I recently relocated to Pennsylvania. Moving is usually a bit stressful. When you have a home-based business, such as an art studio, it adds additional stressors to the situation, or at least this has been my experience when moving.

After this move, I had to decide what supplies I would need right away to keep working. I plan on doing renovations in the studio. Many of my art supplies and reference books will need to be stored until after the renovations are complete. Therefore, I had to think through the resources I would want to have close at hand in the meantime. Right away, I knew I at least needed:

• Paint brushes

• Paints

• Scissors

• Glue

• And of course, paper

Then I had to think ahead about the art shows that I want to participate in. What type of paper sculptures do I hope to complete for upcoming shows? Next I had to think about what reference materials I may need to complete those sculptures. Will I be framing the art, or will it be free-standing and placed under domes? I will need to keep those frames and domes nearby.

I also have finished, framed art that I need to keep track of. In an art business, things are always moving and shifting. Framed pieces need to be shipped to gallery shows or to a customer. If entering juried shows, those deadlines need to be tracked and I need to keep an eye on where my art is being shipped, sold, and sent out to clients.

With all my planning aside, several renovations have already occurred in my studio. First, the old paneling in the room was taken down and replaced with fresh dry wall. The rug was removed, and a new subfloor and wood laminate flooring was installed.

One tall and one short shelving unit was set up along with my large drafting table. Normally I have another shelving unit in my studio loaded with all my reference books. The walls in the room still need to be painted, so I don’t want to unpack all my books because it will be too hard to move the shelves if they are loaded up with books.

So, for now, almost all of my reference books and sketch books are still boxed up. I am discovering this is not all that convenient as I am trying to paper sculpt. I often refer to my sketch books for ideas, so despite all my planning, I still have to dig through various boxes to find what I need. This takes a lot of extra time — but it’s all a work in progress.

Stay tuned for what else I have planned with renovations in my new studio space!