Last year on June 13th I picked up the first load of lumber from Home Depot and drove it out to St. Johns to hand off to my contractor to start building my tiny house. I will officially move into my new space the weekend of June 16th, almost one year exactly from when I dropped that first load of wood off. I love symmetry. Somehow, the timing feels just right.
When I returned from my travels at the end of December in 2016, I imagined being in my own space no later than this June. Even though I thought the house might be completed earlier than this, I am still hitting that original deadline, and that, as well, feels just right. Although it seems like it’s been a long process, only taking one year to build a house actually is quite speedy… at least for me. For those of you that knew me through my last house remodel, one year is lightning quick.
I am currently picking out towel bars and designing custom couch cushions and ordering special space-saving clothes hangers. There is no end to the wonders of the internet. Just a few weeks ago I had to find a custom metal shower curtain track/hanger that could mount to the ceiling, hung down no longer than 1” and could bend in a radius of less than 3”. Yes, this crazy thing actually exists and I am a happy and satisfied customer. Everything in my house is ridiculously custom. I can’t just amble down to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and pick out what I need. How did anyone build anything before you could search the ENTIRE WORLD online?
I’m so looking forward to sharing the finished project with you! I’ll probably post a poorly filmed and shaky video to youtube after I move in so I can share the tiny house love with all of you.
I actually just arrived in Boise, Idaho to celebrate my friend Tiana’s big 50th birthday with a rafting trip on the middle fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. I’ve just been home for a week after returning from the whirlwind of spending a week in New York attending the large surface art trade show, Surtex. I blogged about my decision to go to Surtex here.
I’ll be honest. I did the very minimum I needed to do to go to Surtex. When I signed up to exhibit at the show at the end of January, I had envisioned myself madly drawing and painting for three and a half months, magnificent pieces spilling, nay, overflowing from my fingertips. This did not happen. AT ALL. I mentioned in my last post that trying to finish up my house consumed all my time and as a result, I ended up only creating one new series of drawings. Just five new cocktail drawings. That’s it. I was feeling quite anxious about this until my sister pointed out that I had five years of work that no-one had ever seen before. I took a huge breath and realized she was right.
As I started to flip through all the journals that I’ve filled over the past five years, I was surprised by an odd feeling. It wasn’t exactly pride, or satisfaction, or happiness. It was a combo of all three. I have visually documented my life starting from when I walked my first Camino, and it was so good to see these moments and memories nested in pages awash with words and watercolors. Good feels like a plain word, but it was exactly that. Good.
As I selected the pieces I wanted to display, I found paintings that I had completely forgotten about. Paintings that evoked sweet memories and made me smile. Paintings that I wanted to include in my portfolio. The painting above of Arch Cape is one such piece. My portfolio had a set number of 48 pages and there were many pieces that I had to leave out due to lack of space. This was also surprising. I realized that I have created a rather substantial body of work all captured in the pages of my journals. I headed to Surtex with my portfolio in hand and my head held high.
It would be wonderful if I had some exciting news to share with you post-show, but I don’t. There was much less traffic than I thought there would be, and it felt like the attendees that were there were not interested in visiting new exhibitors. I made some wonderful new friends (artists also exhibiting) and a few good contacts, and time will tell if these contacts will actually end up working or collaborating with me. If they do, then the show could end up being a great investment. I’ll keep you posted.
So I was just told that it’s time for drinks on the patio to celebrate Tiana’s 50th. We’re off for a rafting adventure on the river on Monday. I plan to immerse myself in the beauty of the river and the company of dear friends. And somehow, the timing feels just right.
Loved reading this… so happy to hear that you’re finishing your home in such a timely, symmetrical fashion! And I am also glad to hear you made it to NY for the show. I think that it’s pivotal and important to step back and really SEE all the work that’s been created. Who knows what will come of it, yet! I’m excited for you.
Thank you lovely friend! I miss you! I am looking forward to connecting in June! I am anxious to move forward with workshop plans 🙂 I hope all is well! xoxo
Kari,
I hope meeting Danny Gregory will introduce you to Sketchbook Skool! I was so excited when he posted your palette! I knew immediately it was yours! I would love for you to teach a class! I love your work and can’t wait to see the inside of your tiny! I also love the word “good” and write it all the time in my journals. It is a simple world packed with so much meaning. Take care 🙂
Stacy
Can’t wait to see pictures of your new house!