My
workroom is a rather small area, and over time just grew,
with my bringing more and more stuff into an area that was
not expanding.
You can see it as it was when I was working on The Wife of Bath, by going to this page: My Workroom and The Wife of Bath in Progress, and then come back to this page to see how really awful it got after that!
The
word stasis, which I recall from my science courses years
ago, comes from the Greek, a "standing still," from histasthai, "to stand." Some three years after the
Wife of Bath project, this was an adequate description of
my end of "The Back Room." Things had reached
such a point that I could not work at my table and just
felt paralyzed, as if I had one foot nailed to the floor
in the center of the mess.
Okay,
deep breath. Here's how it looked after I decided the area
HAD to be reorganized.
Thinking
It Through
Well,
it really wasn't THIS BAD. This is the calamitous overview
AFTER I started sorting and throwing away and moving stuff
out. Oh what a mess! The end of a former tv cart is visible
under the table. On it is a ladybug scene I quit working
on when I couldn't stand the room any longer. The rest of
the stuff on and in that cart is grandchildren project supplies.
I hoped to have at least one area that could be kept clear
for works-in-progress, like the little ladybug box. I wanted
to put my husband's old desk where that worktable is. It
is very sturdy, its top is almost impervious to damage,
and it has six drawers, plus a small, shelf unit-type hutch
that sits at the back. Which meant I was going to have to
take down those two hanging shallow cabinets where my paints
and stuff are now. Oh dear; then where wouldl they go?.
I
thought at first I would put the old worktable at right
angles to the window OVER these two pieces. It would fit,
but then I would have had to keep those rolling carts in
the window behind the table, (not visible here, except for
the corner of the table) and I didn't want to do that. So,
then I hoped I could put at least three of the carts under
the work table. That way, theoretically at least, I could
work at the desk, swivel my chair and have a surface for
in-progress pieces atop the old worktable - and easy access
to the carts.
Then
what would I do with the glass-doored case? Gee, I didn't
know, but I didn't want to get rid of it because it's great
to keep miscellaneous pieces and seasonal dome settings
away from the ubiquitous El Paso dust. The little chest
was my son's old nightstand. I hoped that the drawers in
the desk would make it unnecessary and it might be eliminated.
As
long as you just look at the shelves, it's not too bad at
this stage. I spent many an hour over several months getting
everything sorted and labelled in those drawers and boxes.
That really helped in this reorganization process. At least
I knew where everything was, pretty much.
This
side looked even less tidy because of the different levels
of old furniture and wall shelves on brackets. One piece
looks ready to topple! Most of the stuff you see here atop
the old chest of drawers (my son's childhood fascination
with goofy stickers still evident on it) is quarter scale.
Since I am running out of space to display things, I plan
to do more smaller scales. That small teacup and saucer
has strawberries on it; I keep thinking I will make a quarter
scale strawberry scene of some sort in it.
Oh,
ugh. Now we've reached floor level again. That's a quarter
scale Sunday House in progress in the house gift bag; heaven
knows what else. The lamp fell as I was moving things out
of the room.
This
is the rest of the right wall. Not too bad; at least everything
is labeled. (Gee; do I see an empty drawer? How is that
possible? lol) I used that ice cream carton to transport
my Desert Dweller to the Santa Fe International Figurative
Arts Doll Show for a critique.
Here
are some items I was grouping to photograph for a Cheap
Thrills page. The box holds wooden bases for scenes; the
brass base was from an old anniversary clock. Lying around
and underneath are things like plastic bags and disposable
plastic aprons. I learned to provide something for my grandchildren
when we do messy projects. They like opening and peeling
apart those plastic aprons, too. Where in the world am I
going to put these in the new arrangement? Beats me.
Here
I've started moving carts and other storage pieces into
the grandchildren's playroom. Not too clear a picture, but
the light was bad, or maybe the battery was getting low that day, or both ....
That's
my McKinley hanging on the wall. It used to hang in the
entryway; right now it is full of rabbits and bears. I am
not sure what its final form will be. There is a toy box
underneath it, which nobody can get to right now. Normally,
I have a few mini scenes in the shelf unit against the wall.
You can get a glimpse of the Peppermint Point roombox that
I won as a table prize at a NAME convention in Minneapolis.
Perched
atop a cart is one of those Hallmark greenhouses available
a couple of years or so ago; one of these days I am going
to fill it for my daughter, who has a real green thumb.
The tallest cart on the right I bought to hold doll stuff;
it still wasn't big enough, so I have to rethink that idea!
Here
is the other side of the room. Normally I use that desk
as a sewing space. Next to the sewing machine is a tall
glass case that holds a wonderful Flamenco dancer who is
too big for one-inch scale. Think I'll see if my daughter
wants her, since she has Southwest stuff in her den. That's
a half-inch scale McKinley sitting next to a San Francisco
house waiting to be wired and wallpapered.
Back
to the back room again. Oh, shoot. I have been working here
forever and it still looks impossible. I think I will just
dump everything that's loose into a box and then later,
when all the furniture is in its new arrangement, figure
out whether to keep it all or not. I probably wouldn't miss
any of it.
By
the way, that yardstick which is glued/screwed to the front
of the worktable has been very handy.
See
those white labeled boxes under the table? They are stationery
boxes my DIL saves for me at her job. They are great because
they are sturdy, stack easily and with labels added look relatively
tidy. I have used them to save items for future projects,
for things like cardboard pieces, etc. In the real world
of my "serious" writing I also use them to organize
research materials and various chapters, etc., of my novels.
Well,
there is some progress; I've emptied some boxes and cartons,
started filling up that white trash bag under the table.
But the more I get rid of, the more I pull out, and it seems
to look messier than ever.
I
have a hard time getting rid of various sizes of boxes and
ice cream buckets. What makes me think I will need to keep
a supply of them? They are renewable resources. Just buy
some more ice cream!
My
gosh, I can see bare wall spots above and below the work
table!
Well,
the glass-fronted unit and the old nightstand are gone.
And
that is red carpet visible to the left of my chair! Wow!
And
the worktable has been emptied and there is clear space
underneath. Amazing. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos;
my camera must've really been needings its battery re-charged or
something.
Oh,
I will be glad when I don't see this when I look in the
doorway of our spare bedroom/playroom. Maybe I should just
shut the door.
I have not gotten photos of my work area after the reorganization was finally concluded, but hope to soon. I assure you it is much better than the pictures above, particularly because I finally MADE myself throw away or give away a whole bunch of stuff. It's still not big enough, however.
Should have pictures soon.
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