Storage Issues
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stlukesguild
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Roly Poly! That's the nickname of our little Jack Russell-Dachshund mix! We have a second dog. She's a mix-breed hound in the Greyhound family. She's incredibly lean and fast and 2 and a half times his weight. We always give them table scraps and for the longest times we tried to be fair by giving both the same amount. You can figure the result. He became a little chunker. We started calling him Roly Poly. We even joked that he had his own theme song:Bob Wills: Roly Poly
We've actually put him on a diet over the last few months. We'll give a piece of whatever anytime we're giving the other dog a piece... but a smaller piece. He's also getting much more exercise now that Winter is finally over. He's lost a good deal of weight. He'll rumble with Pepper... the big girl... and get the better of her at times in spite of her advantage in size. He's fearless; both Dachshunds and Jack Russells we're bred to hunt fox and badgers and chase them down the tunnels... thus their short legs and big stocky bodies to help them breathe.
Oh and his name? Raphael of course. (Actually, my wife named both of them. She named Pepper after seeing the pepper grinder on the table when we first brought her home.)
HaroldRoth
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I've been painting on paper for the last 6 months, and I must admit, I really like how little storage space I need compared to painting on canvas or panels with any depth. I will be using panels and canvases once I get in my new place because I want to use up the stuff that I have, but I've been thinking of trying the oil paper that Arches makes so I could keep using paper.
Artyczar
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I have that oil paper too, but I haven't used it yet. I guess it's because I don't have the wall space and have been nervous about painting on it flat on the drafting table, which is not exactly adjustable...I mean it is, but it's a full pain in the ass to change the pitch since I have permanent items on it. I'd rather the oil painting be vertical.
HaroldRoth
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I think it could be tacked to a panel for painting, but from the reviews, some people paint on it without attaching it to any support. I think I'd rather have it tacked to some gatorboard so I could shift it around without getting wet paint on me. Can't wait to try this stuff now. I know some people just gesso some watercolor paper, but I would rather forego gessoing these days.
stlukesguild
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I need to work vertically as well. The only time I have worked horizontally was when I was making those collages... and even then, I sometimes hung the WIP on the wall and used the blue masking tape to hold pieces in place temporarily. I do plan on getting a good work table to place in the Library/Den where I can do some work flat... but that won't happen until I get that room organized. Right now it's filled with a lot of stuff from the old studio.
I'd have to get one the right size. I don't have one that size laying around at the moment. I think I got 30 x 40 paper. Where's the little icon of the guy slapping himself in the head?
Artyczar
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Well, I am hiring professional movers and we've booked a date. I crunched the numbers on how much it would have cost to do it all ourselves and the savings is really not worth the hassle. The storage space is an hour away from here. I did that on purpose, because 1. it was so much cheaper to get a larger climate controlled locker there, and 2. it was just off the freeway on the way to LA.
To rent a U-Haul and one helper (on the loading end) to load it would cost more money than you'd think. It's not so much the U-Haul, or even the helper to carry the heavy shelves. It's the gas and mileage. A 17-foot truck has a 40 gallon tank that only gets 10 mpg when the truck isn't even full of stuff. Can you imagine what it would get filled with stuff and driving it over the mountains? Well, it would be a minimum of $300 in gas alone. That's not counting the buck a mile on top of that!
Disassembling and reassembling those damn shelves is not as easy as it sounds either. Plus, it's hot as hell. This is summer. This is what it is. Is all this, that will take years off our lives of back-breaking labor (still have to somehow unload it without a helper) and sweat, and pain worth a couple/few hundred dollars more? Isn't that what credit cards are for?
I will still save money getting it all out of there, so that does it. Peace of mind is worth even twice the price.
To rent a U-Haul and one helper (on the loading end) to load it would cost more money than you'd think. It's not so much the U-Haul, or even the helper to carry the heavy shelves. It's the gas and mileage. A 17-foot truck has a 40 gallon tank that only gets 10 mpg when the truck isn't even full of stuff. Can you imagine what it would get filled with stuff and driving it over the mountains? Well, it would be a minimum of $300 in gas alone. That's not counting the buck a mile on top of that!
Disassembling and reassembling those damn shelves is not as easy as it sounds either. Plus, it's hot as hell. This is summer. This is what it is. Is all this, that will take years off our lives of back-breaking labor (still have to somehow unload it without a helper) and sweat, and pain worth a couple/few hundred dollars more? Isn't that what credit cards are for?
I will still save money getting it all out of there, so that does it. Peace of mind is worth even twice the price.
stlukesguild
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I had planned the same... but then we were hit with the Lock-Down due to COVID-19 and the Landlord was rushing me... so I was stuck moving most of it myself with the aid of a couple of family members. I've already told my wife that the next time we move we will be hiring movers. I want to get into a ranch house as steps are becoming a problem for my wife and my handicapped brother who lives with us. I'll box up and number/label the books and CDs and then the movers will do all the rest.
stlukesguild
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I have helped friends move I can't count how many times. Usually, I'm only "paid" with pizza and beer. That was fine when I was in my 20s... or 30s. Not so much now. I've also had the experience of most of my friends being already committed or busy at the time when I move. When I moved into the current house I had everything organized. I used my pickup to move things into the new house over a month-long period. By moving day, all that was left were boxes (many) of books and CDs, the furniture, a piano 
and the final utensils, plates, and pans we needed to eat until we moved. It took maybe 3 hours to load the truck (we had 4 friends helping) and a bit longer to unload it. Taking the King-Size bed upstairs over a balcony using ropes was the biggest hassle. The piano was incredibly heavy... but we only needed to take it up 4 stone steps to the front door and slide it into the living room.
and the final utensils, plates, and pans we needed to eat until we moved. It took maybe 3 hours to load the truck (we had 4 friends helping) and a bit longer to unload it. Taking the King-Size bed upstairs over a balcony using ropes was the biggest hassle. The piano was incredibly heavy... but we only needed to take it up 4 stone steps to the front door and slide it into the living room.
Artyczar
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Well...for us, that doesn't sound like much. Ha! It took almost four months for us to pack, and I worked on it full-time days for three of those months, wrapping over 250 paintings in bubble wrap, all the little sculptural items around the house, along with all our other crap, taking inventory, etc. That's when we moved out of our 100-year old house after living there for more than 10 years. It was also a really traumatic time, but I won't get into that part, but it was sheer HELL! I never want to go through anything like that again. The movers has to get two huge moving trucks and made two trips to the new place! That was after we sold our piano! Ha ha ha.
stlukesguild
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And I thought we were pack rats. 
I've been spending much of the time since the lock-down clearing out the attic, the basement, the garage, the studio, and preparing the new studio... and we still have far to go. We need a new hot water tank and a washer and drier on top of it all. Our house, by the way, is only 90 years old. But much of Ohio was settled before California took off. We have so many largely empty warehouses that are over 100 years old downtown. Some have been zoned work-live and upgraded in terms of fire escapes, sprinkler systems, etc... I am thinking about such when we move next. I'd love a big studio and apartment in one... but only with a long-term rent or ownership. There's always the gentrification issue.
I've been spending much of the time since the lock-down clearing out the attic, the basement, the garage, the studio, and preparing the new studio... and we still have far to go. We need a new hot water tank and a washer and drier on top of it all. Our house, by the way, is only 90 years old. But much of Ohio was settled before California took off. We have so many largely empty warehouses that are over 100 years old downtown. Some have been zoned work-live and upgraded in terms of fire escapes, sprinkler systems, etc... I am thinking about such when we move next. I'd love a big studio and apartment in one... but only with a long-term rent or ownership. There's always the gentrification issue.
Artyczar
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Ya, you know how artists are always first to get in on the cheap rents in a low income area before all the hipsters come and ruin it all and push everyone out, including the artists. We are nomads in that way. Nomads and trailblazers.
Are you guys renters? I thought you were. We are life-long renters. An artist and a writer, of course--never will see homeownership. Never to see "retirement" either. The trade-off living this fancy-free lifestyle. No American dream here.
But I actually almost saw homeownership--once. Just barely. Long story. I owned a condo for a minute, but that was a long time ago, never to be repeated.
Are you guys renters? I thought you were. We are life-long renters. An artist and a writer, of course--never will see homeownership. Never to see "retirement" either. The trade-off living this fancy-free lifestyle. No American dream here.
But I actually almost saw homeownership--once. Just barely. Long story. I owned a condo for a minute, but that was a long time ago, never to be repeated.
stlukesguild
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Yes, we're renters. The house we are in was supposed to be a "rent to own" situation with half of the rent applied to the cost of the house. Then the real estate market crashed... and Cleveland was at the epicenter of the mess with the Cleveland-based National City Bank at the center of the mess giving loans to anyone who was breathing. There were Nurses Aides buying 4 or 5 big suburban houses at virtually no interest... for 5 years... and then a big balloon payment with the interest jumping up astronomically. But they all thought they'd just roll the houses for a big profit... until the crash hit. Within 2 miles down the street I drove to work at my school there must have been 30 foreclosed and abandoned homes. If you could pony up $20,000 or $25,000 in cash you could buy a home outright... but the banks weren't loaning anything. National City went belly up. The house we were/are in was valued at around $100,000... average for an older home within the city limits and not in one of the luxury neighborhoods. But suddenly it was appraised at $23,000. Even if they were giving out loans, no bank was going to write the loan for $100,000 on a home now valued at one-quarter of the price.
But it gets worse. Our landlord was rolling homes. He owned dozens of them. In order to spread out the tax liability the homes were placed in the names of various family members: his father, mother, brothers, sister-in-law, etc... Our home was placed in the name of his brother's wife. All well and good. The brother and father actually took care of the home. But then the wife, a nurse, hooks up with a doctor at work, and dumps her husband... and walks away with the title to the house. She had no clue of the initial rent-to-own agreement. On the positive side, that means I can move without the hassle of selling the house. It also means that she's responsible for major repairs such as the hot water tank that needs to be repaired or replaced.
But it gets worse. Our landlord was rolling homes. He owned dozens of them. In order to spread out the tax liability the homes were placed in the names of various family members: his father, mother, brothers, sister-in-law, etc... Our home was placed in the name of his brother's wife. All well and good. The brother and father actually took care of the home. But then the wife, a nurse, hooks up with a doctor at work, and dumps her husband... and walks away with the title to the house. She had no clue of the initial rent-to-own agreement. On the positive side, that means I can move without the hassle of selling the house. It also means that she's responsible for major repairs such as the hot water tank that needs to be repaired or replaced.
Artyczar
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Yes, that is the good thing about being a renter--not having to deal with all the repairs. I get paranoid of being asked to leave now, since that's what happened after 10 years of being in our old house. It's a long story like I said. Now we love where we are again and we are at the end of our lease. Now it's month to month. I am scared--especially since we are moving the whole storage unit into the garage next week, that the landlords will want to move into this house themselves and we will have to move again. The land in which this house sits is extraordinary. It baffles me that they don't live in it, but then again, I don't know where in Joshua Tree their house sits. I can't imagine they have a better view than ours though.
They purchased this house for a good price in the days before we moved into it. It was $250K and that is a steal for this place. The average home in southern California is three times that. Granted, things are cheaper in the desert, but not the properties with views like these against the national park. My parents sold their house in LA for $250K in--1990!
They purchased this house for a good price in the days before we moved into it. It was $250K and that is a steal for this place. The average home in southern California is three times that. Granted, things are cheaper in the desert, but not the properties with views like these against the national park. My parents sold their house in LA for $250K in--1990!
HaroldRoth
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I had a chance to buy the house I was living in in upstate NY on a land contract. According to my calculations, I could have it paid off in 7 years if I paid what I was paying in rent plus a percentage for maintenance. It was a 2 bedroom Cape Cod with a patio and a full basement. Lots was 1/5 acre with lots of trees. Then the water heater broke and it cost the landlord $1000 to replace it. And I thought about it honestly--there would pretty much never be a time when I had $1K just lying around, and I don't do credit. So I decided to move instead and chose, finally, RI because it is on the sea and it's a blue state. Lots of history, too.
I moved into an old mill with live/work spaces, but these are not the luxury type. It is a scruffy place with a lot of issues like rats and flooding. But even so, I have stayed here for five year and will probably stay for another five more. I'm moving up to the third floor because it is quieter and I like the view of the rooftops and the trees in the railroad property on the other side of the complex. And it's cheap. And they don't give a damn about how many cats I have or my lack of any credit history. It's kind of pay your rent and don't set the place on fire and you're good.
I drove a 15-foot-truck up here from NY and the gas cost more than the truck. It was a hellish ride. It should have taken 4 hours but took 8. And I left very late, rushing to get everything packed and having to leave a lot behind because it just wouldn't fit. I had help on both ends. I think it cost me a total of $2K. I drove the truck with four howling cats in the cab with me, starting out at 9pm and arriving here at 5 am. What fun.
Still, I'm glad I moved here. I'm moving to a higher floor, like I said, in the same building and am in the middle of that move now. I'm dumping a lot of stuff, mostly books I don't read, and am taking the opportunity to be more efficient about storage in my space. I'm really looking forward to getting into my new loft and of course the first thing I am doing is hanging my paintings. It looks great. Where I'm at right now, I didn't have much drywall to hang paintings on. In my new place, one entire side of the loft is drywall, and I have got it well filled. It's going to be nice. A LOT of work though.
I moved into an old mill with live/work spaces, but these are not the luxury type. It is a scruffy place with a lot of issues like rats and flooding. But even so, I have stayed here for five year and will probably stay for another five more. I'm moving up to the third floor because it is quieter and I like the view of the rooftops and the trees in the railroad property on the other side of the complex. And it's cheap. And they don't give a damn about how many cats I have or my lack of any credit history. It's kind of pay your rent and don't set the place on fire and you're good.
I drove a 15-foot-truck up here from NY and the gas cost more than the truck. It was a hellish ride. It should have taken 4 hours but took 8. And I left very late, rushing to get everything packed and having to leave a lot behind because it just wouldn't fit. I had help on both ends. I think it cost me a total of $2K. I drove the truck with four howling cats in the cab with me, starting out at 9pm and arriving here at 5 am. What fun.
Still, I'm glad I moved here. I'm moving to a higher floor, like I said, in the same building and am in the middle of that move now. I'm dumping a lot of stuff, mostly books I don't read, and am taking the opportunity to be more efficient about storage in my space. I'm really looking forward to getting into my new loft and of course the first thing I am doing is hanging my paintings. It looks great. Where I'm at right now, I didn't have much drywall to hang paintings on. In my new place, one entire side of the loft is drywall, and I have got it well filled. It's going to be nice. A LOT of work though.
Artyczar
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Alright, so we moved all the storage from the paid space into the garage on Thursday and I've spent the last two days organizing everything. My God, it's been tiring and intense!
There's about 300 pieces of art sitting there. ...and I have about 40 out at galleries that I'll have to figure out how to fit once I get them back one day!
There's about 300 pieces of art sitting there. ...and I have about 40 out at galleries that I'll have to figure out how to fit once I get them back one day!
Enyaw
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About 4 years ago I started throwing out paintings, probably up to 300 per year. I'm down to about 30 pieces and some of those may yet make the bin. It's not that I consider them all bad art, but we all know how things go. You need to be in the know and known. I sold in galleries over 10 years ago but they were smaller galleries who just kept gouging. I could use but did not need the money or the BS so I gave that up. Wasn't enough to warrant the expenses and effort. Don't know why I kept making paintings and keeping them. Habit I suppose. Now, for the last few months, I make them because making them makes me happy. I make a painting, photo it, probably post it, then the next day I wipe the panel down and do another painting. I'm saving my estate the burden of disposing of my daily painting fix.
C'est la vie. Life goes on.
C'est la vie. Life goes on.
