My Vintage Shasta Art Studio

As promised here is a full recap/tour and better pics of my vintage Shasta camper trailer that I've had made into a mobile art studio. 

A few years ago I bought this Shasta with the intent of turning it into a mobile art studio.  Insert Happy dance when I first saw her and big thanks to the friend who directed me to her!!

 I purchased the 1963 Shasta on the spot and returned a week later to pick her up.  My husband and I pulled her slow and easy about 50 miles to our home.  My husband, who is a carpenter/builder (thank heavens), slowly but surely over the past couple of years started putting into place the vision I had for my little trailer.  The only thing  inside was kitchen cabinetry which wasn't all original and what we think was an original closet.  That was left for storage and to put in a free standing portable AC unit inside of.  This IS Texas after all!

So with a blank slate before us colors were picked and the inside roof and walls were re-skinned.  Insulation was added above the new ceiling.  I wanted bead board at chair rail height around the insides.

 

 Along the front width of trailer my husband built me a front counter, open underneath so I can use for storage if I need, and I decorated the top of it.  This front counter is used as a display area.

An old little mirrored dresser with a broken leg that we fixed I painted over.  Painting over wood on an old piece of furniture is not something I would normally do but, the top was a bit damaged so I told myself I was doing it justice with paint. I used the bead board trim color to tie the look together.

This little studio was coming together!  Laminate wood planked flooring went in, and the inside was coming along nicely.  Electrical wiring was worked on and several silver track lights installed.  Not sure I'll ever use them but I like the way they finished out the look and I needed some kind of lighting I figured.  Finally it was on to the outside. 
New tires and wheels with the baby moon hubcaps were done.  Paint for the outside was a topic of discussion but I felt I really wanted to keep her close to her original look.  Yes, I may get artsy on her in the future but I really, really like the authentic look to her.  Maybe vinyl art so it won't be permanent?  Again, good to have a builder for a husband as he did it all!  The trailer taped off, I think we did awesome at picking that almost true to original color and she is totally freshened up on the outside.  She was almost ready!!! 

A rebuild of the door which I'm told is easier said than done, some blackboard paint on part of the inside door and we were down to the final thing necessary before using her.  A portable AC unit.  It was placed into the closet with an opening for the air to vent through cut exact within the closet door.  Looks like it belongs!  The AC exhaust needed a custom built chase to go out through to the floor and the drain tube out through floor also.  With that it was done, exception being the front eyebrow.  The old wood in the eyebrow frame plus a new piece that had been put in has not held up to the elements.  Final decision on what to do there has not been made still.  Yet in the meantime she made her first trip to a show earlier this month. 

So, lastly I'll leave you with pics of her set at the event that I took and a quick partial video tour that I did before the event when I was doing a partial dry run set up for the show.  It was really hot, and I mean really hot so it was quick.   I've not edited it and it doesn't show the side of the trailer with the AC and closet but it will give you a look at the inside finishes, along with the pics.

How many do you have?

You know how one thing leads to another?  Well if you haven't noticed lately you can't do anything without a password....online that is.  In my ongoing clean up efforts in my office I was going to consolidate, create a way to effectively keep track of accounts and the like.
I mean after all if you want to do any of these activities it takes a password:
Want to pay your phone bill, electric bill, or credit card bill?
Update your website, blog or any social media account?
Log on to make a purchase through Amazon, Hulu, Printer, Art Supply, various and random other online outlets? You guessed it!
And the best part about all these passwords?  "They" make you change them randomly just in case you've used one long enough that you yourself may have remembered it!  And by all means don't use the same one for everything cause someone could possibly hold the keys to your entire kingdom!
Which, after review of all of mine and what they access, actually leaves a bit to be desired. Want to pay my electric bill or anything?  Have at it!  I'll get you the password as soon as I find it, remember it, or determine if it has to have a Capital and a letter or both with a random special character. 
 
I did luckily find a way into my website and spruced it up.  It has been a work in progress and takes away from truly creative time at the studio table but I think worth the time.
Check is out.  Have a wonderful week!

Hello Spring

This is of course a favorite season of mine.  The fresh smells of Spring and all things blooming.  It really is a pretty time of year.  So far though there has been very little sunshine and a lot of rain and dreariness. 

Umbrella Girl

So the umbrella has been close at hand and well used.  The winter and now the wet start to spring has slowed progress down on the rolling studio project.

I had hoped to share some real progress pictures with you by this point. Today it's actually too muddy to get out to it!  But, the interior has been gutted and a serious plan of action has been made and marked out on the walls.  Yeah! 
Stay dry and stop to smell those spring flowers!!

Studio Make Over

This past Saturday was studio cleaning day. I couldn't take it any longer, it was a rainy day and so it was go time.  As I moved things from one side of the room to the other and then from one corner to another, bagging things that simply needed tossed out and getting a handle on all the stuff I've accumulated, I made a discovery.

The black hole!!!  (With a dog tail that is!)  It was that center part of  the room that had previously been covered with a 6 foot table which had simply become the place that everything got "put".  You have to know what I mean because we all have those "putting" places.  In fact if I'm honest I have a "putting" drawer in my kitchen.  Well, yes, maybe one in my laundry room too.  Oh my, I could have a problem!

So I worked tirelessly all day and well I am NOT finished...aargh...I am very well on my way to some real order.

I have a small 4' table that is set up for now and will NOT become a permanent fixture.  It will be used only when working on big canvas or projects.  I'm trying to get started on a larger loose canvas now.  I re-purposed the television cabinet that is in front of the window by having my husband make some shelves.  It is a little bit of awesomeness when it comes to organizing and making a home for things.
My built in desk area is still a project to do and I had to accept that I just don't have room for some things and they are organized as best as possible in the unseen corner. (Hopefully not to be come the next black hole!)  I'll update my studio pics once I'm all done but at least progress is happening.

My to do!

Today is a beautiful day outdoors.  Flowers are gorgeous, I've got red birds flying all over, and the sun is shining!  Little one could ask for  to make the day better.  Well, other than do something about this:

To have this poor studio organized and cleaned!  That would make for quite a delight if I could walk in and it be in tip top shape.  Would I be able to find everything though? Sadly, in this state I know where things are "piled".  And it's Mothers day weekend.  Shouldn't have to tackle something like this, right?
So I find myself today working here, at the dining room table.  Doesn't look like art but it is.  The art of the art business.  See, I'm a writer.  Not like a writer of books, however I have started and not completed several over the years, but a writer of action plans, ideas, dreams, and start ups.

And for my studio to get organized, my soul to be happy, and for the stars to align I  must do the dining room table work.  The results of such will not be known exactly for a bit still but it is all part of my process. :)
And the beautiful flowers on the table are from my son for Mother's Day!  Doesn't get better than that!
So I'll leave you with a piece I did as a result of my participation in the CreativeGirl: Land of Light and Shadows class.  This is the second class I've ever taken and it was short and sweet and really appealed to my whimsical style.  Thanks Danielle for sharing!

                                                      Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Happy Paint Party Friday!

After taking a week off from participating with everyone over at paintpartyfriday I'm happy to have a moment to browse through many of the posting over there and join in!
Last week I found myself looking at the studio and thinking, I've been really messy!!  I mean... out of control... this space has to be cleaned up kind of messy.  So with task at hand I cleaned.
What I found interesting was that in looking at older works I realized my own growth in my art.

So look what I now have----

Lots of panels, boards and canvas that I simply feel like they are not worthy of keeping.  They will become the backgrounds and inspiration for new pieces.  Yeah!
Plus, and I may need an opinion on this, I've begun a new organization system.

Canvas Boards

Canvas Sheets

I grabbed soft binders, clear plastic sleeves, and put in my canvas boards.  This way I've got binders to organize not shuffle through stacks of boards.  Good idea?  I'll let you know.  Because this takes them out of my view.  Not on display but half the time they are in stacks anyway.
Then I did the same for my canvas sheets.  Binders for these also.




This weekend looking for a more "inspiring and creative" time in the studio.   Happy Halloween!

Studio cleaning

So, its been a long time coming.  This studio/office cleaning project.  My gosh!  A person doesn't realize what they hold on to thinking it might be needed in the future.  When in reality I am finding....you usually don't!
So I've been absent from making a post for a couple of weeks because I just haven't found the time to sit down and do this plus last weekend this cleaning project had no choice but to begin.
Most Saturdays begin with a bit of sleeping in and a relaxing day that may eventually mean taking in a movie or eating out, shopping possibly and so on.  Well not so last weekend.  It was decided by the man of the house that it would be great fun to go get oil changed in a vehicle and go to Home Depot.  Really?
Yes, really!  But after succumbing to the the plans laid before me I ended up on the receiving end of a great project. (Thank you dear :) )

I'm not one to put things up all over the wall.  Odd huh, being I make stuff to hang?  So I have a few shelves that I line up with my art and hand a few on the wall while the rest get stacked here and there.  So my wonderful husband kept insisting I needed to be able to hang and display so while on the Home Depot excursion which then became a Lowe's excursion, he designed and made this big wall frame with adjustable dowels to allow me to hang and move art!  It's wonderful, cost $40 in materials and paint, and took him all of 3 hours to make, paint, and hang it!

p.s.  My latest piece is in the lower right corner.