One of the main reasons that I decided to go ahead with a tiny shed for the gallery/studio building was that I discovered many new rules and regulations for tiny structures had just been enacted for New Mexico. So— anything larger than a 10’x12’ shed would require a permanent foundation and several stages of inspections and permits. I decided that I couldn’t afford the time or money to wait too long to get started, especially without the income from teaching. Since I decided not to teach this year, I have been fortunate to have the ‘gift of time’ to focus on Star Garden Gallery, and I didn’t want to spend months waiting for permits, inspectors, and contractors. The idea of a small shed was what I had originally planned when I sketched it out on a notepad in 2016, but it was still difficult to realize that I wouldn’t be able to afford the larger, custom building that I had more recently been sketching.
September was a month of waiting for the shed to be built, and during that time, I worked on artwork, and researched paint and flooring options. Zach helped me create a gravel foundation as the ground is quite sandy on my property. The shed arrived in early October, and in the following weeks Zach and I put in the insulation, the drywall, and started building the lava rock walls to secure the foundation.
In late November, we started painting the walls, but then the weather got quite cold, so we’re waiting for a stretch of warmer days. In December, the flooring arrived, the furniture kits— a desk, a storage cabinet, and a rolling cart— have been assembled, I made some velvet curtains, and we added gravel to the walkways and around the base of the building.
While the snow and ice are a blessing out here in the high desert, I do hope for some warm winter weather so that I can finish the inside of the building in the next few months. Happy Holidays, dear reader, and best wishes to all for a wonderful new year in 2019!
