Back in the Studio Finally!

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged ... but I do have a good excuse!

We'd been busy fostering some children for more than a year.  We were assigned an infant, and his half sibling, sister.  While it was a wonderful experience, it was also one of the most stressful times of my entire life.  Fostering isn't an easy job.  You can get very attached to the children.

So, for awhile, my creative side was turned off, and my uber-nurturing side was in full swing.  The children have since been moved on to their grandmother, so I am finally back in a normal routine and trying to get back in design mode.

Would have made a great studio, right?
(The odd shadows are being cast by a ceiling fan
with cut-glass lights.)

We had been renovating our 2 car garage into what was to be a huge, beautiful new studio for me.  But it was turning out so well, we decided it would make an even nicer family room.  So I gave up a super, new studio, but gained not only a new living area, but a new mud room (very handy with horses) AND a lovely new laundry room.  Whew, no more schlepping down to the basement to do a load of clothes!

I'd started to take over our old living room as my studio, but then we got the call to foster the children.  So, we just dumped all my art stuff into the old living room in piles and boxes, and there it sat for months and MONTHS.

Way later, after the children left, my first hurdle was to tackle the total disarray that was my studio. Even now, it's still a bit of a mess. But, I am slowly sorting things out, and do have areas in which to work.  

Needless to say, after not working for so long, I had very little inventory left in the various galleries and shops I sell from.  My recent goal has been to get some production done, and hopefully increase my inventory.  In addition to trying to beef up my gallery inventories, I'm also working on my Etsy shop, and gearing up for another Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour.  Being on the WLAST committee keeps me busy all year, but being an artist on the tour this coming June means I need to create, create, CREATE!

Lately, I've been trying some new directions with my work.  I'm experimenting with various stones, and playing with tabs, settings, layers, and rivets.  I've even been stringing, and playing with beads instead of just hanging my pendants on chain as I have in the past.

I'm also researching the potential purchase of a Hydraulic Press.  It's a large expenditure, so I've been a bit hesitant.  But considering how it might help speed my creative process, it's looking more and more like it might be a worthwhile expense.  We'll see.  I'll keep you posted!