Redux for the Studio: Wall-o-Junk

This week, I started (believe me, this will take some time) cleaning and organizing my studio. I wonder if this just-started feat is a typical reaction to having just-entered the New Year, or simply my reaction to having some breathing room after finishing the bulk of my book-writing responsibilities?

Nonetheless, a few updates to my creative lair (which have been brewing and gurgling in some portion of my brain for some time now) have begun thanks to my wonderful jar-collecting friends and my ever-so-talented (albeit likes-to-pretend-he's-curmudgeonly) youngest brother, Jeremy.

The first order of business was to organize my found objects (which are now on, beneath, all around, and falling from, a folding table) in a way they could be quickly and easily assessed. Digging through deep boxes full of assorted (yes, I'll say it) junk for hours on end is neither fun, nor practical. And, just-the-right piece of junk or combination of pieces of junk is crucial to a fabulous jewelry work.

That said, I dream-pt up this new/old idea of a wall of jars! (Remember your Dad's or Grandpa's garage workshop and how neat rows of baby food jars filled with nails, bolts, washers, et al, were fastidiously screwed to a board above their workbench?) Well, this is that, just Brend-ized -- no order, no neat rows, no fastidiousness!

Oh, and since my junk is larger than Dad's leftover hardware loot, my wall is larger too. Here's the 3/4" MDF backer board installed into the studs:

Then painted with a stupendous Martha color (Bee Hive) and the first screwed-in jar cover (gotta' start somewhere!):

Here we go -- had to see if the theory really worked!:

Then a few more:

And a few more:

'Til voila! A Wall-o-Jars waiting for a Wall-o-Junk!:

A little closer:

I've already started filling them with bits and parts and jibs and jabs . . . stay tuned for the filled-to-full status!

Thanks to all my friends and husbands-of-friends (especially Mr. Steve, the Cherry-Pepper-Eater) for all their saving and label-taking-offing, and delivering! Me, my husband, and my studio floor thank you!