Pre-Summer Clean-Up Time

How does this always happen to my studio over the year? This year I only had two quarters for it to get like this after my sabbatical finished in December. 

Seriously, winter studio tornadoes?

Somehow during the busy school year and the cold winter months I don't seem to put away the work that comes home from shows or the packing materials that they come home in or, this year, the dirty, donated bike parts in boxes, threatening to take over the studio floor space.

partially sorted bike parts

My summer break starts in about three and a half weeks. Unfortunately, the first weekend after finals is also June Art Fest at Chalet Place, so I'll have to dig out at least some of my work and my packing materials (and maybe a couple shelves) before that weekend.

I spent a couple mornings this week starting the tedious process of reclaiming floor and shelf space. I bought a new set of metal shelves for the semi-outdoor storage area next to my studio. I plan to move the bike parts or maybe some work out there to ease up space constraints inside. But perhaps I should just plan to price my work really low at June Art Fest to make more room in the studio.

this is a gear box

Revolution Cycles in Yakima continued to collect old, damaged, and fairly dirty bike parts for me over the last few months--which is pretty awesome, since I now have many more types of parts to choose from when I begin to build. I was storing the parts in a heap in boxes as they came to me, but I really needed to sort them to see what I have to work with as the summer starts. I bought some transparent boxes for my outside shelves and did some sorting this week. I feel a sense of accomplishment just knowing what is actually in the boxes. Maybe someday I'll clean the parts too. Or hire someone to do that.

this is a box of pedal parts and gears attached to pedal parts

While sorting, I started getting excited about how many gears and pedals parts I have in the boxes. Last summer I made a bunch of pieces with gears and I needed more options for sizes. I was also happy with  one of the last pieces I build using pedals and wouldn't mind making another with similar parts.

"Pedal/Petal" 2013

Last year I ran into a bit of trouble near the end having enough options for metal parts or sizes. I now appear to have filled out my tiny parts collection and I have quite a few new pieces that I will have to investigate further to figure out how to use or take apart. 

a box of various little parts and odds and ends

I'm hoping a head-start on sorting bike parts (and cleaning the studio) will help me start in on building immediately when the summer begins. Without a sabbatical this year I can't afford to fumble around too long into June. Last year my momentum really got going in August or September--when my summer ends this year.