The Artist’s Dojo

In case you don’t remember, I had a room that started out like this…

Which is a little embarrassing to show, but very real. Sometimes I just shove things in rooms and forget about them for Oh… a year.

Here is the official after, after the month long makeover!

It’s done, it’s done!!! I still have a few things to move in there, like my printer and Silhouette machine, but that will most likely go in the closet once I get around to that. Hey, I said the room was done, NOT the closet. Do you like how I just tricked you there? I could write the fine print on official documents and such, you know the ones where you accidentally sign your firstborn child away because it is so confusing?

Let me show you the rest of the room before this becomes a political blog. Warning: I took a lot of photos.

Why yes, I did install this light fixture all by myself. And yes, it was frustrating with the world’s worst directions, but yes, I AM awesome.

This is my sewing corner where I keep threads and fabric.

That little table was a high school project where we had to replicate a classic painting. It’s been a while since high school and any kind of art history… I feel so embarrassed that I can’t remember who painted this???

UPDATE: Apparently I get by with a little help from my art teacher. She tipped me off to the original artist. P Cizzy a.k.a. Paul Cezanne 050. So lets just say that he owns me when it comes to painting, but I have the rest of my life to get better and he doesn’t… womp womp!

The official resting place of the gradient armoire!

The painting corner. I saw this easel at a store in town and FELL. IN. LOVE. Fortunately, I was with my mother who noticed that I started hyperventilating really liked it. She went back and surprised me with it for my birthday! You’ll notice the canvas wouldn’t stay there if it weren’t for some help.

Nothing a little twine won’t fix. Crap, I picked the wrong blog name! I’ll wallow in regret later.

Onto the gallery wall! I had a closet full of pictures so I yelled at them to quit being lazy and actually DO something.

They are all my own personal paintings or photos except for the two tiny ones, because I’m in them and didn’t take those pictures. Oh and the engagement collage which you can read about here.   I loved doing this because it took me about 20 minutes and I hung everything up with thumbtacks! So easy, but a caveman probably couldn’t do it. Just sayin’.  I can’t wait to reupholster that rocking chair. I started, but that blanket is strategically placed to cover up the gaping hole that my dog chewed up.

This is by far the best part of May, the peonies that bloom! Picking flowers out of your own garden is the best! Especially when you put in no labor toward planting/keeping them alive.

Here is the closeup of the built in bookshelves. Since I don’t have a ton of books, I had the luxury of organizing by color without it being too difficult to find what I’m looking for.

I also crammed a few painting supplies. I got those tins at target for $1 each and always buy more each time I go in cause they are great for organizing.

Mosey on over to my sewing table. Yes, its true, I love sewing. Not just for home improvement, but I love altering my clothes to fit perfectly, embellishing tops and making a dress here and there. I don’t use it as often as I should, but it is so handy to have.

Poor broken light, and stupid dog. So everything in this photo was painted. The desk was one of my first home improvement project back for the apartment, used to be orange and I bought it at a garage sale for $30? $35? ridiculous cheap either way. That chair was refinished by my mom she whitewashed it and recovered it in the fabric of my choosing! The bulletin board was red-orange or orange-red—did those crayon colors confuse anyone else as an 8 year old?—and the back of it was plain cork board. I painted it white and hot glued fabric to it. It looks so much better now.

Closer look at the pretty little chair.

My sewing machine that I am in love with.

This is my idea board. I write notes to myself and lists galore. That shelf had a run in with some spray paint and didn’t return the same. If you look in a previous photo, it used to be black. The mirror also had a white makeover. Is there anything white does not fix? Maybe Micheal Jackson, but I’ve gone to far.

Here’s one last photo again.