This battered old brown suitcase came from my Mum’s house.
The faint monogram are not initials I recognise.
My Grandad was a dustman. He died before I was born.
My Mum was often the drop off point for the PTA jumble sale.
It is likely this case came into my family after being cast out elsewhere.
I wonder about the owner of the monogrammed case.
Who they were and where they journeyed with this tiny case.
It now lives in my studio filled with books and pens.
My portable nest of creative comfort.
I run an art club in school.
They don’t have any plugs in the art room.
It’s a brand new school. Why no plugs?
I fill a sink with warm soapy water.
The kids think this is the greatest thing.
I am never short of washing up volunteers.
Never underestimate the humble plug.
I missed a few weeks. Pesky kids and school holidays.
I’ll try to catch up.
A brush. Not just any brush.
My Isinis brush. The best brush for smoothing over backcombing.
I’ve had this over twenty years.
Essential for creating awesome beehive hairdos.
I brought this in to the studio to show my then studio neighbour how to create big hair for her wedding day.
When I was done I picked up a can and sprayed it liberally. The smell was familiar yet not like the hairspray I’d brought with me.
Oops, wrong can. There were no flies on her that day!
A shell sits on the shelf.
Most likely arrived at the studio in one of my son’s pockets.
A small boy’s treasure.
It now sits amongst my beach treasure, some from as far away as Belfast, Maine.
It might one day be reclaimed but more likely is that it will become another small boy’s, or girl’s, treasure.
Until that time it will sit quietly on the shelf.
Marmite.
Love it or hate it.
The expiry date on this is JUN14.
It was hidden under stuff on a shelf.
If ever I am trapped for a long period of time in the studio I will survive on this.
It is still that deep glossy brown.
It hasn’t been contaminated by bread crumby knives and such.
Marmite.
Sometimes I like to start my day with a spot of painting.
I paint my nails.
Never neglect lip softness. You never know who you might next be kissing.
Studio essentials.
Studio still life.
Week Two
Here it is, a little late.
This little donkey stands at roughly 2 inches high. He arrived at the studio as a stowaway. I bought an old battered, hand painted tin from a junk shop just around the corner. It caught my eye – I collect tins-but was more than I wanted to pay really. I’d been window shopping on my way back to the studio. But then came the hard sell. The shop owner worked really hard at pointing out all the lovely hand painted quirkiness of the tin. He opened it up and discovered the bonus of a little donkey inside. I didn’t want the donkey. What was I going to do with a donkey. He was putting everything into this sale, it must have been a quiet day so far. How could I walk away? There was no-one else in the shop. I opened my purse and rummaged to find some money.
The tin does get used. It’s full of art journal prompt cards. The donkey stands guard on the bookshelf. I haven’t even given him a name….. I feel bad about that.
I finally decided what my 52 week project will be. After much procrastinating and many ideas I knew I needed to choose the project that would feel like creative play. My default distracted doodling is hand lettering and simple line drawing. Drawing is something I always wish I did more of so that is my project.
But what to your? I considered buildings, new characters, chickens…… all things I like to draw but I settled on my very first idea.
Every week I will draw something from my studio clutter. The real life studio still life that surrounds me. I will also write a little bit about how it came to be in the studio.
So here goes.
52 weeks of drawing my clutter
Week one
Snazaroo
I’m not sure which dressing up event I first bought this bottle of spirit gum for, most likely it was for attaching a moustache to one of the kids faces. It will have arrived at the studio in the big chest of drawers when the studio moved from home. At some point the bottled has fallen over and the super sticky gum has leaked out. Rhinestones are now stuck fast to the side of the tiny empty bottle. The last time I used it was to fix hairy moles to my face for bookgroup. I was Ruth from Lives and Loves of a She-Devil. I turned up to the alehouse with my newly attached hairy facial accessories and frumpy floral frock and freaked everyone out a little. No one else had dressed up that night. I got some odd looks through the window.
Do I keep this tiny jewel encrusted empty bottle.
Fat Hen ANd Flo 