Learning and Living. Imperfectly.

4:39 PM


Yesterday, I tried (on my own) to remove the base boards in my studio. I found out quickly there's a trick to it, and I didn't know what the trick was. This morning, after we picked up the flooring for my studio (yay! FINALLY!!), I asked Chris what the trick was.

I was told it was a chisel. To get behind the board and then use the hammer to tap the chisel down behind the board and lever it away from the wall. Sounds straightforward, right? Except that this base board was installed by my father-n-law and his theory goes something like "if one nail is good, three or four are better!" In fact, when he built the cabinets for the kitchen in our old house there was a standing joke that if we got hit by a hurricane that kitchen would still be standing afterwards BECAUSE it was so well built (read that as nails, lots of nails)!

I did get the base board removed. Imperfectly. And that's okay. I now have a new skill in my house demo-ing toolbox. I also finished painting the last two walls today. That went a little imperfectly too, but nothing that a gallon of paint couldn't cover up. We hope to begin putting down floor on Saturday. Having learned how to do it imperfectly in Chris' studio, I'm hoping mine will be a little less imperfect. Since nothing in this house is square, that's going to be quite the challenge.

I apologize for not having any artwork these days, but I'm truly a fish out of water with no studio and everything in total chaos around here. I couldn't even find an eraser yesterday and I'm pretty sure I have a couple dozen, if not more. Somewhere. I just saw over on Caroline Robert's blog that she's accomplished what I can only dream about - an organized studio!

The little ACEO was done while my mother-in-law was very ill. My father-in-law would give us a word each week to illustrate, then Chris and I would go off to do our own interpretations. We'd then share them the next week. The word for that particular week was "starlight" and it was December. Some things just create themselves. If we're open to it.

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9 Creative Thought(s)

  1. Laure, this is lovely! I am guessing it is wc? How did you do the white on the sheep?

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  2. Hi, MamaBugs, thanks for stopping by and commenting.

    Yes, it is watercolor. The sheep were left white as the background was painted in and then I painted the sheep with a paint by Daniel Smith called buff titanium. It is an off white and somewhat opaque.

    If you have any white wc paint, you can add a touch of yellow ochre or raw sienna to it and get a similar color. This also has touches of ultramarine blue mixed with raw sienna for a shading.

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  3. This is adorable - I'm in love with it. I have a fondness for sheep as my very first toy (brought to the hospital by my Dad) was a little lamb made out of real lambs wool that would fit in my adult hand. I still have it too. Anyway, I love your image.

    I wish you the best in finishing your studio revisions. Maybe you can toast the new year in your new setup!

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  4. ...what a beautiful painting. It would make a sweet, sweet Christmas card. I can't wait to see your finished studio. You've put so much work into your studios, which is really hard to do this time of the year!

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  5. Thanks, Claire and Kelly!

    Oh, Claire, how sweet that you still have your toy! Perhaps a painting waiting to be painted?

    Kelly, I can't wait to see it either!

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  6. This is adorable, and I love your header too! Very seasonal.

    Have comfort, it will get finished eventually and meantime it's probably a good thing to have a rest from artwork as you'll go into it again with renewed vigour. I still haven't got our ornaments up - usually I try to do it first week of December. Sometimes you have to accept that you just can't do everything simultaneously!

    And I've also had to accept that Peter has to do the heavy stuff - drilling holes in walls etc. Even with a masonry bit, I'm not as strong as I used to be.

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  7. I agree with Kelly, this would make a great Christmas card. How sweet that your father-in-law found a way to keep you "occupied" during your mother-in-law's illness.

    I can relate to the "as many nails as possible" mentality. We joke about my husband's carpentry skills the same way.

    I can't wait to see your studio! Will you also be posting before and after photos?

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  8. Very nice card.
    Love your take on studio reconstructing. Been there done that and my wife thinks it needs it again. Hmm?
    Hope you'll post some pixs when it is done. It is always interesting to see how various artists design and fit into their studios.
    God bless and Merry Christmas.

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  9. Thanks, everyone!

    Susie, I'm taking you at your word - that it will get finished EVENTUALLY!

    Krista, there will definitely be photos - not sure if it will be this year or not, but definitely photos!

    Gary, thanks for stopping by! If my studio had not absolutely needed to be cleaned out and reorganized so that I could function in there, I would have bailed!

    It might be done once completed, but it will take a lot to get me to go through this again - any time soon!

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