By Diane: Progress in repurposing shop to widow's art studio

The studio's new door and window overlooking the memorial garden to the left where bulbs are poking first leaves out of the earth.  Some very tiny white crocus are blooming already.

        The studio was the former owner's horse and chicken barn around 1975 - 1980.  Then after Fisherman Hubby and I purchased our home with this out building, we transformed the barn into a garage for restoring model A’s between 1985 - 1995. There was one corner by the door where I did airbrush paintings and photo restoration. Most of the time the Model A pick-up bed was filled to overflowing.  We liked the process of restoration but did not care about touring with a Model A Club. He sold the Model A's when he purchased more fishing boats.  My painting started taking up more and more space so the garage/shop became a shared metal and wood shop.   Between 2015 and 2020,  the corner where the Model A used to be, was sort of my space for paintings. My space was shared with lawn mowers and rototillers, house paints and garden tools, outdoor chairs and anything else that did not have a designated space.  I also shared the small room with the big air compressor and coils of wires and hoses. In the current metamorphous the once upon a time barn will be an art studio with a corner wood shop. Many smaller tools I still hold dear.

      A year ago I never dreamed I would have all the space to myself. I only thought of us together having to move where Fisherman Hubby could get better care.

      Since October I've gradually removed his equipment and supplies.  Each piece of wood, cement mix with colorants, band saw, and welder brought back pleasant memories of shared projects. The most recent item I was clinging to was the air compressor. I thought I would use it to spray sealer on watercolors eliminating the need for  a frame and glass.  A smaller air compressor is on my wish list.

       Thursday I let go of almost all things copper and brass. There were handles and hinges I purchased at an auction at Hammond's Cabinet and Frame Shop in Bellingham around 1976 when they were moving their frame shop to a new location closing the cabinet making part of their business. Screws, bolts, washers, electrical and plumbing supplies went to Habitat for Humanity thanks to the help of my youngest grandson and his girlfriend. 

 

 I love the new windows and doors.  Saturday in the brightly lit studio, with a warm wood fire in the stove, I had a preview of the comfort of painting in my studio - priming the indoor trim for windows from wood left over from frames Fisherman Hubby made for me. I feel so blessed that Fisherman Hubby left me with such a wonderful place to grow a rich painting involvement.