Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments!As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Welcome to the studio of Cindy Gimbrone and Studio Saturday!
I ran a blog series this week on inspiration, what inspires me and where I find it. It’s been a great week and the frosting on the cake is being back in my studio! With the cold temperatures and lack of insulation/heat in creative space, I’ve been frozen out for the past 3 months. I’m so happy to be back in my space and be warm!
Everything was in suspended animation for the past three months, sitting there exactly as I left it in December. I missed the studio! I’m so excited to be back, today I’ll take you on a tour of the studio workbench.
I start each session by laying out a couple of specific colored glass rods to work with. I chose pajama blue and dark brown based on a color palette derived from Miro’s Carnival of Harlequin. I knew I’d need my tweezers and shaping tools. I put them to the right side of the bench, since I’m right handed.
Wanting to keep some Silvered Ivory Bling Links in stock, I laid out a few rods of ivory and I ripped up a sheet of silver leaf to make the links.
I always pull out black, white and clear rods to have handy. Black and white are great base colors and you always need some clear glass for something!
My workbench has sentimental value, it’s the first dining room table I ever owned. It was a gift from my father for my very first apartment. The chairs are long gone but I’ve held onto that table for many years. It’s able to perform it’s workbench function because it’s laminate top is protected by a layer of tin roof sheeting and a layer of flame resistant board. I use a marble tile as a marver and place to put hot glass.
Yesterday, I lit the torch and pulled some glass stringer for the new bead series I’m working on. It was a good way to get back into the swing of things. I also popped in a few test squares for the murrini I just bought.
It feels good to be back in my studio and melting glass. I’ve missed my own space and my husband has missed the coffee table in the family room that was its replacement!
Today’s question is, Have you returned to a creative pursuit after being forced to put it on hold for awhile? Could be because you were sick, were working or like me, frozen out of your studio.
Please share and be entered to win an Silvered Ivory Bling Link! I look forward to reading your comments!
SueBeads
March 28, 2009 at 1:25 pmI’ve been mostly frozen out of my basement, but I put a little portable heater there, block the window holes with towels, and wear warm fleece lined clogs and sweatshirts so I can still work! Some days, it just doesn’t cut it though, especially if the wind is blowing the towels out of the window! I just got back from a little vacation, too, so I’m ready to go. After I get rid of this awful cold. Oh wait, that’a all three, right?!?!?!?!?
Gail W.
March 28, 2009 at 2:37 pmI’ve never been away from my “studio” for 3-4 months,I know you suffered,Cindy!The longest for me was about 3 weeks,and I was at a lost on what to do with my free time.When I got back,I took things out,just to see and touch them.It felt,well,right!But now you are back in your studio,I’m happy for you.I hope I win,I love your Bling Links!!Have a great day Cindy!
Jennifer
March 28, 2009 at 3:01 pmYes, I was foced to put my polymer clay bead making on hold. We began the training of a Guide Dog Puppy which is a 24/7 job. I couldn’t watch her and play with my clay. Just as we began to trust her without our eyes glued on her, she was called back for formal training. Wow! Free time…not so, they gave us a new 6 week old puppy and it begins again!!!
Cindy Gimbrone
March 28, 2009 at 3:18 pmHi Sue,
Yes, I do bundle up but for some reason this past winter, it was just too dang cold and my space heater broke in December. So was kinda stuck. Glad to be back in there with the warmer weather. Like seeing an old friend again!
Creatively yours -)
Cindy
Cindy
March 28, 2009 at 3:29 pmHi Cindy
I enjoyed the tour of your workbench..and especially the sweet story behind the table, that it was from your Dad.
I could relate immediately to your question, but I wasn’t “forced” to put my creative pursuits on hold. I wanted to. Last winter/spring I was expecting and had severe morning sickness. I stopped making jewelry almost cold turkey and I had absolutely NO interest in it at ALL. I was extremely exhausted on top of feeling so sick, the thought of making jewelry didn’t appeal to me one bit! I was afraid it was over, that I would never want to do it again. Sure enough, I found myself making jewelry again once I felt better (long before the baby was born in the Fall). I guess I couldn’t keep away! 🙂
Cindy Gimbrone
March 28, 2009 at 3:37 pmThanks, Gail! Things have been so crazy I really needed to get back out there and do some creating! Glad to be back 🙂
Creatively yours 🙂
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 28, 2009 at 3:38 pmHi Jennifer,
If you have to put your art on hold what a great reason to do it! What a great contribution to the community. Hope you’ll be able to get back to your clay soon – I think I hear it calling you! LOL!
Cindy
Anonymous
March 28, 2009 at 3:39 pmMy reasons from being away from my creative pursuits aren’t very exciting. My “day job” is generally the biggest culprit, followed by household responsibilities. I think this may change soon, though, as I’m looking for ways to make my household responsibilities less cumbersome (for instance, making more dinners that will generate leftovers for the next day). Hopefully, this will help–I have so many ideas to try out!
Hannah B.
Cindy Gimbrone
March 28, 2009 at 3:47 pmHi Hannah,
It’s the little things that get in the way sometimes. I know how you feel sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything you want. That’s what happened to me, I was frozen out and some things just got in the way of creating.
Hope your ideas are successful and you get some time to create!
Cindy
EmandaJ
March 28, 2009 at 4:49 pmGood Morning Cindy,
I’ve been really busy with non-artistic pursuits and have had to put all my “art stuff” away in a terribly cluttered mess of a studio. I still haven’t been able to get back to it yet, but hopefully, someday soon, I will. Glad to hear you’re back at work on your glass.
Emanda
Cindy Gimbrone
March 28, 2009 at 5:14 pmHi Amanda!
Thanks! It feels good to be back at the torch. Sending good vibes your way so you can get back to your artistic endeavors!:-)
Happy creating!
Cindy
Pamela
March 28, 2009 at 5:43 pmSometimes the job day of teaching stops creativity, sometimes the process of doing the things that you should do each day gets in the way and sometimes it seems that my thoughts and ideas just stall and go on a vacation of their own. I find that during this time I tend to pay much more attention to the colors, lines and textures in nature. All of a sudden then, it is like I am recharged and ready to go!!!
FrankandRox
March 28, 2009 at 5:50 pmwow, being literally frozen out is no fun. I suddenly feel quite spoiled that my studio is always available to me. It’s a good size and started out as our computer room but now is mostly my domain. (my husband bought a laptop, I think mostly to avoid my mess and stay out :)). but March is my busiest day job month and it’s killer because my first spring market is next weekned and I’ve barely had any time in the studio. Even when I do get in I’m too brain dead to really get any momentum…oh well April is around the corner and I think this year I may look for a couple of summer shows we’ll see. Thanks for the peak into your fresh studio, and reminding me how lucky I am 🙂
Beth
March 28, 2009 at 5:55 pmHi,
My day job was keeping me away from creative pursuits. But, with the economy the way it is, we are having to take an unpaid day off every pay period. Guess how I am going to use that day!!!
Alice
March 28, 2009 at 8:19 pmCindy, I’m glad you’re back at your studio! Mine is actually my dining room table which we use maybe two or three times a year.
Eventhough I purchased some awesome beads in San Diego on a recent trip, and more gorgeous beads this past weekend, I have not really had the urge to make anything with them. The weather of late has been very uninspiring, and my youngest had a bad accident while skiing in Reno, so I have been babying her while she recovers. Even still, every day I walk through the dining room and run my hands over the shiny beads just sitting there waiting for me to create. Soon….
Alice
peacockfairy
March 28, 2009 at 9:17 pmYes, adding school to a full-time job pulled me away from making jewelry for a few years. Even though I am not done with school yet, I started to get so inspired by all of the creativity out there I couldn’t help but jump back in. It seems the busier I am, the more inspired I get. I hope that when I finally do get more free time that inspiration doesn’t go away!
Gaela
March 28, 2009 at 10:35 pmI’m “away” from my beading right now. I’m in a situation where I lost my “studio” part of my hose, I’m using the kitchen table and it’s such a mess that I just can’t focus. I need to create a new studio area because I am just not inspired in this space. Because of my mess on the table, we are not dining together as a family and I just feel guilty with my stuff everywhere and I can’t find anything anymore….and on and on and I need to go start fixing this problem right now….
Louise
March 28, 2009 at 11:23 pmIt happens to me frequently but I never panic I just try to look a
the world differently and keep ideas in my book. Will I use them ?maybe not but I know that still had ideas even though I did not do anything with them.
rosebud101
March 29, 2009 at 2:39 amI don’t miss too many days on the torch, but when I do, I grab my noteboook and jot down ideas. That’s about all I can do.
Dale
March 29, 2009 at 2:53 amI am deffinately not doing as much as i wish i was, in relation to jewelry creation. My main reason is my job…. the hours are uber long and teaching kids for 10.5 hours per day gets pretty exhausting so i find i pretty much crash when i get home. However, i just love the weekends when i get to just go crazy with the creating.
Also, I find that lack of supplies is holding me back. I’d love to do some things that i’m seeing out there, but i haven’t yet learned where to get the stuff here in Seoul. Given time, i will either find it or give in and pay the online shipping to korea.
CreekHiker
March 29, 2009 at 4:40 amI’m sort of the opposite. When I had to be in a wheelchair during and after numerous foot surgeries, I took up oil painting because I could do it sitting down. I had to give up glass fusing because it was too physical. I painted and painted…having never done so before. I loved it. It quieted the critical voices in my head like nothing else. But when I could walk again, I never picked up the paint brush! No, I raced back to fusing!
Shaiha
March 29, 2009 at 4:57 amI have been away from creating for about 4 months. My muse was loving playing with wire when I was blessed with tendonitis in my thumb/wrist that required surgery. And now I can’t seem to coax my muse back.
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:24 pmHi Pamela and Dale,
As a former teacher and sometime adjunct college instructor, teaching can definitely drain your energy. I always think of teaching as part acting and part artist – you have to be creative to pull the students in and you have to sometimes act like you’re enthused when you’d rather be home in bed! LOL!
So although you’re away from your other creative pursuits, I believe a muse still follows you.
Musingly yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:29 pmHi FrankandRox,
Yes you are fortunate to have your studio always “open.” Work does get in the way – I’m a freelance sign language interpreter and given the economy, I need to take freelance work when I can. So it’s the balance between creative pursuits and bringing home the bacon! Many of the comment-ers here face the same situation yet we all find a way to continue creating!
Keep creating!
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:31 pmHi Beth,
Yes, I get forced into days without freelance work and I use those days to work in the studio. It’s a great opportunity to try out artistic work as more than a hobby 🙂
Artistically yours 😉
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:33 pmHi Alice,
Thanks, it’s good to be back. I understand how you feel. During my freeze out I would go into the studio and look at all the glass and tools just wishing for the day to get back in there.
Hope your youngest daughter heals soon!
Supportively yours, 🙂
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:36 pmHi Peacockfairy!
You know, sometimes when I soooo busy, it fuels my creative energy. You’ve tapped into that – go for it! If you keep track of all you want to do, you’ll have a great book of ideas when you get extra time.
Busily yours 😉
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:42 pmHi Gaela,
Are you re-modeling your house? Why did you lose your studio space?
I have a office and my husband, the neat freak (love you hubby!) – sneaked into my office last week and *gasp* cleaned it!! He swears I can still find everything. We’ll see. But secretly, the clean space has helped.
So I can see why you want to clean your temporary area. Did you get a chance to clean it? Feeling more creative?
Curiously yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:45 pmGood idea, Louise! I can apply yoga training to creative pursuits – breathe and be still. It will come.
Thanks for reminding me to breathe – always a great tool for centering!
Meditatively yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:47 pmHi Mallory,
I’m glad you don’t miss time away from your torch! You can keep the creative juices flowing!
Creatively yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:50 pmHi CreekHiker,
What a clever girl you are! Switching mediums to fit your situation – you’re very versatile! I understand how the muse has to come out despite circumstances. I’ve been working with wire and fiber which is very portable and can be done on the coffee table in the family room. But wire will have to wait now, I’ve got my studio back!
Glad you’re back to fusing!
Cleverly yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 29, 2009 at 12:53 pmHi Shaiha!
Sorry to hear about your tendonitis. It’s a pretty common problem in sign language interpreting. So I have to battle over-use a great deal – sometimes being forced to spend days without any repetitive motion. It’s hard and the muse can go elsewhere.
Hang in there and hope you’re on the mend!
Empathetically yours,
Cindy
bluelapis
March 29, 2009 at 2:35 pmI have had all my creative supplies locked in boxes for the better part of 2 years now! Except my crocheting of course. But it has been killing me not to have a place to work or my beading/ polymer supplies to work with. It was for a good reason though. My hubby had needed 2 knee replacements and a back surgery, and stairs were out of the question. So my small craft roomlet downstairs became his new bed room. Then about 6 months ago my daughter moved away from home and her bedroom is alllll mine!!! In fact the entire upstairs is mine now. So I have been slowly converting bedroom to craft space since then. Its almost done. I can hardly wait!! It will be too awesome to have a whole room to work in. No more packing up each time the grandkids come! All I gotta do is close the door. Whooohooo!
Suanough
March 29, 2009 at 5:32 pmYup, I was “away” because of major back surgery which kept me in bed for 3 weeks and barely able to sit for an hour for the next 4 weeks. I am pretty much comfortable now sitting (beading) and on the ‘puter. But it’s SO VERY NICE to be back in my “hidey-hole”… My partner is very glad to get back the TV table I used in the bedroom… Funny what things you miss most, I missed the wonderful “click” Delicas make when doing payote stitch.
Suanough
Katy (Houston) TX
Valerie C.
March 29, 2009 at 7:46 pmI am right there right now and I am so depressed over it. I have had to get another job since my husband has been so sick. Need to pay those bills. Now I have 2 jobs and work 6 days a week, 9 to 10 hour days. I am so tired that on Sunday I can’t think. I do have piece’s I have to fix for some of my customers. I hardly have time for that.
I have had to shut the door to my studio so that when I walk by on my way to bed I don’t get to depressed. It’s hard, everything is just on hold until I can figure things out. I need to quit one of these jobs but just can’t afford to right now. So here I sit reading my e-mail that is up to 52 pieces now and counting. I don’t even have the time to read my mail or play with my dog.
If I keep writing I am going to cry. So this is it. My life for right now and it sucks. Pray for me, Will you?
Love you all
You inspire me every week and keep me going.
Keep beading, it works
Valerie C.
Cline Jewels
cat
March 29, 2009 at 8:10 pmbe entertained
KatieN
March 29, 2009 at 8:49 pmI know what many of you mean about the day job pulling me away from my projects sometimes…In fact, I am writing this on a break from doing some work (on a Sunday…eek!)…But, when I feel like life has been in the way of work for too long, I do my best to make some time…Even if it means announcing to my husband that we aren’t doing anything too involved on a weekend so I can get back in my groove…It can be SO hard to fit it in when you have to have a day job to support your beading habit…
Katie
sharon
March 30, 2009 at 3:47 amcindy, from time to time i have to abandon my creative work because of illness in the family that requires my attention, usually for a short period of time, but the mental effects of that have at times made it become a much longer time before i could really “get back.” sometimes there are more important priorities, but i always come back.
Cindy Gimbrone
March 30, 2009 at 11:50 amYAY, Bluelapis! Glad to hear you have a space that’s all your own again! Hope your husband is on the mend and that you’ll be doing lots of creating in your space!
Happily yours 😉
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 30, 2009 at 11:53 amHi Katy,
Wow! Back surgery! Glad you’re healing and can get back to beading. And your partner has the tv table back! LOL! Funny how the small things are what we miss most – like the click of delicas. Happy you have your “hidey hole” back (I giggle at that phrase – it was a favorite of my mother).
Creatively yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 30, 2009 at 12:28 pmHi Valerie,
I know how you feel! I work two jobs also – we’re self employed and you never know when or where you get the next paycheck so you have to hustle hustle hustle. It’s tough, very very tough. Maybe you have to stop for awhile or switch to something that’s portable. I have a small roll of wire and pliers I carry around (rosary pliers are great because they’re cutters and forming pliers all in one) or I do Chinese knotting – or even just a small sketchbook that goes with me and I do a little bitty bit of creating on breaks at the job. While I was frozen out, I switched to crochet and knitting.
Hang in there, Valerie! We’re sending good ABS vibes your way!
Supportively yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
March 30, 2009 at 12:29 pmHi Cat – short sweet and to the point.
Entertainingly yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
April 1, 2009 at 10:27 amHi Katie,
Thanks for the comment! I do the same thing – sometimes I don’t even clean so I can get some time to create. I think, if I were gone tomorrow would I regret not sweeping the floor? I don’t think so, so I let it wait while I take a few hours to pursue art. Yes, work can get in the way but cleaning doesn’t have to! LOL!
Creatively yours,
Cindy
Cindy Gimbrone
April 1, 2009 at 10:29 amHi Sharon,
Yes, we absolutely need to tend to family members! Your attitude is admirable – you always come back to it and is the best advice. If you need to take care of more important things right now, do so but remember to come back to creative pursuits to refuel your soul.
Supportively yours,
Cindy