Friday, July 4, 2008

Getting There

It's been tough living here lately. Every time I go upstairs I take an item that needs to go up into the attic studio. The girls are wearing out the stairs taking things both up and down. And Doug and our oldest son have been carrying the heaviest and bulkiest things up to the attic. This is my handy dandy cabinet built by our friend/contractor so that I could have a presentable place to store finished work. I have been using it in my office downstairs for the last several years, but have had to keep it covered so the cats would stay out of it. It also ended up being a good spot to stack unprepared panels. But now! It just gets to sit in my new studio, uncovered and for now fairly unencumbered. Here's a shot of Doug bringing it up the steps. They had to remove the attic door to get it through the opening.

And here is the cabinet in place.

The Best Gallery Director Ever donated a flat file/tabletop/bookshelf to the cause. (Thank you!) Believe it or not the boys got it upstairs, but only because Doug pried the tabletop off of the top flat file. Luckily the two file cabinets were NOT gorilla glued together as well. I am beyond excited to have a flat file, it's been on my wish list for years. And of course the whole thing will surely get much use.


I have been working in the new studio, getting ready for an upcoming show. Even though I would have liked to take a break while moving my studio, having to keep working has been very helpful. I am able to get a sense of where I want to put things and as I gradually am moving more supplies in I kind of already know where they should go.

This side will have a big work table that I will mostly use to prep panels. I have two 55x38 tabletops with bookcases below on order and they should be coming next week. Until then I have been making do on two card tables. Luckily, most of the paintings for the show are 6x8 and smaller.


PS. I took these pictures on a day that seems an eternity ago: Monday June 30. I have been a busy bee since then though and the whole place looks different again. I am off right now to take more pictures and I will put them up tomorrow.

9 comments:

Kim Morin Weineck said...

Looking forward to seeing those photos. Hope you're enjoying the new space. It's just lovely!

Making A Mark said...

I am so enjoying watching your studio develop and I can see I'll be posting another link to this on my round-up blog post next Sunday.

How wonderful to have a proper big flat file - I am so jealous!

Now - when does the chaise longue move in?

Making A Mark said...

I forgot! Have you ever come across Ken Howard who paints his studio all the time.......

See this link for his studio paintings of his studio

hint.......

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks Kim-more to come later today!

and thanks Katherine, so much for the links, I get a lot of visitors from you! Funny you mention a chaise lounge, check out my next post:)

Maybe a painting of the studio is in order:)

Melody said...

It all looks so wonderful Tracy. How very exciting. Thanks for posting the photos it is so interesting to watch the progress. That big flat file.......oohhh I'm jealous.

Natalya Khorover Aikens said...

wow looks fabulous!

Ellen said...

I'm drooling, just drooling. Your studio is amazing. I have been pestering my handy husband to make me a unit for stretchers, (for about 3 years!) I'm showing him your photos. What a great work space!

andrea said...

What a a beautiful space! I am pea green with envy.

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks Melody, It's been fun posting the progress on this and glad you all enjoyed it.

Thanks Natalya!

Ellen, the absolute only reason this is even remotely close to being a finished space is because my husband had nothing to do with any of the work whatsoever. I am still waiting for him to replace a pane of glass on the kid's bathroom door that was broken 3 years ago!

Thanks Andrea, sorry to make you green, but pea green IS such a great color....