Virginia Woolf was a strong advocate for having a special private room to write, sculpt, paint, or just be and create. Here I have converted a room in my house that I now call "Lessons from the Low Countries Research Room" or just simply "Lessons Room." It was at one time a bedroom, a guest bedroom, a sitting room, and once I used it as a pastel painting room. When this project was developing, things, files, books, papers, and ideas were scattered hither and yon until the idea for this project room evolved.
I bought a 6 foot table to use as a secondary desk which abuts another large library table. This makes a very large L shaped work area to spread out as much as necessary with books and papers. Along the back of the table/desk is a row of standing files where I have, at hand and very convenient, all my research papers on pigments, techniques, articles, suppliers, and such.
This material has been amassed over many many years of avidly reading, searching, and studying the topic of the Dutch techniques. The "Lessons Room" room is adjacent to my painting studio and as such is very convenient. It is here that I turn on my Sting, "Songs from the Labyrinth" music and read, write these blogs, formulate ideas, or just day dream. Virginia had an excellent idea.
Do you know . . . I have had Woolf’s book on my shelf for decades (decades!) and I have never read it cover to cover. You have inspired me.