Thursday, June 7, 2012

New Look for my Blog

I haven't posted for a while.  I've been working on a piece with a completely new direction.  Honestly, I've been scared stiff.  I'm not sure if what I'm doing is going to work and I won't know until it's well along.  I have some early photos, but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to share them yet.

I hadn't been to the studio for a couple of days as I needed some time out to just relax.  Then, yesterday, my husband went up there to get something he needed and discovered that someone had broken into my studio and stolen my wood heater!  This is no small task.  That heater weighed in excess of 200 kg.  It would have taken at least 4 strong young men to lift it out.  They came equipped with bolt cutters and crow bars to get through the gate and into the house, destroying 2 doors in the process.   The worst part is that the heater was an amazing custom made piece made from a really heavy old cast iron boiler.  It was the best wood heater ever.  It took nothing to light it and was capable of heating my often freezing cold studio in under half an hour.  I couldn't buy something like it if I wanted to.  Well, actually, today I did a bit of an internet search and discovered that there is a heater on the market that is comparable (although it is unlikely to light as easily), but even after I get the insurance money I will be about $2000 out of pocket.  Yikes!  Then there is all the expense of further ramping up the security on the property.  I can't tell you how violated I feel by this nasty calculated crime.

You may have notice that I have changed the look of my blog to bring it closer to the look of my web site.  The original design was done very hastily while I was on holidays in the US last year and it was overdue for a revamp.  I'm not sure it is 100 per cent the way I want it, but it is a start.

Here's hoping that all your creative endeavours are coming along nicely. Pin It

7 comments:

Heather M. said...

I'm so sorry to hear about the theft. It must feel terrible. Perhaps you can contact the original manufacturer and see what they have available. However, I'll be hoping and praying for the best outcome - that the police find your heater and return it to you.

magicmoonmusings said...

Oh no.....my heart goes out to you, I can only imagine how violated you feel. And the expense adds insult to injury. *hugs*

On a side note, the black background on your blog makes reading a little difficult, but the overall look is really nice.

Erica said...

Oh Marta, how awful for you both to have had your studio violated like that. Horrible thiefs. I live looking at your work and wish for you that your new piece will be a joy and just how you envisioned it. All the best with it.

Marta Brysha said...

Thanks for your sympathy, everyone. Sadly, can't get the same heater as it was custom made about 30 years ago.

Marie - I also thought the black made things a bit difficult to read. I'm going to play with the font colour and maybe increase the size. I find hard to read colour combos very annoying, so I'll sort it out.

Maya Sara Matthew said...

Goodness,how awful.Is there any way that you could probably lodge a police complaint and actually get back the heater? If its so large and heavy it can't just disappear.
How terrible, I hope you can find a good replacement.
Hope the new work can get your mind off this terrible event.

Marta Brysha said...

We did call the local cop. He just had a look around (no fingerprints or photos taken) and said "we'll never catch them and even if we do they won't get the punishment they deserve". He also made the unhelpful and unwanted suggestion of getting either a thick coat (to keep warm) or an electric heater. Basically, up here in this remote idyll, you are on your own!

Marta Brysha said...

Marie - I've change the background colour and the colour of the text. I think it works better and is quite readable. The grey background still shows off my work well. What do you think?