…and where far too much work is shoved into a “later” folder!
Here’s Geiger, in her role of “editor.” (Then the rain eased and off she went!)
And this is one of those catch-alls for stuff that is yet to be finished/shelved/ditched. Aw, c’mon! Who does NOT have such a space. Fess up. Please? Am I the only clutter-bug?
Actually, this is not all mine.
But this is!
I call it my essentials for a creative life. Right now, it’s Nina. Tomorrow, maybe Lloyd-Webber, Sinatra, Chopin, Flanders and Swan. Depends on the mood. I used to have a radio in here, but sometimes, I need to hear the music that pushes my sentimental buttons and that means a machine that is capable of playing the music. So I bought a “boom box.” ( We do have a big hi-fi set-up in the living room, but I can’t hear it from in here.) 
So there you have it…a glimpse of my work space. It’s not where I do my printmaking, of course. That’s done in various other places: I cut lino at the kitchen counter because the height suits me. I do the messy stuff, like gluing, on a table out on the deck. Screen printing has to be done on the dining table (the table almost completely swathed in old sheets after I had a little “accident” one day!) and any work needing the press is done in a friend’s studio.
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Last week was an interesting one. ..
In conjunction with the City’s Arts Festival, one of the schools hosted a literature programme, with authors and illustrators of junior to young adult fiction in town to give talks and demonstrations. I went with some of the younger grades to hear Leigh Hobbs speak about his characters. Following Leigh’s hilarious demonstration, I can now draw a very credible “Old Tom.” And Alison Lester shared stories from her life as a mother, teacher, illustrator,writer. I also managed to take in a very interesting and entertaining talk by Archimede Fusillo. When he spoke of the discomfort and torment of some migrants, some of us had to reach for our Kleenex. But he also had us laughing like drains!
Now, if we can just build on the children’s current enthusiam for books… Here’s hoping!
Moreidlethoughts Weblog 
It’s always fun to see people’s ‘spaces’. My cat is also a frequent visitor – am constantly brushing cat hair out of my keyboard…
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I like to see other people’s places too, always in the hope that I won’t feel so bad about the chaos that I live in. Your house looks more civilized than mine, oh dear…
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WAY neater than my work spaces, lately!
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Hello More Idle Thoughts. Thanks for visiting my blog and participating in the show of workspaces. Wow you call that clutter? You have very neat and tidy clutter. And kitty is so cute. I love that photo at the top of your blog and imagine it is someplace like England or wales. Anyway, gorgeous. I will put your link on my post about studios. Thanks, Suki
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I have Nina Simone on my CD pile in my studio too. Having music to paint/draw/print by seems a definite necessity. My paper piling habit is a bit shameful, certainly worse than yours. (I’m in need of a 12 step program I think.)
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tara…the cat hairs! Argh…!
carol…really? I thought I had the lead on messiness.ANd when I’m folding signatures it just gets worse!
rew…But you have that nifty pencil case, so you’re excused!
suki…this is the part where I admit to showing only the tidy bits! There is a permanent “overfow” to every room in the house.
ellen…hello! My name is Dinah and I am very untidy…
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I loves me a glimpse now and then. Thanks.
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Things had gotten so bad at chez Melanie that even the cats were having trouble getting around. But this summer I’m making good progress on Things Going Out. I can now see whole stretches of the floor and the cats are much happier. I doubt it will last (the relative cleanliness, that is, I do hope the cats stay happy).
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There’s nothing like being able to have a good sticky beak in another artist’s space. One always wants more, of course, like a look over her shoulder.
Love your little collection of writing aids – I miss the ones I left behind in boxes.
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I wish my desk looked that nice. On mine you will find hershey kiss wrappers and cookie crumbs. Lots of post it notes but no cats.
God I really wish I could have a cat. We’re not even allowed small dogs, here. But the rent is affordable. So I pretend the squirrels and pigeons outside are my pets. I feed them faithfully.
love,
cat
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I like your work space. It’s so neat and tidy. And your secretary looks very efficient. It’s interesting how you work “all over the place”, but I understand.
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and not to let your enthusiasm for instilling bok enthusiasm languish unremarked — May you be successful keeping the kidlets interested in reading. I read for a living — which is much less fun than it sounds, more like working for the post office than a movie studio — and even I forget sometimes how very thrilling a good book can be. Reading is such a miracle.
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andrea…a glimpse is about the most any sane person would want.
melanie…I think you very bravely posted “then & now” pictures a while ago?
robyn…perhaps I could “bring them over” for you!
kate…yes, I’m a bit of a wanderer.
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melanie…thanks for this. Reading, especially with children, has long been a passion. And in today’s electronics mire, love of words seems to have diminished. But some of us still “fly the flag.”
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In hope of embarrassing myself into progress, I did post what I hoped would be a “before” picture, but the situation has stubbornly persisted into the “now.” There has been a good amount of progress on some shoveling-out fronts, but not so much that I feel I can boldly publish a convincing “After” shot. I find I get overwhelmed by the idea of planning the new, so I let things languish. But also, I’m intimidated by some of these Zen-pristine studios that show up in magazines and books. I think I’d be afraid to go into an all white, all open space studio for fear of messing it up! I find messes inspiring — not so messy that I can’t find anything, but there is something to be said for looking into the ragtags-and-clippings bin and seeing the serendipitous beauty in there.
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melanie…very nicely said. We sometimes forget that art and serendipity go hand in hand.
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I simply must read Archimede’s The Dons!
Your ‘Wordspace’ and workspace are gloriously and unusually tidy and organised, and if you have enough room for Geiger to curl up then you are officially a neat freak…which is a compliment because I like to have everything in it’s place and a place for everything…or so I pretend…fooled myself anyway.
I think that you’re right about Art invoking all of our emotions. I always wonder why I watch things that make me weepy..and why would I ever watch it twice? And Comedies..why do the situations always have to be so annoying..all of those needless misunderstandings that allow hilarity to ensue…they make me cringe…just tell her that you dropped the birthday cake..or that the woman that your neighbour saw you kissing was your cousin from out of town..UGH!!
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looks tidy to me!
In the 10 years that I have worked in primary school fewer and fewer children are starting with any knowledge of reading. Some of them have a limited knowledge of the English language and I’m not talking about immigrants here! This last year, we have had to employ a specialist speech and language teacher purely to teach 4/5 year olds how to speak and pronounce sounds. I wish I was joking.
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(that might have been me in a different life)(the speech and language person)
in this life, I am at a table with about four piles (teetering), a spray can of charcoal fixative, a bowl of trail mix, six cards with inspirational images, three photos, a vase of flowers, half a dozen post-it notes and a pile of b/w drawings I want to take to the copyshop to copy, so I can keep the b/w ones as masters and colour the copies in different ways to see what works
(A2 sheets, about twenty. . . gonna cost me a small fortune YIKES)(what the heck, tho, eh)
your space is inspirational – in the sense that you know those things are going to end up somewhere else. . .
(-:
I love reading about your work
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don…yes, I think you’d enjoy his books. And I am not really tidy;my nature is too “acquisitive” for that!
ziggi…the real horror stories do not have blood and guts dripping everywhere, do they? I wish you were joking, too, but I know otherwise!
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iltvs…great to see you over here! And also to know that you’re sketching.Now, put down your charcoal and check your email!
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catnapping…oops! I missed you. Sorry about that. And sorry you can’t have pets, but I know you’re kind to things with feathers. How’s Chris Crow?
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Nice to see other workspaces. Love the black cat on top! I have a very tiny black cat who lives in a breadbasket on my desk. 2 Other big cats are often on my desk as well. Although they are disturbing most of the time they are a source of inspiration.
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marianne…welcome! I stopped by your blog the day you had just acquired your kitten. They are great company, but not if there is expensive paper around,right!
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i am a clutterbug too, as much as i hate to admit it. it practically needs to be beaten back with a stick! good for you being able to work on art projects where you need to, i am like that too. my mom likes to keep a very orderly house and it seems to me she has missed so many opportunities to paint (she’s a watercolorist) because she will not just set aside a dedicated place for herself and stop worrying about the clutter/rug/dining room table.
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m.heart… somehow, I don’t see you as a clutterbug;your garden and artwork and photos all look so ordered. But perhaps it’s one of those “eye of the beholder” things!
By the way, I’m with you on the business of auctions;I’m always afraid I’ll sneeze and find myself the owner of Lot # 56!
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