Organization Tip

Ok, it rained all day yesterday, another 1+inches and now it is windy and so cold - so what's a girl to do?  This is one of the times a year that I give my art space a deep cleaning.  I also always get the itch about this time that "this year" I am going to get really organized so my space doesn't get so junked up.  So here are some of my projects.

I was very fortunate and gifted some art supplies, mostly pens, pencils and markers, a few weeks ago.   Good news is lots of new toys, bad news is they are just sitting around, either loose or in their plastic baggies they came in,  as I really had not organized a place to put them.  I have been storing my drawing pencils in round containers, CP in coffee containers that hang over my desk, markers are in the shoe boxes that my running shoes come in because they have a lid.  But I still can never find the right hardness of pencils, marker colors, etc. - so it is really time to figure out a way to make it work.

I still have a couple of shelves I need to put in  my closet and am trying to figure out how to organize my drawing supplies so they: 1) stay together by media,  2) can be easily be found, taken out, used and put away - again EASILY, 3) keep all necessary accessories with the implements.    So I decided that since I always have about 2 inner cores of TP rolls each week, ok, maybe too much information for you, that I would use them to put "sorted" pencils, fine tip markers, pens, blenders, etc".  I can keep them pretty much either pointed down or on their sides so they don't dry out.   I also can keep them from sliding around by hooking the clip around the outside and packing the middle tight.  Then they can be packed into a plastic tub and stored in the closet or down in the wooden crates that you can see at the bottom of the picture.  

Also I use the sausage foam trays (washed of course) to put my pencils/pastels/pens in while working on a project.  So when I get my pencil/pastel trays out I can use the cookie sheets to hold the whole thing together by project, usually I have multiples going at one time and keep the palette together until the end of the picture.  Since I seem to be working more and more in mixed media these days I can have a tray for each media type yet keep them together on the cookie tray.  Keeps things from rolling off my drawing board and hitting the floor breaking those points I worked so hard to get.

I have been keeping my pan pastels on cookie sheets, sorted by color ranges, set out on my workspace.  I was too cheap to buy the pan pastel trays, got $ store cookie sheets and covered them with plastic wrap.  Haven't had a major issue with them, but even stacked up they take up space.  As it is I don't have enough horizontal space so I needed to get them put away and grab them when needed.   Got those little plastic blue trays from the $ store a while back, they didn't work for what I got them for, (was going to put those small bottles of craft paint in them, but perfectly hold the pans.  Next part of this project is to label the colors, or I might just label the color ranges.   When I need to use them I'll get the cookie tray out and spread them out for easy access.  Eventually they will go in the closet on one of those "yet-to-be-put-up shelves"  Hey I have only lived here a year!!   Didn't want to rush into anything!!

Thanks much for stopping by and taking a look. 

Comments

Mellowood Gallery said…
Some nice ideas here Nelvia. I am lucky that I have a large studio and a very handy husband so I have lots of storage space with shelves, drawers, file cabinet, table and counter space. I use a lot of the plastic shoe boxes and soup cans for my bits and pieces but I like your idea of cookie sheets for specific projects. We all know that the organization won't last forever but it sounds like you have a good system going.
January 21, 2019 at 11:22 AM
Joan Tavolott said…
I like your idea of using the TP inner cores to hold pens! I wish I had a room to organize like this. You have some really good ideas.
January 23, 2019 at 5:35 PM
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