A busy week in the studio........

It is midwinter here, so it is great to be holed up in the studio with the fire roaring working away while it is grey and cold outside. Here's a bit of what I've been up to......

A new doll head

"Book of Stains" wall doll

Experiments with papier mache

And just for fun!

Back to work in 2014

As summer reaches its height and starts to wind down, visitors have left and it is time to get back into the studio. I'm working on a few more small sculptures in the "Sorrowful Songs" series  as well as a painting which is comprised of twenty small canvases which all fit together.........since I'm stretching the Belgian linen canvas myself, that's an awful lot of stretching! I had to work out a way of stretching the canvases so there is none of the usual bulk where the corners are folded, because I want them to all fit together neatly and snugly......so far , so good. 

Here's what's happening in my studio this week.......

And of course, Mr Button, the studio cat sleeps through it all.......or should I say IN it all!

It Had To Happen................

When you are a dollmaker, people, with the best of intentions, give you stuff.............their dog clippings, pieces of fabric they don't want, the lumpy stuffing out of old cushions etc. Don't get me wrong - I am very appreciative and sometimes the stuff is priceless. But it does tend to accumulate and storage space runs out. Also dollmakers need an incredible variety of stuff on hand - a list like you wouldn't believe. I am quite bad at throwing things out, but there comes a point, creative clutter notwithstanding that A STAND HAS TO BE MADE and a big cleanout is called for. I have reached that stage in my studio, drowning as I was in a sea of mess and disorder like this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

It got to the point that I was losing things in the mess and disarray and it was affecting my ability to work.
So, to start 2011, I have begun the mammoth task of throwing out useless, unwanted, old stuff and trying to organize my supplies a little. I'm being ruthless - anything I haven't used in the last 5 years is going; all those jars of forgotten and un-nameable substances are going; all those out-of-date things are going and all those ugly fabrics I will NEVER use are going. All those doll starts that are never going to be finished are GOING....GOING........GONE. As  result, I'm finding all kinds of things I had thought lost forever and I'm getting that pleasant feeling that comes after a purge. This cupboard was previously crammed with junk.......look at it now! It is tidy, I can see what is in there and there is even spare space. I know better than to try and do this all in one go - I'm doing a small section at a time, but it is amazing how quickly order is established! There - I've revealed my dirty little secret - I feel better! Now, if I can just get my husband to build me some more shelves.....................

                                        

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

This is what it looks like outside my studio today, but here inside, I have lit a lovely warm fire on this cold, cold Saturday.

Workspaces

Being of a curious (nosy!) disposition, I find it fascinating to see other peoples' workspaces. Jo of http://www.cartbeforethehorse.blogspot.com/ has posted some pictures of hers looking very tidy and organized, I must say. Here are a 'before' and 'after' shot of my studio. I've shown you mine, now show me yours!