All Play And No Work…

…really f#%!s up your productivity.

Unless you take it with you.

One of my studio goals for 2013 was to complete 50 figures – sans bat costume – before the end of December.

figures flat

In order to do so I had to take 50 figures (heads pinned in place) to my Pender Island getaway.  While it might seem to be a drag – having to work during your vacation – I was damned determined to meet my quota.

I have to admit that on the working-during-your-vacation issue I used to be a purist.  I wouldn’t dream of mixing work into a retreat meant for rest, but a bit of productive hand-sewing sprinkled amongst the sloth and gluttony proved to be the perfect precaution against vacation burnout.  I’m a convert.  From here on in – space permitting – I’ll be taking some handwork with me wherever I go.

The big challenge was packing 50 wired figures for travel.  Normally my figures are unwired, or minimally wired, so they pack up quite efficiently.  After messing about with various packing scenarios I stumbled upon one that worked brilliantly: I stacked 10 bats, face up, alternating feet and heads.  The manner in which they are wired allows for the arms to swing together in tandem, where they can easily be bunched and secured by rubber bands/hair elastics/what-have-you.

figures folded

These individual stacks pack nicely alongside each other in a tote:

figures stacked

I may not be able to store the finished, costumed bats in this configuration but this idea will certainly keep the figures organized and compact until I reach the point of “dressing” them (although I AM entertaining the idea of pinning them all over my 16 foot high studio walls as the piece progresses, like some kind of bizarre reverse studio advent calendar).

Visual progress = so happy.

Do you like to create while on vacation?  What are your space savvy packing tips for supplies?  Share your experiences in the comments!

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