and otherwise. The gorgeous dog print is 'Charlie', a superb wood engraving from my printer friend Sue Woollatt. Handy pile of sketchbooks, sewing basket, and that velvet embroidered church runner I found in a jumble sale for about 10p, circa 1985.

The right hand wall, a happy medley of nice books, boxes of paper treasures and toys. And two massive stacks of dvds (from the time before we caved in and aquired a TV). Madeline, a rag doll I made when I was about 18...she was supposed to have a dress. I planned to go into business and make lots of rag dolls, but that was way back in the mid 1980's, before universal internet and long before Etsy was born. It never happened.

Can one ever have enough picture books?

I don't think so...

My work table, just how I like it. I can't work in a mess. A few new needle felt toys sat waiting for...something. And the beginnings of an oil painting I keep trying to find time for.

The left hand corner...

...and my other 'best bookcase'...this one I rescued from a stone outhouse in a graveyard, where I was employed to mow the grass. It was in a damp corner and used for storing paint cans on. I rescued it (with the vicar's permission of course!) and with some cleaning and waxing, it came up lovely. A nice honest bit of handmade country furniture, all wood jointed, with a lovely patina.

The way out...goodbye!

The full set of twelve 'round the studio tour' is on my Flickr page, here, with detailed notes as to what everything is.


1. Facing the studio door, 2. Notice board, 3. Craft book collection, 4. Oak bookcase, 5. Right hand wall, 6. Picture books, 7. Vintage picture books and toys, 8. Work Table, 9. Left hand corner, 10. Best bookcase, 11. The way out

Little studio snaps

My studio, it has to be said, is full of many things - it is my creative nest, where I can surround myself with the treasures I have found and been given. Although I may not use many of them from day to day, they inspire and console me. Many tokens from blog and non-bloggy friends...spot the Lily Moon card from my friend Maya -

(for detailed notes, please go to the Flickr image)

The old year ended with the little people in 'Cat's Cradle' journeying far away to their first job. It is always a wrench to know I will probably never see most of my paintings again, but good to know that they are watching over someone, somewhere.

The new year started with one of Rima's beautiful calendars. I cannot think of a nicer way of getting through the year - she still has one or two left I think, so if you hurry...

Entering January with some gorgeous letter blocks, with huge thanks to fellow illustrator Paula for her thoughtful gift...

...and my triple good luck charm, to keep bad things away from me this year, especially timewasters, as I had enough of them in 2007. White china heart from Tara, rosehip heart from Higgledy Piggledy, textile/embroidery heart from Border Tart - thank you my dears - I defy anything truly bad to happen with the combined love of these three friends.

A big red hand to point the way bravely forward to 2008 - there is something very commanding about this stern indicator. It arrived unexpectedly in the post this week, mysteriously unsigned...for a few minutes I felt like my all time hero, Tintin, receiving an anonymous signal summoning him to a new, exotic adventure. But then I remembered kind Alan Brignull of the Hedgehog Press, and his lovely picture on Flickr which I had fav'd. Thank you so much!

I am under the weather and feeling like this at the moment -



So I am going to retire for a few days, and bury myself in my sketchbook, as I seem to have got my drawing mojo back at last. Have a good weekend everyone!

Another fine mess...

Well. That was - interesting. If I had known just how long or how chaotic THAT was going to be I might not have bothered. Or maybe I would. I am now the satisfied (if somewhat frazzled) tenant of a nice, spacious studio. Albeit a little rammed with books and general bumph. Moving everything from one room to another was a labour of Hercules. Actually, I think even Hercules would have been daunted...

I also changed computers and went broadband. In the end it all worked well, but there was an initial shock at discovering that new PCs don't have a dial up plug...loathe to change to BB, I trekked to PC World and picked up an external modem. I have only one word to sum up my recent computer experiences - Vista. If you don't know what I mean, let's just say that the new Windows operating system is like an ultra-smart kid who doesn't know how to fix a nice cup of tea. The modem didn't work. I gave in. I got BB. It worked at once. I was amazed. Now I know what the fuss is about; blogs which usually take ten minutes to download flash up like magic. Video clips actually appear. Sites don't crash. I can listen to the radio online.

So, I got a few bits of cheap furniture, which only added to the muddle. The futon base had to be stored in the bath, while we slept downstairs...oh what fun.

Shifting heavy furniture about in a few inches of space - and then realising they didn't work - and moving them back again. Trapping myself in the room with piles of books. Just a couple of the happy moments from the last three weeks.

But at last I have a dedicated sewing area, with all my craft and needlework books in one place - and my dear old jalopy of a machine ready for use. I haven't used the poor thing in seven years. I found an unfinished sock, with lovely wool which Stuntmother sent me two years ago. I discovered the blocks from a patchwork quilt I had pieced but never joined. Story of my life.

Some of my best books and toys on a lovely oak bookcase I picked up for next to nothing. Fairy stories, toy reference books, nursery rhymes, 'Brewster's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable' - everything inspirational on hand and not in a pile.

We even got to sleep upstairs again, and some lovely people rebuilt this six foot square bookcase for us. For the first time in my life I can reach my books without having to negotiate them out from the middle of a heap. (Although I still have piles of books in odd corners - who hasn't?) I love going to sleep in a cocoon of books.

So now what was a bedroom...

...is now a lovely, light studio. My portfolios are tidy(ish) and art materials organised. Best of all, my creative doldrums disappeared amid all the carnage; I'm ready to work again, and come back to the real world. I owe people emails, presents and general thanks for support. I have blogs to catch up with...what have you all been doing? I'm going to find out.

Being a bit of an anal type I kept a record of the whole process. If you are busy procrastinating, have nothing better to do - or even just enjoy watching someone else dig a hole, you can find the set on Flickr, here.

Getting out of a tizzy

Hem. (Clears throat self consciously). Feeling a bit silly for letting off like that - being a secretive Cancerian I like to be in tight control of things...memo to self, don't blog when having a hissy fit. Thank you so much - everyone - who took the time to post supportive comments and e-mail me privately - you have no idea how much it helped - I spend so much time on my own that it's easy to forget just how many people are out there. Prima donna moment over; we soldier on. I decided to put into action a couple of things I've been avoiding. The first being to invest in a new computer and go broadband. I hope to be speeded up next week and will be adding a studio web cam to this blog. Which brings me on to the next thing - moving rooms. I've been putting it off for months now, but recently I almost wrecked a job because I had barely enough room to paint. So we decided to Do Something. Because as it is now...

I can barely squeeze myself past all my resources....

...to jam myself into the few inches of space...

...and sit for long hours creating...

...with half my materials buried in boxes.

If it was just my little part time hobby I'd put up with it, and thank my lucky stars I had any space at all. But I do earn a modest income from it, and now I'm expanding into type and print, there is no way on this good Earth that I can work in there. So we are having a major upheaval and I will be in here instead...

(and from where I usually blog)

My big painting table will go in front of the window where I will get lots of lovely light, instead of the shadowy, sideways dinge I'm working in now. Most of my waking moments recently have been dedicated to working out how it's all going to be rearranged. To this end I've been scabbing lifts off my friends, trawling house clearance shops and have found a few sticks of cheap second hand furniture which are now clogging up the downstairs room. (Yes, we only have one). I am going, literally up the wall - because that is where the spare space is. Most of my books are piled everywhere, as tall shelves are so expensive. But I should be getting a six foot square bookcase soon, donated by a friend and languishing at present in bits, in an old barn. In the meantime we are going to have great fun manoeuvring everything around in a small awkward upper space. But when it's ready I can move my little 'type room' from the coffee table downstairs and get started.

Next stop world - domination!