You can see Mitzvah a little better now. He has lived all over my house and I still love him to death. This is a design that I found in a rug hooking magazine just shortly after I learned how to do traditional american rug hooking. Like painting, I fell in love with this textile artform and while I rarely have the opportunity to do it, I plan to start working once again in the textile-based genre.
In fact, in April of 2006 I will have a design in Create and Decorate Magazine that is textile-based. So please watch for that one too!

Below a couple of pics down will show you a closer view of the curtain. I like girlie stuff - everywhere I am so I decided to make this area whimsical and fun. My light box sits on the drafting table for inking line drawings for magazines and such.

There's little stuff that makes me happy which is sprinkled around (but small sometimes). My husband Ron found some whimsical cabinet knobs a long time ago - and while I didn't have enough for all the cabinets, I did have 4 of them which are on the right and left longer cabinets which hang. They have hearts drawn on them sort of like kids would draw.

As I mentioned, Mitzvah is a design that I found in Rug Hooking Magazine. He was one of those "have to do's" that I couldn't resist. I think he is aptly named because the word "mitzvah" is Hebrew for commandment. He seems to have that look on his face like I should be doing the right thing, don't you agree? So he keeps me square whenever he's around! I can't be baaaa-aaaad! <giggles>

Organization was a big prerequisite for me; while I wanted it to be a visually fun place to work, I wanted it to be functional too.

This is a little closer look of the space where I do most of the work. Or I should say where I WILL do most of the work. :0) Everything is handy and close by. If it isn't out it is either stashed in a drawer or cabinet, or it is farther away because it isn't vital. I tried to keep everything where I use it.

So the drafting desk has the Conte' pencils, sharpeners, erasers and rulers, and things like that. While the painting area has the brushes, palettes, pigments, mediums, and a bright light (full-spectrum) which emables me to see a little better.

Someone requested that I take a close-up of the drapes. Your wish is my command. LOL The only thing you won't see here is the little palette & brush motiff that will be placed in the edges of the drape itself. I have been a little busy with some other stuff so I wanted to do a quickie. This is one of those "get a roundtoit" jobs.

I went to IKEA to see what sorts of things they had to make my life more organized and I found these neat metal bars (like towel bars) and these "S" hooks that hang off of them and also baskets. That allowed me to hang all of my scissors, rotary cutters, and sewing tchatchkies. The middle thing hanging is a basket -- it has note cards and a glue stick in there

What I have discovered on this journey . . .
No matter what you do in life -- you learn something . . . don't you agree? Well, the most important thing I learned through all of this is that I am very impatient (giggles) and more importantly - that color excites me. When we started hanging the cabinets I was very excited and poor Ron was working like a slave to get this all done, but once that "bones" were put in and I got to start putting the "fluffy & fun" stuff on counters and in bins, it was the colorful stuff that made me want to come and sit down. The colors were like being with old friends and it felt very warm and inviting. There is a whimsical feel to me here in "my space" and that also feels nice, for I feel if we are in a good place (both mentally and physically) we will be our most creative.

Our first class! We had a ball painting our witchie shoes on October the 1st. We'll definately be doing that once again.

What you don't see . . .
is that directly across from me are windows across the front. My piano sits directly across from the sewing table and I get to make some noise now and again. There is a cozy floral chair next to our piano and there's a big basket of wool and knitting needles -- also a nice thing to do when the weather starts to get cooler. There is color, texture, and creativity all over the place. This coming fall I would like to do a few special events where 4 - 6 students can come and share painting with me. We're working on that part right now . . . so I'll keep you posted. A nice chilly day, some sipping cocoa, and a day of painting?!!!

I hope you have enjoyed visiting with me. Its been a pleasure getting to have you come and visit.
Paint with love in your heart and magic in your brush!
Roxanne