Nippon Vase and Roses, Oil on Canvas, 1985

Well, its been a number of years since I painted this one--25 years ago.  I painted it for Dean and Pauline Jansen.  The antique Nippon vase has been in their family for a long time.  I was nervous handling the vase, and the first thing I did was to paint the vase and get it back to Dean and Pauline.  I have photographs of this canvas with only the Nippon vase completely painted and mysteriously floating in the center of the canvas.  

Dean and Pauline raised 11 children.  I painted a rose for each one, plus two more for Dean and Pauline.  But 13 didn't seem right, so I painted a few more. 

A NEW BEGINNING

I'm learning a painting technique--called The Carder Method.  It will be quite different from dry brush and glazing techiques I used to employ.  I am optimistic I can learn the Carder Method and bring my work to a higher level.  I plan to be sitting at the easel in my studio the first week of January.  Ah yes, a new beginning!

Getting the art studio ready is like crawling to the finish line.  There's shingling to finish, insulation, drywall, electrical, flooring, heating, lighting, and window treatments to sew to get it ready.  There's so much to do it is almost painful. 

We never get bored here at home.  Jon has at least five lists going at one time.  I prefer one list at a time.

Recycling a Couple Library Card File Crendenzas

My neighbor friend gave me these two identical card file credenzas.  Wow, what great storage for the art studio and sewing room.  120 drawers of storage space to hold everything from tubes of oil paints & brushes, to sewing notions.  Drawers will be easy to label. 

Above, you can see I've started to remove brass fixtures and will buff them up just a bit to feel clean to the touch.  I sanded some of the drawers this evening.  When the drawers are done-I'll remove them, then sand the frame, prime everything, and finish with two coats of satin black.

I think they'll look smashing, and the function is over-the-top perfect for me.

Above, check out the legs, ewwwww--they're going bye-bye.  Without the legs, the credenza is 29" tall, perfect table-top height to add laminate countertop in my sewing space. 

The 2 credenzas ares each 66" long.  I'll put one credenza in the sewing room (west dormer), and the other credenza DH Jon will built a box platform to raise it to 35 countertop height for the north end of the studio--lots of room for supplies, tubes of paint, brushes, etc.

I hope to have this project done before the end of the week.  I'll drop a few "finished" photos, so you can see.

Building The Art Studio (more photos)

Today, DH Jon and his buddy Ben finished the shell of the west dormer.  We're so glad to be this far.  Rain, rain, and more rain all last week, and cloudy and cold all day long.

Above: Standing in the middle of the studio, I'm facing the east dormer.  On the right of the floor is the opening for the elevator. 

I'm standing at the north end of the studio looking south to the balcony doors.  Left is the east dormer, and barely visible to the right is the west dormer (sewing room).

Standing in the middle of the studio I'm facing the east dormer, and great view of the old blue barn. 

Above: this is the west dormer 8' x  12' room just like the east dormer.  DH Jon will put countertops around the south and west walls.  My sewing machine and serger will be in this room.   This is so exciting, I have to pinch myself.

Louis Wain - Artist - Cats playing in Catland

This is an oversize print by Louis Wain.  He spent his career painting cats doing human activities.  This print was a gift from a friend Pug Matzen who visited me Memorial Day.  Isn't this a jewel?  This one was published around 1910.

 

The Art Studio Build Continues

The old tune: "gray skies are going to clear up, put on a happy face." 

Well, the boys are trying their best.  Last night there was quite a bit of rain, and they put plastic everywhere to keep out the rain.

Below: the walls are up on the east dormer. This will be a great view.

My brother came over to help set the trusses on the east dormer. 

Below is Dad taking a break at the north wall of the east dormer.

Below: Mom cleans, fills, and sands original spindles from the front porch. 

This is some tough work.  Mom has such patience!

More Photos (Build East Dormer) Art Studio

Started building the east dormer on Tuesday, June 1.  I asked Jon to move the east dormer to the north  4 feet to give me a longer east wall to accommodate students and easels.  Jon hates the idea but is going along with my request. 

The boom truck lifting floor platform for the east dormer into position. 

Below: I'm standing in the south end of the studio, facing east.  This photo taken before platform was lifted into position.

Below: I'm standing in the south end of the studio, left is the west dormer and right is the east dormer.

Jon and his brother Paul moving platform into position.  Upper left side of platform is opening for the elevator.

Jon braces opening.  Paul is knocking down metal flashing with a chunk of lumber and a hammer.

Below:

The lower left side of the photo is my Mom Lorraine sitting in a lawn chair.  She meticulously cleans spindles for the front porch restoration.  The tops of the spindles are toast and require gouging out wafer like decayed wood. 

Afterwards she fills the voids a little at a time with wood filler.  Mom and I cleaned lots of spindles last summer together.  We're getting near the end of restoring the spindles.  Next step is to prime and paint them--getting them ready for reassembly of porch rails.  We fabricated new rails, but will use the old spindles to reconstruct.  We don't have enough old spindles and have to fabricate a dozen new ones to complete the porch.

Below:  Brother Paul (standing) and Jon (kneeling) prepare opening to shim platform (leveling the adjoining floors).

Above: in the center of the photo you can see the elevator opening in the corner of the east dormer platform.

I'm standing in the north end of the studio.  These two photos show the west and east dormers.

Garage (Second Story) Art Studio

Today, we began phase two on the second story art studio above the garage--to build the east and west dormers (8'x 12' rooms).

Below, Jon and Dad opened up a 12ft. section to make the west dormer.  An identical dormer will be added to the east making room for an elevator, and canvas/frame storage.  There will be windows in the dormers, but ceiling fixtures w/ 5000k bulbs will light the studio.   

Here's Jon and Dad building the west dormer today, lifting the platform using the bucket truck boom.

Jon is the fellow in the white t shirt, and my father Gale in the striped shirt. 

My Dad is 80 years old . . . and is a retired contractor. 

Dad and Jon putting attaching sub floor on west dormer.  In the background is our garden.

End of the day's work for Dad and Jon. 

Lower right is Mom watching the build.