Ruthless Purging

My explanation for not keeping an inventory of paintings has always been that if I have a quantity of my own work in the studio, it kills my desire to make more. So why I collect all this other stuff is beyond me. I was going to take photos but it's just too embarassing.

The reason this is an issue today is that I am home alone and have a big resin project. Long ago I walled in half my garage as an addition to my studio space. I can't remember when I could actually work in there, because it has become a repository for all miscellaneous art-related things. This happens to be the space where I do resin pours. This morning I have been on a ruthless rampage to clear that space enough for me to actually walk around the one table I have placed in the middle. No small feat!

Whatever was I thinking when I bought huge squares of felt and sequins? I remember that I saw those precious hand made felt Christmas ornaments at a craft show one year, but really, they were only $5.00 ea -- did I think I would make a hundred over the summer and have a nice little income of $500? Who wants to even touch felt in the summer anyway? Out it went, with all the other things I bought that winter of 2002, still in the original plastic bag from JoAnns.

I threw away things that collage artists would kill for. But I need the space, and my flat files are full.

I threw away frames! Yes! I rarely frame anything, and I have a great framer. I need the space.

I threw away paint! Anything that was mostly used up became too much trouble to save, so out it went.

I threw away wax from encaustic projects, crumbled pastels, boxes of old colored pencils, oil paints, paintings and posters, plastic flowers and fruit, beads, buttons and containers of jewelry findings I don't want to sort.

Did I mention I'm on my second pot of coffee? Jeez it's hot, think I'll take a swim.