by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Ponies, Studio |
Doesn’t everyone have one?
Her name is Jasmine June. A lovely name. But the kids used to call her Mom’s Hairy Ass. And this week I spent a lot of time scratching MHA in that special spot right between the shoulder blades, the place that no amount of tree rubbing can satisfy. It went a long way towards taking her mind off her hurt.
She had an abscess in her hoof. Not the first, probably not the last. I knew when I adopted her over a dozen years ago she had bad feet. Just part of who she is, I guess.
She spent the week hobbling around on three legs, or lying down. Obviously in a lot of pain. But pain meds don’t relieve an abscess…don’t even touch it… and the vet couldn’t relieve it either. It wasn’t organized enough. He did as much hackin’ ‘n hewin’ as he could, packed the hoof with a poultice, made a duct tape bootie and asked if I had anyone to help me when it came time to change the dressing. Which was fairly often.
Well, it turns out I didn’t have anyone to help me. So I decided to do it by myself. And I did. Just walked up to her in the paddock and did it right there out in the open, without tying her or anything. She could’ve hobbled away if she wanted. She could’ve given me a decent kick. But she didn’t.
You have to know Jasmine to know what a miracle this is.
She’s a donkey. ‘Nuf said. But this week, she was a princess. She knew, despite her pain and the annoying things I was doing to her foot, she KNEW I was helping her. And she co-operated 100%.
She’s much better today. Looks like things came to a head. YAY!
Even if my hands will never smell the same…
And now…news from the studio.
This weekend Mr. Spouse made stairs to nowhere. In a few weeks they’ll connect with the sidewalk that will lead to the door.
Eventually, maybe even this week, I’ll begin packing up the construction debris.
I’ve been playing with art journaling lately. Fun. fun. fun stuff!
And as for the new! improved! Studio Grande, well, it’s beginning to look like a place where art is made.
YAY!!!
Back in a few days, my best beloved sweetums! Now go out and make some art. Or hug someone. Better yet, do both!
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Studio |
I’m in! I’m in! The new! improved! Studio Grande II is an actual working studio now. YAY!
Okay everyone, time for the dance break! And when you come back, pull up a chair, sit down and take a look at the last six months.
January.
Sometime after that.
Sheetrock.
Moving in!
First art!!!
Thank you Mr. Spouse, best beloved handy husband ev-ah!
by Susan Lobb Porter | Uncategorized |
Mr. Spouse, my best loved Mr. Spouse, my till-death-do-we-part mate for life, came up to me Saturday morning and innocently asked if I was planning on doing anything in the new studio this weekend.
Me? Plans for the studio? The one I’m moving in to and doing my best to organize? The one I swore I’d be painting in by Monday?
Maw-hahahahahahaha… Oh. Dear. Do I need any more proof the man doesn’t read Arty Life. Do I???
So I said in my very best most loving wife voice, “Why? What do you have in mind?” Because, really, if dreams of kayaks were dancing in his head (as they have been in mine) I would drop everything and follow him to the lake.
Alas, I’m no better at reading his mind then he is at reading my blog. He wanted to pour concrete. Which would block access to the red hobbit door. The magic door into studio land. And since he can only work on the studio during the weekend… shrug…what could I say?
So I wrote instead. You can read the new blog here.
And I decided I want to do some art journaling. Not in a fancy journal with thick, heavy arty paper. No. I wanted to transform a cheap little composition notebook into something wonderful. So in between bouts of writing I gessoed ultra thin cheap notebook paper in the old studio.
I love the way it’s turning out. Nothing to show yet, it’s just, well… white. But it’s white with texture. Like crunchy albino potato chips. A little wavy. I can’t wait to write, draw, paint, collage, DO STUFF in this little book.
Which means there will be photos to share. Stay tuned.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art |
Today I walked up and down the hill carrying arty stuff. From the old studio to the new. It was hot but I had a job to do (she says like a superhero).
Mostly though, I was…distracted. By this. And that. And those over there. Bright shiny things. Cardboard. Tree roots. No matter. It was all more interesting, more entertaining, than trudging up and down a 6% grade in the HEAT, I said it was hot, didn’t I? lugging huge panels and paintings and all manner of arty tools.
6% doesn’t sound like much to me, although Mr. Spouse assures me that’s an impressive number for highway engineers. I’m going to bump it up to, oh, let’s say 75% just so you know I’m really serious about this.
It was steep. And distracting. Because there was a car in the driveway and I decided I needed to go somewhere. Anywhere. So I did.
Then I came home and the studio still hadn’t unpacked itself.
We were not getting off to a good start. So I abandoned the job for just a few hours minutes tending to the social media part of the biz. Because that’s important. And I was only checking FaceBook for the stats.
Two hours later…damn you, FaceBook!…I climbed onto the countertops, Mr. Spouse’s concrete countertops, pounded nails in the walls and learned two things. Concrete countertops are not for kneeling, no matter how young your knees are. And mine aren’t. And two: Pencils, nails, hammers are always just out of reach. Or hiding behind something. Or under something. Or mysteriously transported to the other side of the universe because of something to do with theoretical physics and Science Friday.
Blame it on NPR.
Make that three things: This is going to take longer than I thought. But it WILL be worth it.
And it’s going to be hotter tomorrow.
Now here’s a photo of my feet. On the way home, done for the day. Tired little tootsies now being licked by the dog.
And tomorrow I get to do it all over again. But it’s going to be soooo worth it.
Oh, and if you haven’t seen my new blog yet, BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL YES!!! check it out.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Studio |
Once upon a time, like back in March when it was on sale, I bought an easel. A multi-angle solid beechwood sucker that can hold up to a 4 x 7.5 foot canvas. I bought it for the new studio.
But the studio wasn’t ready. The easel stayed in its box in the front hall waiting for the day I would put my brave on…and put it together.
I read the reviews. I knew what to expect…a great easel with the worst, absolutely without a doubt the WORST. Instructions. Ever.
But it was on sale.
Uh-huh. And probably with good reason.
I suppose in the back of my mind I thought Mr. Easel (he’s too manly to be anything but a mister) would magically assemble himself. That one day I’d wake up and he’d be sitting there in all his glory with the easel version of a come hither smile. We would make beautiful art together.
Didn’t happen.
So today I put my brave on.
It began as I was moving supplies from the old studio. I’d been ignoring the elephant in the room, the drafting table. The real deal HUGE thing I bought used years ago. I have no memory of how we got that into the studio. And I didn’t have a clue how we were going to get it out. Not without gouging walls, tearing off door frames and getting a divorce.
And then there was the matter of getting it through the new! improved! Studio Grande’s round red hobbit door.
That’s when I did the brave thing. I took it apart. There were lots of screws. And nuts. And washers. I took it all apart, bagged the hardware, labeled everything. Then I carried it, piece by piece, up to the new studio where I put it back together with a little bit of help from DearDaughter. Did all this while Mr. Spouse was running errands
Wasn’t he surprised.
I figured after that the easel would be a piece of cake.
What the hell do I know?????
Mr. Easel’s name is now Effing E. Because so far he’s proven to be a TOTAL pain in the ass. Hours and hours and hours of my time, of DearDaughter’s time, some token time by Mr. Spouse who was busy doing other things…and Effing E was still NOT 100% put together by the end of the first day.
But after a good night’s sleep, Effing E co-operated and went together. Although Mr. Spouse informs me someone stripped some screws. Which he will replace for me, umm…someday.
EE is now in the studio, which is still not completely moved into. I spent some time getting to know him today… and I’m thinking he just might be worth all the hassel.
Smiley face emoticon here.
Oh, in case you haven’t heard, I’ve got a second blog up and running. Big Bold Beautiful YES!!!. You can check it out here.
