If you're an artist (at least an idealistic one like me) every piece of furniture and equipment has to contribute to the general aesthetic of the studio space, or at least stored away from sight. I needed a bigger surface for my teaching and work space, and found this beautiful old turned leg table at our local Green Shed, where second hand everything is resold at next to nothing. I did indeed pay only $50 for it, but it was easy to see that underneath the rather sad varnish, was a quality table waiting to be rescued. And so I did! 
​It was during a busy part of the school term. I used it as it was for a while (covering it up as much as is possible, but the art kids didn't even seem to notice that the table didn't really fit the otherwise light and airy studio) and waited for summer holidays to tackle the project. Not very inviting, the thought of a big sanding job, being outside in wind and weather, getting sawdust in nostrils and hair...but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, so we carried it outside and I collected my tools.
The caption on each photo will run you through the process, but all in all it took about two full days to complete the preparation and paint finish. Now this old boy is again a piece to be proud of, and a reliable, attractive essential in my studio and teaching space

A composition in a quiet corner of my art room...a photograph of my son, taken on a lazy mothers' day picnic down in the Tidbinbilla valley, with beautiful mountains surrounding us, him jumping over and over to get the shot just right (it was his idea, this creative pose)...there is a plaster of paris hand casting from a class I did with my art students a few years back, my 'toy' anvil for which I drove all the way to Thirroul, NSW, very functional for small craft jobs in the studio but a wee baby compared to my real working anvils, I fell in love with its diminutive size and elegant shape...there are some gesso brushes in an old favourite, but broken and partially repaired coffee mug, of which the whimsical girly design was instrumental in stimulating my recent Lulu series into development. You never know where inspiration will come from!
Coming to think of it- it's such a happy feeling to be able to say I've been teaching art for a few years already, it has been a dream come true and I still enjoy learning more and more as I teach. It's a great joy to hear others say that they've been inspired by my classes, it's a great joy seeing others coming into their full potential. Art is doing its job well!
We might move house soon, and then I'll have new corners like this to decorate, and as things are taken from boxes in random order, so new arrangements will make magic together. I'm listening to the gypsy music of Circa Paleo in the background as I'm working today and just realised that this particular moment won't last. I get sidetracked so easily, it is crucial that I discipline myself to stick to a chosen theme or body of work, to make the most of every hour.

I read something that really resonated with me this week:
'The hours that ordinary people waste, extraordinary people leverage' 
 Robin Sharma 

I hope you'll be inspired to do something extraordinary with your time this week, it may be as simple as decorating a corner on a shelf with things that inspire you. Mobilise toward your dream! One step at a time.