Art and Money

We are building a big storage building (16x24) to become my art studio. I am not a “real” artist: I cannot draw a straight line from the back door to the outhouse, let alone add perspective to it. But I can take outlines of drawings (that I paid for the privilege of tracing) in workbooks and arrange them and rearrange them until I get a design that I want to paint. I also get germs of ideas from catalogs, magazines and everything I see. I like to flatter others by piggybacking on ideas. I work mostly with oils; I paint mostly furniture.
“Mostly” implies that I do other stuff too.
This week “mostly” has included carpentry. We bought this building to be put up without windows (an art studio?) except for a cheap Plexiglas skylight. I did not want the contractor’s paltry little single-paned windows, all the same size, one on each wall. Instead, our friend and carpenter-consultant, Doug and I went to Habitat for Humanity Reuse Center (my new favorite place to shop) and bought seven windows. Only two are the same size; those two and one other (smaller) are transoms that we installed vertically. Three of the windows are double-hung and they open (another visit to Habitat Reuse will produce screens, I hope); the others are for light. One of the big windows (the ones that open) has muntins in the upper sash; one has muntins in both sashes, and the other has none. I framed three of the windows by myself and helped Doug install all of them. George added his stength with the larger ones. I cut the brick molding upside down twice, but used it anyway. (This house will not be on Parade of Homes.) I am feeling my “I AM WOMAN” testosterone.
I even helped level the building and got a physics lesson in the bargain. Doug created a lever to raise one corner a shim at time. My job was to sit on the end of the 4x4 so the other end could coax the building up. I have power in my butt.
Mr. Mosca has finished wiring, and fixtures go in next week. We framed a window air conditioner into the wall so that it can drip water out into my future flower and herb garden. Brent and Austin (his 6-yeard-old) installed a cold water sink Friday night, working until 9:30. Brent lives next door (and says the rate is only $160 an hour). If I need hot water, I will heat it in the microwave. George filled in the trench left in the yard by Mr. Mosca and Brent.
George is making this big investment in our project so that I will get my mess out of the front bedroom and garage (and the living room and dining room). I want to put our old couch out there. He says, “No. You will just pile it up with stuff.”
I say, “That is the point!” Oh, and he might put an elliptical out there.
Next come caulking, vents for air circulation, insulation, and steps at the back door. Every stage requires another trip to Lowes and/or Home Depot. We are building our own money pit, artsy though it may be.