A Visitor in the Studio

Well hi there! Happy Saturday to you.

Our house was a little fuller this week, as we had Jack in town for his spring break. 

 I can't ever get him to pose for a picture, so this is the best I got of him all week! 

We spent Wednesday working together in the "capsule" (my tiny studio.)

 Jack worked on a Flash animation.

  I worked on a Dala horse for Matt. 

He's been asking me for a year to make him one. Sorry it took so long Matty! 

We peacefully coexisted in these tight quarters all afternoon. 

Here are the end results. Enjoy! 

New and Notable

Hi there. How are you?

For quite a long time now, I've been thinking about and talking about turning my abstract Moleskine doodles into a sell-able product. (Read more about that here and see some drawings here.)

This week, I finally made it happen!

The "Trade Winds" series as I like to call it, is a collection of 4 drawings I did on a vintage National Geographic map of Africa. I like the way the map gives some interest and context to the these flowing abstractions and I love the little bits of red text.

The line actually flows from one piece to the other. 

Though these pieces were created in a group, I really do think they can all stand on their own. Each piece has its own title, usually coming from the text on the map.  This one is called "Off Dakar, Feb 15, 1954."

I like how the map backdrop helps to further the implication of movement and/or travel.

Each piece measures just 4" x 4" and is mounted on a 3/4" deep panel. 

All four pieces are for sale individually in my Etsy shoppe.  If you are interested in purchasing the entire series of 4, please contact me.....You will receive a discounted rate. I have already had an inquiry about purchasing the whole set, so do act fast! 

Do let me know what you think of these new pieces, and do enjoy your weekend! Ta-Ta.

We Bought a Fixer - The Built-in got Bigger!

Hi again. How are you?

I had a really productive day in my studio, pumping out some new work. 

I just couldn't tear myself away to write my Wednesday post until now! 

A few weeks back, Matt added a little extension to our built-in.

He constructed a desk to span the space between the bookcase and the entertainment center.

Pretty smart use of space if I do say so myself! 

Despite the fact that there are "his and hers" chairs here, Matt has claimed this as his domain. 

I'm totally OK with that....as I have my "secret room" studio.

(I promise to show you my studio when I get it fully decorated!)

We recently picked up this sharp looking desk chair at a yard sale for $5. What a steal!

We love its warm, worn look, and clean lines. 

I've had this chair in my personal collection for years.

I love the way it plays against the dark, heavy desk chair. 

Well, that's all I've got to say about that. 

What you you think about our newest DIY? Do tell!

 

P.S. Be on the look out for new listings in my Etsy shoppe any day now!

We Bought a Fixer - Guest Bathroom Gut

Hi there! How are you?

 It was a long time coming, but I am happy to report that our guest bathroom remodel is complete! 

 You may recall the creepy space we started with. (Read more here.)

Quite a transformation....Isn't it? 

The vanities came from Ikea.

We really like how the narrow sinks work in this long, skinny room.

I dig the little towel hooks and metal tray that came with the sink.

Adds a little bit of "counter space" for a guest. 

The tile may look familiar to you.

We used the leftovers from the kitchen  to do this job.

We used a dark grout to give it a little more contrast. 

 

 The creepy brown "lowboy" toilet......

....was replaced by a "comfort height" water saving one. 

The carpet was replaced with tile. (Yes, there was carpet in 2 of our 3 bathrooms.) Gross! 

We used something very similar to what we have in our kitchen. 

 

The tired cast-iron pink tub......

......was replaced with a white tub and gray surround. 

This is the only part of the bathroom we didn't do ourselves.

We paid a plumber to install the tub, surround & shower fixtures.

 

We got this Italian - English translation shower curtain for a wedding present. 

Love how it works in this bathroom. 

We're pretty darn proud of our new guest bath.

Come visit, and you can use it!

Ta-ta for now!