A Rare Moment in Time

Since I had just finished nine new necklaces, I figured it was a good time to step away from the studio for a break. When I came back to it -- I took one look and tried to remember when the tornado had run through the place. As I work, the area gets loaded down with "stuff." While I like a clean work area -- I have never been one of those designers who spends more time cleaning than creating.

I had a cousin who had the most impeccable workbench in his garage -- all of his tools were outlined on a pegboard wall, all plans, drawings, etc., carefully filed in a cabinet, not a speck of sawdust or dust of any kind anywhere to be seen. My dad and I would always chuckle about it -- it just seemed silly to us to spend so much time tidying and so little time creating. But, one does have to go in and "muck" out the space every once in a while...and the time for me to do that was yesterday.

While it will never appear in some home decor mag or an art studio pub, my studio is cozy, taking over the room that would be a dining room for the normal person. I love the set-up because I get great light from the wall of windows (important on those dark days of winter) and I can clearly see into the patio and backyard so I don't feel as if I am cooped up in some little cage. Bea loves to be outside most of the day during this time of year and I think that she feels like she isn't alone because she can see me just on the other side of the glass. I can watch the birds and the butterflies flit around the garden. Oh, the other day I saw two dragonflies, which I think are pure magic. Ever since I heard a story about the fairies riding the backs of dragonflies I have been captivated by them. As a kid, they would hover over the swimming pool by the dozens while we were swimming. It was so much fun to try to count them and create stories about the fairies who were being carried away to parts unknown. But back to the clean and tidy workspace -- it is small but very efficient and now that I can actually see the glass surface of the desks it makes me happy. Let's see how long it stays this way -- I'm guessing, by the end of today it will be back to its well-used slightly organized cluttered look.

Oh, and you should check out the new necklaces at www.tanyalochridge.com/page15.html because, like the dragonflies, I think the new designs are a little bit of magic, too.