Desperately seeking space

Before the New Year, I had this brilliant idea of holding an online auction to move along a number of paintings and prints that had been hanging out in the studio for a long time.  It was a great success.  Every single piece sold and I was put in a situation of having to find a way to fill up the empty spaces on the feature wall in Birdsong Studio.  Even as the auction was happening I began creating new work: the Khmer (Cambodian) Rooster, the Thailand Elephant and the Northern Rockhopper Penguin, to name a few.  Then I dived into the 18 Day Painting Challenge.

New paintings, fresh prints that have arrived, commissions waiting to be picked up, and the growing number of paintings from the challenge have combined to create a cornucopia of colour and a dirth of space.

"I need to ask Heather is she would approve an expansion," I playfully tweeted yesterday.  I'm not sure if Heather thought it was funny or frightening.

After Day 11 and the portrait of pianist Glenn Gould, there are 7 more days to go.  I may need to start choosing canvas sizes based on where I think I can put them when they are done.

As a studio that is in use many hours every day of the week, space is also needed for a growing inventory of canvases.  There was a time when I tried to keep three of every size that I offer.  With certain sizes, I now need to keep up to 6, just in case they are needed.  That collection of canvases takes up a lot of room.

I also have packaging supplies, like cardboard and bubble wrap that bites into my shrinking availability of space, not to mention things like recycling containers, workshop supplies, and various other odds and ends that stack up.

When the 18 Day Panting Challenge is done, I will be putting on another online auction featuring any of the unsold pieces.  I suspect I will add a few other originals and prints to that auction as well.  You can get a great deal on some art and I can get some space back.  It's totally a win-win situation.

In all seriousness, I am very grateful for the studio and the hands that made it.  Jim Dorie, the previous owner, did an amazing job constructing the building.  Even at 40-below, it stays remarkably warm and comfortable.  I realize that a lot of artists struggle with space and need to carve out territory in their living space to do their art.  I'm fairly certain if I had to do that Heather would lose her mind.

Meanwhile, it's time to pull the prompt for Day 12 of the challenge and head out to the studio.  Have a colourful day!