One of the most difficult aspects of being an artist is you just have so much stuff. Canvases, printing press, computer, paper, paints, cardboard, things that are intriguing that you have no idea what you’ll do with, but can’t bear to throw out…. it gets crazy! One of the bulkiest things as artist will have are the coveted but awkward flat files.
Flat files, for those who don’t know, are filing cabinets for big, big sheets of paper. Like 30″ x 40″ sheets of paper. These files take up a lot of square footage, yet are also low to the ground, so waste a lot of air space.
My flat files are in my kitchen, tucked into a corner near the door into the garage/art studio. I had the genius idea of turning them into an extra seating area. I had a piece of 1/2″ plywood cut slightly larger than the files, and placed it on top of them. Then I went to the local PetSmart, and bought a giant dog bed. A few brightly colored pillows, and voila! I call it my seraglio.
Here it is in action:
Hanging over it are two pieces of artwork I bought at two different Open Studios. On the left is “Elemental”, a monoprint by Ray Gwyn Smith, which Sarah-Hope and I bought last year at the Santa Cruz Open Studios. And on the right is a piece by Kytha Gernatt, an acrylic painting on paper which I bought in San Francisco around eight years ago.
Archy approves!
Wonderful artwork and the cushions just seem to coordinate so well. And, of course, Archy makes a statement of his own, hehe!
Fantastic last post too, Melissa – superb photos of the sea and coast.
Archy – asea in a vast comfiness of fleece. Does life get any better than this? Glad to see you finally got your flat file corner into shape! Looks great. Now maybe hang some wispy drapes around it for a very private little nook? And also maybe a towel on top of your new dogbed to keep it a little more cathair-free when the humans are ready to sit there?
Like the pillows & artwork – very perky.