As promised I took a few photos to share with you of my ‘studio setup’. For those of you that may not know, my husband and I along with our two wire-haired fox terriers live in a 40 foot long fifth wheel.
There we are….that is at the back of the fifth wheel. You can see my easel and my artist taboret. That is Cosmo…he is always near, either in the chair or snuggled up against my feet while I paint.
Here is a closer look at my little set up. The green curtain is actually a sun shade I hang on the back window to cut down on the glare and the heat. It is a pretty compact little area, but I have everything I need close at hand! That chair there….is very near and dear to my heart. I used to do a lot of decorative furniture painting and my Grandfather used to prepare by pieces for me. He spent hours removing layers and sanding the surface smooth and clean…ready for me to create. That chair is one of the very last things he was able to do for me….I miss him….one day I may paint it, but for now I left the chair as it is, just as he prepared it….a little reminder that he is always near….
This is a photo looking back towards the front of the fifth wheel…past the kitchen you can see the doorway into our bedroom. That is the little Belle girl in one of her favorite napping spots. Sorry about hubby’s feet….he was intently watching a movie and I didn’t have the heart to ask him to move. That big desk holds my wide format printer there on the corner and yes…that would be a crock pot cooking our dinner of homemade vege soup. Normally it would be on the kitchen counter but we had another project going and put it there to be out of the way. We have direct tv….our dish is mounted on a tripod which we set up and tune every time we move to a new location. The receiver box is usually inside the cabinet behind the tv, but the radio signal remote stopped working so we moved it out onto the desk top to have better access. I think we are going to have to invest in a new receiver. Next to the desk is a storage/bench hubby and I built. It sits where a dining table would be, but we found this to be a better use of the space. We simply eat from tv trays in the living room. Past the kitchen up a couple of steps and through the doorway is our bedroom and bath.
So there you have it…..a bit of a peek into my world. We have been living in our fifth wheel and traveling for over 6 years now. We still love it and hope we have a few more years of being ‘on the road’ before settling down somewhere out west.
Wow. That is great. We live in an 800 square foot home so I know little! You’ve done such a great job. I love the idea of getting rid of the table and doing tv trays. You could always eat outside on a picnic table if you wanted guests or a special meal. I love it. I read your little intro page too. What a cool thing you are doing.
Thanks Amy….we are enjoying our travels and lifestyle! You learn a lot about yourself living in a small space!
I love seeing a glimpse of your world! I had no idea that 5th wheels could be so roomy inside. It looks like a regular house! (Complete with hubby feet.) 😉 I also loved seeing Cosmo and Belle. I know I’ve seen a pic of Cosmo here before, but I think this is my first Belle experience. She’s so cute!
Your little art area is charming. I’m curious about that green curtain. You mentioned that it blocks glare, but I’m wondering if the light shining through the green affects your color perception as you paint. I was painting in a room with yellow walls until I realized that all my artwork looked very different, much cooler in tone, when I took it to a room with white walls. Color: curiouser and curiouser…
Oh “Golly Miss Molly” I could write volumes on the curious nature of color. How it changes and tricks and teases you in the blink of an eye! As to the ‘green curtain’, I haven’t really noticed an issue with it although I don’t rely on it as my main light source. I use an Ott Light when I paint. It is a full spectrum light which helps you see color in a more ‘stable’ and dependable way. I wouldn’t be without it!
Fascinating and inspiring that you can work and live in such a compact space. I guess it’s all about getting down to the essentials, something I’m struggling to do in a huge house as well as my studio. Good for you!
I hear you on that, Susan. After seeing Debbie’s tiny studio space, I’m starting to rethink my need to expand my own studio. Maybe I could get down to essentials, too. (Cue maniacal laughter.)
Thanks Susan….it is a struggle sometimes and I surely do miss a space to call my own. I miss being able to make a creative mess and simply walk away and close a door. But…I love being able to travel and be inspired by all I see and do. You do learn a lot about what you must have and what you can do without…in a very small space.
Your set up is perfect!! Although, it brings back memories from two years ago when my husband and I sold our house purchasing another that was not ready for us. We happened to be closing on a foreclosure property at the time when the government shutdown. Needless to say, we were not able to close since the bank owned the property needing some sort of approval from one of the government agencies. My husband happened to be working in ND living in a camper at the time and I was forced into our motorhome which we moved to a friends property. Mine is not as luxurious as yours, nor as long. Less some footage and no slide outs. It was a nightmare. I lived and worked out of there for over 2 months. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to go camping after that. But, “Henry” as we call our camper, won back my heart.
My goodness what a journey that must have been! I am happy to know that “Henry” has won back your heart!
I love it! Brought back such fond memories of our RV, although we were never full-timers, especially in our 24 foot Class C. But I still dream about full-timing. Your studio space is perfect, and your chair is a perfect example of what to keep. Isn’t it amazing how comfortable and how much you can do in a small space on wheels? Thanks for the peek into your world.
Thanks Linda….yes, we are pretty happy with our little home! Although sometimes I do miss having a large space to really spread out in! LOL!