Locker Love

I have this thing about reusing items. It actually may be more like an obsession. I just think most things have more than one life in them and it's such a shame to waste that. I suppose that's were my artwork is born, that idea that the old can be made useful and new again.

Enter my latest project:

These used to belong to a school, obviously, but then a local photographer picked them up and used them as a studio prop. And when I saw some in his studio on a recent (and reluctant) visit, I commented about how cool they would be in my studio. He mentioned that he had two more bays in the barn and would I want one? So for $25 I have my very own set of lockers for the studio.

I forgot (as usual) to take pictures of the before item, but this is only the first step in many. They had to be washed of cobwebs and mold and other unspeakable yuckiness. I have been sanding the blemishes and rust spots on days when it's not so muggy to think you might expire. I am FINALLY to the point that I can wash them down again and start painting! They will be a nice shiny black when I'm done with them. I'll keep the wonderful metal handles on the fronts as-is. I like how they look. I'm hoping that all my knitting and sewing materials will fit nicely inside along with some of my other art sh... ephemera.

And I can finally get rid of the entertainment center that I recycled a couple of years ago to hold some arty items. Perhaps it can live another life in the neighborhood if we put it out with a sign that says: FREE. Perhaps.