Studio Update 2017

Studio Tour
It has been awhile since I've shown my studio. To be honest, it hasn't been 'comfortably functional' in a while. I say that because I have been very productive in the studio but, it had become overcrowded in there.

Desk Work Space
It is rare to see the top of my desk! This space is used every day so it has a lot of things on it. I am still trying to figure out the best way to get everything up off the desk but still within reach. This arrangement may change up again soon.

When we moved into our house, the studio space was big enough. Over the last 2 years, every square inch has become more and more filled with 'necessities'. Okay, maybe everything is not a necessity, but artists, by nature, tend to keep supplies until they are needed. So those things become 'necessities.

Organized Chaos
As you can see in this 'natural state' collage of the studio, every inch is well used! Especially when I am very busy!

Time to Rearrange

When you trip over cords and you have to move one stack to get to another stack, it is time to reevaluate what needs to stay or go and rearrange the furniture. Also...the cords! What to do with the cords? I've tripped over these many times when in a rush. I will be looking for a solution to this problem.


Work Stations
Because I work with Clay and draw and paint, I need 3 separate spaces that are easy to transition from one to another. Before I rearranged, I had part of my work space in an L shape. In that space, I worked with my wet clay and glazing the fired pieces of clay. But that space became too crowded. So I straightened the work bench and stretched it across the wall with the windows. Storage shelves are easier to get to and the floor space is opened up and I am tripping much less!

Staying Organized
I am not naturally an organized person. I have to work at it. I have to make myself take the time to get organized. I tend to get easily distracted by other things while I am getting organized. But I cannot work when things are unorganized. So I rearrange a lot.
I am also a list maker. I keep lists on this whiteboard that hangs in the studio, along with the notepads that are scattered around the studio. Hanging on the wall beside the whiteboard is my Order Clipboard. This is where I keep track of Etsy Orders. At the end of each month, the completed files go into my business binder.

My organization process is a work in progress. I hope to get my process perfected one of these days. But that is another whole blog post. I would love to hear about ways you get and stay organized. Leave a message below if you have any tips!

Small Spaces
I am thankful to have an extra bedroom that can be used as my studio. This room is small, but it is fine as long as the 'stuff' doesn't take over. I even have a decent size closet in here. It houses even more supplies.

Sometimes I think I want a bigger studio space, but I am sure it would also become filled with 'necessities' too. I will make the most of what I have.

If you are interested in seeing the studio story from the beginning, you can find the links here:
Studio Tour - Part 1
Studio Tour - Part 2
Studio Tour - Part 3 

Until next time!

Beth♥

Unexpected Visitors

Enough about the new studio and the move. Back to regular programming.

Finally, I have been working in my studio, trying to get back into the creative groove. I started out pretty good. I spent a few days working with the clay and getting a lot of little things made, so I can restock my Etsy shop. I've even glazed a few of them.  Like these tiny birdhouses. They are part of a little experimental project that I am working on. If that works out, I will post photos of that later.

Unexpected Visitors
After getting several projects started, we had a couple of 'Unexpected Visitors'. The dreaded 'flu bug' came to visit my
hubby. I avoided Mr. Bug like the plague! He brought the cold weather back with him too, so my creative flow came to a halt. My usually active husband was pretty sick for about 4 days. He doesn't get sick often, so I knew he felt really bad. He had fever and chills and all of the typical flu symptoms . I was trying to take care of him while he was feeling really bad, but also trying not to get too close. Luckily, I avoided Mr. Flu Bug. But between the weather and taking care of the hubby, I have been dragging around here with no energy. He is usually the cook around here (his choice), so I had to cook a for a few days. (I know, I'm very lucky!) That is exhausting to me, so I am having a hard time getting back into my creative routine. Hubby is feeling better now, so hopefully we can both get back into our routines. We are more than ready for Spring weather to arrive and stick around! We had a few days of warmer weather last week, and the daffodils started blooming, so it was a great sign of things to come!


Bunny Visit
It is not Easter yet, but Hubby found this little visitor in the garage a couple of days ago (look real hard, it is a baby rabbit). He/she, along with his two little siblings, made a run for it when my hubby found them hiding under the plastic tub full of stuffed animals. Hopefully they made it back to their little rabbit home/hole. (Wherever they live.) I like rabbits, but I do not want them taking up residence in our garage!  I may need to draw some little rabbits to illustrate the visit.

Until next time...
Have a nice productive week!

Beth♥ 

New Studio Space - Part 3

Welcome to My Studio

In my last post (part 2), I showed the desk/drawing space side of the new studio. Today, I am showing you the clay/painting side of the studio. Since this photo was taken, I have started back to work there and it is back to its usual cluttered, but productive space. See second photo for the busy artist at work look!



Back To Work
Now I can turn my attention back to my little Etsy shop and to get ready for craft shows for this year.

I've made clay houses, trees, mushrooms, hearts, birds, and some Believe Tree ornaments. I have to make up for the time I've spent packing and moving. Now I can have fun in my new space.

I am hoping to add one or two more shows to my schedule this year.  My goal is to raise enough money to buy a larger kiln! It takes a lot of time to fire larger items in my little baby kiln. It is perfect for my little houses and other little things, but if I want to expand my little business, I need a larger kiln! Wish me luck!

My Need for Organization
For now, everything is organized. I'm sure as I work more in the space, I may decide to rearrange things and I'm sure I will paint some of the furniture pieces, so they don't look so random. But because of all of the 'stuff' (art supplies), I must keep everything organized, so things do not get chaotic. I can't work in chaos! Because I want to become more Focused this year, I need to declutter. My cleaning out may become someone else's treasures!

Back in the corner, I have my printer on top of the cabinet with my paint supplies, plus the thrift shop cabinets with more paints and glazes. Yes, I feel like I have too many supplies. I want to get rid of some supplies that I no longer use. That could take me awhile to weed out the slightly used supplies that I can part with. I may have to put some supplies up for sale, just for my need for organization.

Studio Tour - Part 4 

Until next time...
Beth ♥

New Studio Space - Part 2

We have Progress!

We started moving in over two weeks ago and I can finally go into the new studio and not find a box to unpack! Yes, I do have more organizing to do. I will continue to rearrange things as I get back to work. I have come to realize that I have too many things. Too many supplies and not enough time to use them all. I may have to have a supply sale in the near future. I need to get back to work and start using them up, which I plan to do this week.

Now that all of the boxes are out, I can see the floor space and I am pretty excited about it! I have 2 work spaces. One, at the desk where I can draw, compute, dream, and maybe a little paperwork. The other is for clay work and painting.

My Inspiration Wall

Above my desk, I have hung things that make me feel good or have special memories to me. All of which inspire me. Here is a close up of those things. I have numbered them so I can identify the item, the reason it is special, and the creators/artists of the things that I did not make.

1. "Stars, Stripes, and Stitches"  by Me.
This is one of my favorite colored pencil drawings. It is one of those drawings that I put a high price on it, just so it will NOT sell!

2. The little clay 'Follow Your Heart' piece was created by Karen Fincannon. She was very nice and helpful to me when I started doing art shows in Georgia. The message is very inspiring to me.

3. The first Go Hogs Ornament that I made. Go Hogs! (I'm working on more using a slightly different design this year.)

4. A Dream Catcher that a long time, good friend of mine, Cindy, gave me. Catching some dreams!

5. The gum wrapper chain is a part of a very, very long chain that my good friend and I made back in junior high school.  A few years ago, after reconnecting again, she gave me part of the chain. This chain brings back many good memories! Cindy and I spent many hours hanging out and talking and laughing back then!

6. 'Mrs. Macre' sign from my classroom door at Blytheville High School. So many memories!

7. ACEO size drawing of Me, by my Artist friend, Tim Hunter.  He titled it "Blonde in a Turtleneck". It was/is not unusual to see me in a turtleneck and with my reading glasses on my head. He did a good job of representing me!

8. Owl wall hanging by Karen Fincannon from Georgia. We traded a few things at the Georgia shows that I went to. I love this owl!

9. Another little owl. But this one is done by another artist friend, Joy Elizabeth. I also met her in Georgia, at an art festival.  But now she lives nearby and I can visit with her in person!

10.  The little ACEO size quilted painting on fabric was given to me by my sweet artist friend, Fannie, from Hawaii.  She is a very sweet, talented, and special woman. An inspiration.

11,  The little shot glass, with colored pencils in it, is from Paris. I bought it on the trip to France in 2008.  It definitely brings back special memories of the trip I took with Becky, the French teacher, and 12 wonderful students!

Part I of the New Studio can be found here: The New Studio - Part 1 if you want to see the space before.
I will post pictures of the other work space and storage in the room. And eventually I will post a cleaned up and decluttered space.   Update: Studio Tour - Part 3

Update Studio Tour 2017  - Part 4

Until next time!

Beth♥

Simplify...is my word for 2014

I decided that for 2014 I wanted to simplify my life. For me, that just means to continue to de-clutter my 'space'/home and to stop trying to take on more than I can handle.  So what did I do? I signed up for a 30 day painting challenge! Haha...I am already a few days behind, but the good thing is that I can do multiple paintings in one day to catch up or to get ahead. But the goal is to loosen up with some paintings.  I managed to paint the first one, but then the next 2 days were busy with other responsibilities.  So I hope to get back on schedule over the next couple of days.

I spent a day straightening my art studio last week. Before Christmas, I was so busy that many things had been pulled out, moved, used, and piled up.  So it needed to be cleaned up a bit. It doesn't stay straight very long when I start working in here, so I thought I would take some photos while I could.

A few things about my studio...
1. It is Red, because it was my daughter's room, before she moved away to college. Her choice of color.  I like it, but it probably isn't the best for a studio, but I don't want to take everything out and
paint it! Not yet, anyway. I have other painting projects to take on first!
2. I have the room set up in two working sides.  The first studio photo shows the work table where I create fun things out of clay. The second photo is the corner to the right of the work table where my Sophie naps while I work.
The third photo shows the drawing table and desk where I draw and paint and compute.
3. The little houses that I create are still in the old studio/office space. The last photo, is my display of little houses. I keep them this way so I can find one easily when it sells and I can keep up with what colors and sizes that I have.  I also put a baseball in the front so that you can get an idea of how small they are.  I have had some people tell me they couldn't tell how big or small they are based on some of my photos.  They range from 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inches for the small ones.  But I also make larger ones that can go up to 7 inches tall.

So this is my space where I create.  It is small, but cozy.  I am thankful that I have a room that I can use just for my art and supplies.

Now, I have to get back to my paintings. I have 3 canvases ready to paint. Hopefully something fun will come out of at least one or two of them! Look for updates tomorrow!

Beth♥

Art Studio to Office

Before...lots of little holes patched up!

Painting walls is not my idea of fun painting, but that is what I have started doing at the Macre household...along with my usual art projects.  Its been a few years since I painted a few of the rooms in my house, so I have to paint them to freshen up the walls.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, we hope to move sometime in the near future, so before we put the house on the market, we need to freshen up things around the house.  I'm starting with the 'former art room', because it has been the longest since it was painted...mainly because there was too much stuff in there. I don't have a photo before I took all of the stuff out. Because it was an art room, there were many things on the walls over the years, so you can imagine the nail holes in the walls.  In the photo, you can see the patches for all the tiny nail holes and then the after photos that show how fresh it looks with the new coat of paint! (It looks worse than it was.)  I will definitely be going through the stuff and be more selective in what goes back in there.  It is going to be an office instead of the art studio now. I'm going to resist the urge to fill it up!  It is very nice to have a clean slate.

Painting finished.

Furniture back in place.
 The paint color is closer to the photo above this one.
It looks different in different light.

The other side of the room still needs a little organizing.  I'll post photos of that side eventually.
Now on to another room as soon as I get caught up on art commissions...and to finish my taxes!

Have a nice weekend!

Beth  ♥

Hands in Clay

Its been awhile since I've had time to work with clay, so it was nice to get back into it.  If I didn't have a full time job, I would probably have to schedule a day each week to work in each of my favorite media...clay, colored pencils, pen and ink, and acrylic paints...Because I love working with them all! I could probably get involved with other media as well, but there are only so many hours in a day.  And, for now, 8 hours a day (plus planning, meetings, etc) goes to my day job.  Fortunately, since I am an art teacher, I get to work with all of them some.  My dream job would be to have my own art studio/gallery and work to my hearts content with whatever materials I want to.
Shown here is an Art Studio HeartHome that I recently created.  I've had a few requests for Custom Clay houses with Business Signs on them. So I decided to create an Art Studio. This will be listed in my Etsy Shop soon.


Beth♥ 

The Longest School Year...

...is finally over! I didn't think it would ever end! Because of the ice storm that we had in January, we had 6 days to make up, so they added all 6 of those days to the end of the year! So yesterday was our last day to work. We go back around the middle of August, so the summer will seem very short. But I plan to make the most of all of my time out! I have plans to work in my home studio at least 4 to 5 days per week, if not more. So I got started today. I worked on glazing some of my small clay pieces that I will be putting in the kiln to fire next week. I have to go back to my classroom to fire my pieces, but I do have some paperwork at school that I need to work on. I also plan to work on paperwork throughout the summer to get organized for the next school year. So even though school is out, I do still have school work to do. But I will work on it when I feel like it, at my leisure.

Above is a picture of some of the small clay pieces that I have been working on. I will be listing some of them in my Etsy shop. I have a few more houses to glaze and fire, then I will be working on some colored pencil pieces...maybe even some acrylic paintings. I feel like experimenting!

What do you do in the summertime?

~Beth

Time to Relax!...a little.

Now that the rush of getting ready for Christmas, traveling to visit relatives, and having relatives over for Christmas day is over, I finally have a little time to relax...a little bit. There is plenty to do around here. I have to put away the decorations that were so carefully put out only a few weeks ago. I also need to get organized for the new year. But I am taking a few days to just relax and take it in. That is what Radar, the Papillion in the photo, is good at...just taking it all in. Here he is perched on the back of my mom's couch, in the sunshine, just watching everyone...so he doesn't miss a thing!

I did spend some time yesterday organizing my art studio clutter. I actually filled a trashbag with old items that I never use. I should probably get rid of a lot more, but...you never know when I might need a few hundred envelopes, or three jars of paintbrushes, or half a dozen plastic tubs to put water in for painting! Or some of the old Artists Magazines from the last 5 years. Why do I keep them? Honestly, I don't know. Sometimes I do take a years worth of old magazines to work and let my students look through them, but I don't think they get as much out of them. Maybe I could donate them to a local doctor's office and inspire someone to paint or draw. Well, I better get back to my...relaxing.