Total Studio Re-Vamp 2016 v.1

On July 19th, I have had enough. 

When your studio space is a major stress factor in your life it is time to make a change. My studio layout did not work for me anymore. As most of you know I am an interdisciplinary artist, I am not just a printmaker (which in itself is a very material heavy field), I also paint, create 3D installation pieces, draw, embroider, knit, and oh so much more. So everything I do needs materials, equipment, etc. Which of course take up space. Just as the finished work takes up space. As my artistic practice has gotten a lot busier and more intense in the last 9 months than possibly ever before I realized over and over again that my space layout doesn't work anymore. So after a night of working out the space problem in my head while sleeping I woke up with somewhat of plan. The giant bookshelf needs to be moved. Which was a good starting point. I am sad I lost most of my wall space this way, but: wall space vs. sanity... Sanity wins. 

(That Bandana is only worn when moving or during major renos,

 so this promised to be quite the undertaking.)

The downside to revamping the studio space is always that you have to somewhat empty the space first, so all of this stuff overtook the dining room. 

Also at first you have to be strong and not let the chaos overcome you! It can be quite challenging! 

At this moment you are the most likely to give up and get tired. 

Oh gosh... will this ever end? I better go have some ice cream and then come back to tackle this mess! 

Built a tube storage unit under the ceiling for older work that I don't need to access very often. Framing supplies, wire and the framing tabs you attach wire to, come in super handy when installing such improvisations. 

Need to add a shelf connector to the bookshelf up top to maximize storage possibility. 

Much better! Now I need a frame storage rack above the tall Ikea Alex drawer unit. 

That will do! 

So, the new little table top press has a permanent spot when I am not out and about with her. And I have already made a print on her recently. 

Wall of storage instead of display-wall-space. The wall of storage definitely wins! 

The area above the flat files is now for paper cutting and packaging prints for mail out. still looks a bit messy here, but it's much better. 

Nothing much has changed around the drawing tables, except that the taller one seems to be now a permanent printmaking/inking table. 

Little Panorama view of the space. 

The part that is kind of hard to grasp from the photos above is the fact that I now have an enormous amount of floor space in comparison to before, so even if I return from a workshop and just shove the boxed into the studio I will be able to walk around it and be productive until I have time to unpack. Where as before it would completely block the room. 

As always thank you to my oh-so-patient husband for dealing with the mess for a day.