Gasp, GASP Has Started!

Recycle Pile

Why am I so very excited to see this pile of rubble in my backyard? Because it means the Garage Art Studio Project is finally underway! Today contractor Steve came in and tore out and arranged loads of old wood, old built-in shelving. old motor oil and various related products, and more stuff.

Chris mowing the jungle behind the garage area

Helpers Julia and Chris came over to tear out thousands of vines encroaching over the fence from the neighbor's yard and to mow down the jungle between the garage and the alley. They did a ton of work. The back yard looked almost twice as big after they were through.

Behind the crumbling old fence they found a good-sized handmade trunk. It was decaying and had nothing in it, but ??? Why shove it in the bushes behind the then-new fence? What lies beneath the unwieldy concrete slab added between the old paving and the garage? Stay tuned...

This old pillar was unearthed (again) during the mowing. It matches the pillars on our porch, but we don't know why it is here.

Whirling Dervish Steve

Steve also got a ton done today. Here he's dismantling one of the built in cupboards in order to make room for the bathroom. He declared the cupboard one of the most overbuilt items he's ever seen. I'm glad the man who painstakingly built this area for his shop work couldn't see it coming out! There's a twin cupboard with counter that I am likely going to keep on the other side of the soon to be studio.

Some pieces I salvaged from the old cupboard. Good for lots of things!

In the midst of all this, Mike came by to have me slightly alter a commission he had me do of and for his wife, Sandra. She loved the painting, but regretted that her hair wasn't redder. (I'd just had an old picture to go by.) I was happy to add a reddish glaze to her hair.

Sandra (blonde)

Sandra (red)

Yuk. I remember this green shag carpet we took out of the dining room in 1991. I'm glad the old dead thing is finally leaving us!

The recycle pile at the end of the day. What a lovely sight. I especially like the sun's reflection off the 1950's storm door...