Savoring Now, Gratitude and a Studio Tour

The other day I mentioned that I spent some time re-arranging my studio and shared a couple photos in that post. My intention was to give a little studio tour (like I have in the past here, here and here), but somehow time kept slipping away from me.

I also kept second-guessing my photos and looking at them with an overly critical eye. Although I adore this space, I also have all sorts of ideas for improving it and I ask myself, why share a photo now, when it has so much potential to be more?

The truth is, we only ever have now and it's important that we remember to savor each day in all its imperfection. I'm grateful to be living this creative life, to have a room of my own filled with art and supplies and inspiration. I have everything I need and so much that brings me joy.

And so, welcome to my studio.

One of the biggest changes in this space is that I shifted the position of my computer desk and now the beautiful patchwork back of it no longer forms the entryway to my studio. I'm happy to have the extra floor space.

Even with the doors to my desk open there seems to be more room.

I'm so happy I took the time to rehab my computer chair. I showed it before, but here it is, again.

I wish I'd taken a "before" photo, but you can catch a glimpse here. It was a roadside find and a fun project. The seat and back are both attached to the frame with screws which made the tasks of upholstering and painting much easier.

To upholster the chair I simply raided my stash and sewed pieces of fabric together (linens, vintage bark cloth and a remnant of upholstery fabric) to create finished fabric large enough to wrap around each part. I layered them over pieces of quilting batting to add some cushioning before stapling the fabric to the seat and back, trimming excess as needed. I didn't remove the original fabrics (pleather and a heavy woven) because I wanted to keep their sturdiness. On the bottom of the seat I just left the staples as is because you can't see them. On the back I took another piece of fabric and fused it to the base to cover the staples, finishing it with tacks. It's not perfect (the spacing of my tacks is really pretty wonky), but it's bright and happy.

Rearranging my studio also allowed me to move a comfy seating area into the corner to the right of my desk.

I have yet to sit there, but the possibility makes me happy.

The printer I use to create my prints and calendars used to live in that space and now is the first thing you see when you enter my studio.

The desk it's on is my childhood desk. I repainted it in one of my favorite colors and added some fun knobs.

They're a bit big, but I had them on hand and wasn't using them for anything else. Better to have them bringing me a bit of joy each day than hidden in a box in the basement.

I feel the same way about my printer cover, which is simply a vintage tablecloth. It was folded away with other linens, never seen except for when I was putting away laundry. Now it not only brings me joy, but also keeps dust off my printer.

The desk butts up against the long work table against the wall.

The table used to be a door and it used to be propped up on the storage drawers beneath. It wasn't the most sturdy arrangement. I also kept wishing it were higher. This fall Matthias built some simple legs for the table (using wood we already had in the garage), raising it up and making it much sturdier. I use the cutting mat for trimming my calendars, prints and paintings as well as fabric when I'm sewing. Not having to hunch over a low table makes a huge difference. The height also gives me more room for storage underneath.

I still want to replace those plastic storage drawers on the left, but finding just the right piece takes time. I want something vintage and sturdy.

The flat file drawers from Ikea, as pretty as they look, are sadly pretty flimsy. Filling them with heavy piles of paintings and blocks of paper has caused the bottoms to bow out of the back drawer frames. I tried gluing them back in, but it didn't hold. I may have to take the whole thing apart and add some bracing. Have any ideas?

My painting table is still in the middle of the room. It has two leaves that fold down, but I usually need the table space and rarely fold them down. I moved my small printer/scanner to the back corner and placed my hand-me down filing cabinet beside it. It's another piece of furniture I painted and I'm glad to have it in a spot where I can see it instead of jammed in the other corner where it was. I like creating little arrangements there.

Perhaps not the most practical use of the space, but it brings me joy.

There's a lot of that sort of thing going on in my studio.

My flying pigs.

Nods to my nerdy nature.

And now I'm laughing at that phrase.

But it's true. I have a nerdy nature. At this point in my life I am proud to admit it. I don't want to be anyone but me. Life is too short to conform to anyone else's ideals.

I'm proud, too, of my journey, of my stubbornness. It certainly hasn't been easy and there's still so much farther I want to go, but I can't forget to cherish the now.

Thanks so much for stopping by my studio. And, again, I also want to thank each of you who are reading these words, accompanying me on this journey, cheering me on.

Your encouragement, support and friendship mean so much to me!

Have a lovely weekend!