by Izzy Winterhart
I had to giggle at Patty's post from last week aptly named "Are you a cluttered creative?" because I was knee deep in my own studio reorganization project at the time her post went up. I'm not a cluttered creative, but it seems I was living like one... I am quite organized and have a home with minimal clutter but yet my work space was just CRAZY! No wonder my creative muse ran away from home last month. She nor I could work in that silliness.
How many of you have the book "The Jeweler's Studio Handbook"? How many of you, like I, covet that guys studio? Oh, my! I dream that someday, someday, oh, someday my studio can be a piece of art. A place where I go and sit and have creative ideas fall gracefully from the sky and plop down right there on my magnificent table. But in the meantime, well, this is my space. (I am reluctantly sharing, but a dear friend made me do it. You guys can blame her!)
As most of you know from all the whining and complaining I did about the heat this summer, my work space is in our garage. I do complain (the drama queen that I am), but really I have a great space. I don't have any before shots (thank goodness) but I can tell you that the "before" setup was over the top inefficient. I had my drill press on the other side of the room, my patina on my sawing table, my anvil and vise on my husband's work bench and well, the list goes on and on and on. So the other day I pulled out the book I mentioned earlier, drank a cup of hot tea, drooled a bit (I promise I wiped it up off the pages) then started on my own space. I took down everything, I moved everything off the tables and put it on the floor. I started first by moving tables and getting the fung shui straight first and foremost. Gotta have the chi right for my muse. My main workbench is up against the wall (it was already there so that was easy) and my larger table I moved directly behind the work bench (galley style).
Now I can just whirl around from one table to the other. Sometimes I just whirl around until I'm dizzy. Did I just say that out loud? Anyway, the table arrangement is much better. Then I put my little, neglected sawing table (that was under a window) at the end of my big table. AH, now I might use it more. And yes, it's really that bright color of green (even though it really looks yellow here). Although you can't see, I've attached hooks on the side of the table so I can hang my saw, saw blades and whatever else I need. Wonderful!!
Then I carefully thought out my daily work habits. What tools do I use the most? Those I gathered up and put on my main workbench. What do I use frequently? Those were put on another table. And what do I use the least? Those were put in a cabinet, out of the way. All my hammers were in an old paint can. Boy, was that stupid because they spent more time laying out on my work bench than in the can. Think Izzy, think, where to put the hammers. Ah, ha! Right in front of my face. So on the peg board they went. By the way, that's the most brilliant thing I did during this entire project - I love them right there.
Then piece by piece I got everything put up, organized and right where it should have been in the first place.
After everything was put up I realized I still needed a place for all my tid bits of copper, all my sheets of copper and all my ribbons. After a little research we headed back out to Northern Tool and bought this bad boy, er, uhm, girl. Don't you dig the way it matches "Big Red". I shall call her "Little Sally". Inside is all my copper, fibers and whatever else I like to hide away.
It's only taken me a year of working in a cluttered mess to actually do something about it, but it's done. And it's wonderful. And I love it!
I had to giggle at Patty's post from last week aptly named "Are you a cluttered creative?" because I was knee deep in my own studio reorganization project at the time her post went up. I'm not a cluttered creative, but it seems I was living like one... I am quite organized and have a home with minimal clutter but yet my work space was just CRAZY! No wonder my creative muse ran away from home last month. She nor I could work in that silliness.
How many of you have the book "The Jeweler's Studio Handbook"? How many of you, like I, covet that guys studio? Oh, my! I dream that someday, someday, oh, someday my studio can be a piece of art. A place where I go and sit and have creative ideas fall gracefully from the sky and plop down right there on my magnificent table. But in the meantime, well, this is my space. (I am reluctantly sharing, but a dear friend made me do it. You guys can blame her!)
As most of you know from all the whining and complaining I did about the heat this summer, my work space is in our garage. I do complain (the drama queen that I am), but really I have a great space. I don't have any before shots (thank goodness) but I can tell you that the "before" setup was over the top inefficient. I had my drill press on the other side of the room, my patina on my sawing table, my anvil and vise on my husband's work bench and well, the list goes on and on and on. So the other day I pulled out the book I mentioned earlier, drank a cup of hot tea, drooled a bit (I promise I wiped it up off the pages) then started on my own space. I took down everything, I moved everything off the tables and put it on the floor. I started first by moving tables and getting the fung shui straight first and foremost. Gotta have the chi right for my muse. My main workbench is up against the wall (it was already there so that was easy) and my larger table I moved directly behind the work bench (galley style).
Now I can just whirl around from one table to the other. Sometimes I just whirl around until I'm dizzy. Did I just say that out loud? Anyway, the table arrangement is much better. Then I put my little, neglected sawing table (that was under a window) at the end of my big table. AH, now I might use it more. And yes, it's really that bright color of green (even though it really looks yellow here). Although you can't see, I've attached hooks on the side of the table so I can hang my saw, saw blades and whatever else I need. Wonderful!!
(Please ignore the lawn mowing equipment and Gooba, the cat, at the end of the table)
Then I carefully thought out my daily work habits. What tools do I use the most? Those I gathered up and put on my main workbench. What do I use frequently? Those were put on another table. And what do I use the least? Those were put in a cabinet, out of the way. All my hammers were in an old paint can. Boy, was that stupid because they spent more time laying out on my work bench than in the can. Think Izzy, think, where to put the hammers. Ah, ha! Right in front of my face. So on the peg board they went. By the way, that's the most brilliant thing I did during this entire project - I love them right there.
Then piece by piece I got everything put up, organized and right where it should have been in the first place.
After everything was put up I realized I still needed a place for all my tid bits of copper, all my sheets of copper and all my ribbons. After a little research we headed back out to Northern Tool and bought this bad boy, er, uhm, girl. Don't you dig the way it matches "Big Red". I shall call her "Little Sally". Inside is all my copper, fibers and whatever else I like to hide away.
(I have one of my favorite Einstein quotes written on my table as you see peeking through.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge, for while knowledge defines everything we know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.")
11 comments:
It looks awesome! My workspace is in the house, and there are disadvantages to that too. My windows that give my great light, take away dearly needed wall space. I can't be as messy as I'd like to be, and have to be extra careful about fumes. I drool at your pegboard;-) My hammers are in a box that with their handles sticking out for my to grab as needed. LOL!
What a great space! I think you did this in an amazing amount of time!
thank you so much for sharing this part of your process... for it is... it has to do with how your construct your space... it is lovely - i really adore the pegboard, but also so many other of the well thought out parts... i think your first impulse to prioritize what gets most usage was very interesting - i like that... and, yes, holschuh's book and work have inspired me deeply... but now so have you!
Wonderful, Izzy. Now will you come over and organize me?
Great job, Izzy! It's just as neat as I imagined it would be. ;-) Your new toolbox is great - I inherited one like that from my husband, and love it. But I'm curious about one thing...in the next to the last photo, is that your lunch there over to the right?
No Patty, that would be sawdust and vinegar (patina). Yummy!
Hmmm, and it so looked like the roasted pumpkin I've been eating this week. ;-) Congrats on your shop re-do!
What a great space you have. Doesn't it feel great to reorganize? I've been working through a studio remodel myself - still a bit of work to do but getting there!
WOW!!!!! CAn you come organize me?? Too funny that you posted this... I too laughed as I read the "cluttered" post, and thought about writing a similar post about my space... I just can't seem to bring myself to take the 'before' pictures. I'm chin deep in shows and filling orders right now and "clutter" does not BEGIN to describe my "art room" (spare bedroom). My INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL husband worked and worked to convert some garage space for my kiln, soldering, photography, etc. I just have to find time to do that .. um... organization thingy..... (is it January yet?) :)
What a fantastic work space! I just cleaned mine, and have to say that you get much more inspiration when you know/remember/can see what you have, if that makes sense? :)
Wow, what an incredible job! I have to agree that reorganizing everything does change your mindset. Happy creating in that great space!
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