The Shed as Art Gallery

Harmony and Simplicity from my friend Elizabeth Metz

Nel Jansen's sunset, plus two of mine on the right

Ann Thompson Nemcosky's leaves in colored pencil

"Faith," from dear friend Vicky Williamson, sunflower postcard from my mentor, Ann Zwinger, and black-eyed susans from old friend Roberta Hammer

The previous, in situ with one of my accordion sketchbooks of cat sketches

Art corner, with Ann's sunset, a print by Toni Ponce Kelly by the boom box, Elizabeth Metz's Harmony and Simplicity under the window, and my two paintings--acrylics, one from YEARS ago (my cat Ginsberg) and the fantasy painting from a few years back of me and my friend Susan Theroff, who is a wonderful model!

Another of my Susan!

Puck, on his own, sort of...

Toni Ponce Kelly's wonderful serenity prayer...before it found its permanent place

The two redware cups and the green one and small jar by Ann's painting are my pottery; Puck is on the wall at right.

Serenity Prayer from Toni Ponce Kelly above the window--it's gorgeous!
 

Megan Noel Smith did the wonderful brown bowl at left, and that's one of my faerie houses

Funny, I was going to keep the shed simple as a Zen meditation room...

And finally, baseboard heat...

After my poor Lasko (the tower heater behind Ron, here) couldn't raise the overnight heat above 32 degrees and water froze in the cats' bowl, I'd had it.  Baseboard heat it is.  Here's old friend Ron Davenport checking directions...

Putting the breaker box back...

And of COURSE I was sketching madly all the time he worked!

I don't leave the faux woodstove on overnight--too much traffic in our alley and it looks too real--I thought someone might call the fire department!  You can see how much more room there is and how unobtrusive the baseboard heater is. 

I added notes and called it done!

 And what's really nice is that the baseboard heat doesn't even come on in the daytime when I'm out there (I use the cute "woodstove" heater, what can I say?!).  It's set on very low at night and still brought the temp up to almost 60 last night--it was 9 degrees outside!

I believe we have finally solved the heat issue.

Merry Christmas to all! And it is most DEFINITELY winter, now...

The shed wore a festive wreath for its photo op!

...and here's hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas season, with friends, family, warmth and comfort; solace for those that need it, as well.  God's blessings on you, today and always, and best wishes from us to you.  May 2014 bring all the love and creativity you could wish for!

Joseph makes sure the little cousins are fed...

I get some sketching in...

 

You can tell this is a faux woodstove.  (Too bad I didn't leave it on overnight!)

And brrrr!  -8 when I got up this morning; just about zero, now.  Went out to the shed to bump up the heat with this little beauty this Christmas Eve morning, and it was 32 degrees in there WITH the tower heater set at 60+!  Cats' water is frozen on the floor; Belle went out, briefly, and right back in, crying and complaining LOUDLY.    So, time for more dependable heat, I think.

Thinking baseboard heat...the shed needs a Christmas present, too!

It's Winter!

First snow, the other day...and 10 degrees!

...and my old heater just wasn't cutting it any more...it was 38 degrees in there that morning, so we are REALLY glad we bit the bullet and decided to go for the new faux woodstove, on sale at Plow and Hearth!

You may remember I'd been wishing for a stove like that for three years now (check out this post)...but why make any sudden moves, right?

The Shed in Context

People sometimes wonder where the shed IS; it looks like it's out in the woods, and feels like it too, sometimes...if you look in the right direction.  Here, the outlines of the old raised beds that get too much shade to be gardens now, the white martin house just visible at the top of this shot, and the shed, in autumn gold.

The old yellow Victorian to the left is where we live...the shed's only a few steps from the back door...and food, and running water, and all the comforts of home.  Unlike our original cabin, I can get there in all seasons, and do.

The blue house at right is our neighbor...the shed's on a vacant lot I bought when the house there burned down.  It was my garden for years, till the trees grew up too much.  Now it's a lovely jungle and a buffer from the street.

So my "tiny house in landscape" is a tiny house in an URBAN landscape!  Glad Joseph got these shots today...