Art for the rich

Today my mum found some of my old painting materials in a closet. It reminded me of my mission to buy a few more before I head back to Germany. I have yet to find an art store in Heidelberg, this seems to be the easier way so long as the little tubes of acrylic paint don't burst in my suitcase on the way home.

Then I got to thinking of all of the different arts I enjoyed in school, particularly pottery and clay work. What I wouldn't give to have access to a potters wheel and a kiln now. I innocently thought I'd look up how much they'd cost on ebay. Not a chance in hell.

Painting materials aren't cheap either. Those little tubes of paint cost a lot of money and they're essentially lost money, what am I going to do with my "creation" after I've finished? Probably put it in a cupboard never to look at again. Or in the case of my paintings from school, behind the bookcase in the spare room of my parents house.

Then there's the hassle of finding somewhere to buy canvas, getting together (and probably having to build) the wood frames to stretch the stuff. All of that crap. Have to buy the wood, nails and various tools with which to create said frames.

But I do remember that at home I have rather a lot of scrap wood. When we arrived in Heidelberg the movers broke one of our tall bookcases in half. They also only delivered a few parts of our wooden bed frame so we were left unable to put it together. I still have to buy a saw to cut the pieces to size and some sandpaper to take off the gloss. But then surely I can paint right on those? Now that sounds like a plan. Not that I'd have anywhere to put hunks of wood splattered with acrylic paint... but that's all part of it right?

As for sculpting, there's always good ol' chicken wire and papier mache. That could work right?