Transitions

 After spending a goodly amount of time renovating the Art Barn to make it more weather-proof and comfortable, we find that we are moving.  The process has begun:  we have our site selected, the land has been tested for septic and water systems and we have our building permit.  We have been packing like crazy and that also means purging unwanted items from EVERYWHERE!  

One of the first things I came to realize was that many of my acrylic paints were only about 1/2 used and truly were not my primary media.  Paper crafting was accomplished either with alcohol, dye or pigment inks or watercolor.  All things acrylic that had not been used for a year or more was packaged up and sent to the local charter school that concentrated on the arts.  In addition to the ancrylic paints, colored pencils, some of the less costly or professional brushes and papers for drawing or coloring were included.  In today’s environment, teachers often have to provide their own supplies for the classrooms, and I was met with gratitude from the school when I appeared with several boxes of the supplies.

Yarns and threads, patterns and instruction books, tools that will have uses later on, paper materials, stamps and dies have been (for the most part) grouped and put into storage.  My concern for my inks, dyes and paints is  that once stored in an unseated location, they might freeze.  While cleaning out the garage, I found a thick, styrofoam container that had once held a gift of fresh seafood that our children had sent for a gift.  This I packed with all the alcohol inks, resist sprays and bonding solutions.  Alas it wasn’t enough!

Through persistence, similar packaging solutions have been found by appearing at local pharmacies and grocery stores which also receive shipments of medicines or seafoods that require being kept cold in transit.  The efforts were well worth it! Next, the ink pads - both dye inks and pigment inks - will go into the newly located styrofoam containers.  During the summers, such containers are a bit easier to find, but during the winter months, no one needs coolers!  Once packaged up, I’ll leave these in climate controlled conditions until the VERY last minute before moving them to the unheated space.  Perhaps it will be far enough into the year that freezing won’t really be an issue.  Meanwhile, I’d rather be safe and not have to replace any that I don’t have to.