Studio Progress
It has been a productive past few days around the Guajardo household! Inspired by Pinky’s home renovations, we have begun painting the trim in our home, clearing out the garage and general sprucing up of the homestead. After remodeling our house 1 1/2 years ago, we basically moved in and have been living with all sorts of unfinished projects. We sort of turned a blind eye to it all, until I said, “enough is enough!” We have to finish it, I feel like there’s something that still needs to be done every single day of the year and after the feng shui seminar, it’s just plain bad energy.
In addition to painting the trim we have begun the process of cleaning the garage in anticipation of my studio conversion. I’m working in there, but it’s not pretty. Functional, but not pretty. I can already picture the crisp white walls and light streaming in from the new windows…bits of inspriation and eye candy hung on the walls. Back to reality, we posted several items to our local Craigslist for free and for sale. We arranged the items for easy extraction from the garage that will find their way back into the house including an upright piano and a set of bedroom furniture. Stacks of boxes of slides are sitting in our dining room waiting to be scanned and archived.
And, I am letting a large portion of my stash of artist’s canvas go via Ebay. If you looking for cheap canvas – give my auctions a looksie. I have 6 packs of 6″ x 6″ x 3/4″ stretched (staple free edges) canvas starting at $7.99 per box and 6 packs of 16″ x 20″ x 3/4″ stretched (staple free edges) canvas starting at $15.99 per box. These are all still sealed in their boxes by the factory. I purchased these new from Art Supply Warehouse last year for $12.99 and $29.99 respectively.
In the meantime, I started coloring some of the porcelain clay with mason stains to begin some experimentation with millefiori for my ceramic pendants that I’ll be selling on Etsy.
Several people commented that they had no idea what 500 pounds of clay looked like. I purchase this pre-made from Mile Hi Ceramics by 50 pound boxes. It comes with 2 – 25 pound bags per box. Here’s what one bag looks like. So, I had 10 – 50 pound boxes in the back of my Pathfinder (one of the few times I need an SUV – that and camping). 
HMBT
March 27, 2007 at 11:11 am //
OMG! I need to get over to your auctions right now! I need new canvas so bad, as my new stash has been used up and I am going into withdrawls. Good for you getting all that done and started, it feels better to just have made it that far dosen’t it?…being proactive rules! Keep it up and soon you’ll look back on this and say now that wasn’t so hard….and look what we did! Off to Ebay…I hope I can still afford them!
Cynthia
March 27, 2007 at 2:02 pm //
Good luck, Heather…actually no worries only one person is bidding on the canvases right now.
It does feel good – like we just draino-ed our life. Unclogging the clutter!
andrea
March 27, 2007 at 4:24 pm //
I love to visit here because your blog really is the life of an artist — in progress! I love that. And on that note, I think I need to go and buy some of your small canvas packs. I never buy on eBay, though, so this will be an adventure…
andrea
March 27, 2007 at 4:28 pm //
Hmmm — I bid one one pack of 6×6 canvases but it told me that you don’t ship to Canada. I’m actually wanting to buy 2 packs of the 6×6 if possible but will wait on you to find out if I’m eligible.
LynClay
March 27, 2007 at 5:52 pm //
It sounds like the spring bug has bit you Cyn, your garage studio is going to be wonderful, lucky you!! We have a garage but my husband staked his claim on it when we moved in and I can’t get anything in there, darn him LOL! I am off to look at your auctions, those are some great prices!
LynClay
March 27, 2007 at 6:19 pm //
Cyn I just put in a bid on the 6×6 ones and thinking of bidding on another, you have some bids coming in on them!
Angela
March 27, 2007 at 6:50 pm //
Sure wish I could afford store bought canvas’s…but I can’t so I have to make them myself. Such is life.
I’ve wondered about that.
*HUGS*
Anyhoo, your studio is looking great! YOU GO! Thanks for showing us what the clay looks like right before you start using it.
Mary Timme
March 27, 2007 at 8:33 pm //
Cynthia, You’re kidding! I drive a Pathfinder, just an older one than you do, I’m sure.
What a bargin on your post. I wish I needed streched canvas. I bet somebody snaps them up.
I see a big change in the garage! You’ve done some work! Very impressive. You must have more energy than I can imagine!
jafabrit
March 28, 2007 at 12:20 am //
oh, ouch, it hurts letting things go, but all for a good cause.
The Lone Beader
March 28, 2007 at 3:51 am //
Your post reminds me, I need to clean up my beads. LOL