Tour de Studio

Today, I'm opening the virtual doors to my creative workspace. When people hear "studio" what may come to mind are lovely lofts with historical stone walls and arched windows overlooking the bay, converted mills with picturesque sunbeam strewn floors nestled in the country, or contemporary vaulted ceilings with windows open to the busy city below. My studio is nothing like these, not nearly as glamorous, but does shows that you can have a space to create no matter where you live.

To me, an art studio is simply a place designated for creating. For me, the garage translated perfectly to fit all my enameling needs; away from food & water, good ventilation, good lighting, a power source, and plenty of counter space.

No, it’s not the most glamorous setup, and the good work days fluctuate with the weather; another reason I embrace warm weather. With no heat in the garage, even a 1500°F kiln doesn’t do the trick. It’s been a difficult winter, but I made the most of days above 40°F. Thankfully it's been in the 50's-60's. I've been spoiled, able to work when I please! Spring and summer are a welcome change.
In the picture you can see the counter top strewn with newspapers, the kiln with trivets resting on its top, and stacks of powdered glass. There are paintbrushes, adhesives, filing, and cleaning tools everywhere. It's an organized mess, perfect for getting those creative juices flowing!

Morel of the Story

This past weekend I spent some quality time with my grandparents at the Mansfield mushroom festival in Indiana. The festival welcomes the short and unpredictable hunting season of morel mushrooms; when the cold, wet Spring weather turns to sunshine.

My grandpa and I trudged through the woods in hopes of finding lots of mushrooms, but ended up after two hours, we each found ONE. At least we did not go empty handed? Meanwhile, grandma was busy looking through the handmade crafts, many of which were mushroom-inspired.
She laughed at the sight of our bounty from the great hunt. I thought it was funny too. Grandpa on the other hand was quite disappointed. He was quickly cheered up with some proper kettle corn.
The rest of the day was spent picnic-ing on the bank of the creek, touring the old mill & covered bridge, as well as attending the busy mushroom auction. Bought some mushrooms from the auction so I wouldn't go home empty-handed.






Overall, very interesting experience, but most enjoyed was the precious time spent with family on a sunny Indiana day!

In Full Bloom --- Orchids

This weekend I gasped the opportunity to visit an orchid farm tucked in the rolling countryside of Indiana; a gorgeous greenhouse in full bloom. I slowly strolled the rows of laddering blooms in lavender, burgundy, butter, ivory, clover, and white.

The beauty of the scene was overwhelming. Orchids have been my favorite flower, and this weekend reinforced the notion of their simple and elegant splendor.

As words cannot do justice, I'll leave it up to the pictures to depict a story of my experience.