I’ve been struggling with having my office in my studio for a long time. Over the years, it’s encroached on the physical studio space and but even worse, into my brain. I had found my morning-office-business of art-work bleeding more and more into my creative time in the afternoons. For several years, I’ve been eyeing a small walk-in closet that I’d been using for painting storage. It has a skylight. Right across from the hallway is the door that leads out into the courtyard, a few steps from my studio.
What if I moved the paintings out of the closet and turned it into an office? I just couldn’t get this notion off my mind. Naturally, I didn’t consider where the stored paintings would end up. In my usual impulsive way, I began pulling the paintings out and storing them in the bedroom attached to the closet.
Above, closet, now emptied of paintings. Below, view from door looking into former closet.
Below, temporary storage of paintings in adjacent bedroom. I can’t believe all of these fit in this closet! I’d better get a move on, clearing an area in my studio to put them in—this will definitely not be tolerated by me or other residents of this house.
Voila! New shelving in new office (below). Thanks Jim for putting these up for me.
Hallway outside office, now housing my files and color printer.
Below, miraculously, everything fit just right in the space. Had I measured? Had I planned? No, guess I just lucked out on this.
I decided to use the walls for some of my personal works, instead of storing them away out of sight. It’s nice to have them up.
From the door to my office, I can step out and walk a dozen steps across the courtyard to my studio.
Starting to stack paintings, sorted by series, at the back of my studio (former office space). It occurred to me that it will be handy to have such easy access to them as opposed to in the closet where they were all mixed up and stacked up together..
Well now this was a big oversight. Leaning against the tables are two 48″x48″ paintings that I’d completely tuned out, below. Sitting right there in front of me. Where oh where could I put them? Then I realized that they could be hung on the wall right above the rest of the stored paintings.
Here’s Jim, measuring, getting ready to hang the paintings.
And here they are. What’s interesting is that I’d never seen these two hung side by side before. They definitely dominate the wall.
With the paintings storage taken care of, I turned around to see this dismaying sight. Next job, clearing and cleaning and putting away all this stuff that’s piled up.
And here’s my studio—operational at last!
My reorganization meant that I needed to relocate my couch/reading area. It became obvious that the only place it would fit was at the front end of the studio. I like it here, another happy accident.
Moving right along. Now I had 2 parts of the “compound” area functional—office and studio. It took a bit of straightening up, but part 3 of the compound are my saws on this table in the courtyard. They’re nestled between the studio and office, under an overhang so they’re safely protected from rain.
And here’s the studio “annex”. Needed some serious cleaning after a winter of neglect. It turned out that the flooring was destroyed by pools of water that made their way in during some intense storms. See the roll of carpeting on top of the table? I purchased rolls of this stuff and covered the previous flooring with it. (see photo after this one to admire the floor).
And here we are, clean, re-floored and ready to go.
Fresh plastic on the tables and all spiderwebs have been conquered.
Alas, I was hit by a bout of sciatica. Here I am at physical therapy, contorted, working on conquering this ailment so that I can get to work! Frustrating. A little lesson in not trying to do too much, too fast.
