I must admit I have this strange fascination with how others work and set up their studios, how they manage it all in odd and unusual places, altered buildings, basements, bathrooms, wherever it is that they find the space to make the work they do. With the generous help of family, I’ve been slowly renovating my garage and turning it into a winterized heated year-round studio and have had so much to consider in terms of how to set up a space which greatly exceeds the size of studio I’m used to working in. Go figure though that I’ve already managed to fill most of the shelves and space in a manner of weeks! I’ve had quite the range of spaces to work in over the past few years. When I lived in Edmonton I had a studio on the top floor of a beautiful old building, drafty as anything and full of printmakers. I think that studio was the cleanest I’ve ever been in for fear of being cornered by the collective anger of dust hating printmakers – could have only been worse had it been photographers! And at other times I’ve turned my kitchen in a woodshop (a table pulled apart without its leaf used to clamp and cut wood on), my living room has been taken over, clay everywhere in the carpet (such bad OHS), basements converted for wheel throwing, and bathrooms have become casting slip mixing rooms and glaze rooms. But now it’s all in one spot, a dream come true, a garage just steps away from the house, with a beautiful view over the snow covered yard. (Okay I still mix slip in my bathroom, but that’s cuz getting running water out to the garage would have cost a small fortune!)
The reason I was thinking about this was inspired by receiving an email from Adrienne Gradauer & Zacharie Quin, some potters new to the province who just sent me their website with pics of their new working space. Check them out at Smilling Cow Studio.
I still think one of the most beautiful studio spaces I’ve seen is Karin Eriksson‘s new space. Check out her style blog for pics of the space during a recent sale. Gorgeous! That’s one thing I love about blogs and websites is to get that sneak peek, or little snoop into studios…
You look organised, nice place to work! You say you’ve only had it for a few weeks?
I’m glad you don’t have clay in your carpets anymore 🙂
Carole
I know exactly what you mean about making a place work as a studio, which is exactly the situation here! Turned the spare bedroom (shag carpeting) into a “pottery” room with the wheel and worktable; the kitchen into a glazing room and every spare inch of the rest of the house is covered with pottery in various stages of development.
So i can just feel your joy at having a real place to work!
Last night managed (a new experience for me) to post a chatroom on my blog for potters and artists. Am hoping to get some “live” discussions going amongst us about pottery, glazes, techniques and art-related subjects.
I am hoping you will come over and join in!
Chae
http://www.claygallimaufry.blogspot.com
one of the most beautiful studio spaces and living situations for a potter I ever saw was in the Mountains of North Carolina…at Riggles and Rankin’s mountainside house and winding dirt path to a studio with hand made wooden wheels… and their hand built wood kiln. Very Buddhist… the bahthroom had a huge stone embedded in its wall from the outside, too.
bibbi – yes i’m very glad that my carpets can now remain clean, physical space is incredible in its impact on creativity i’m finding, i’ve completely spread out and taken over this great new space! And as for organized, i didn’t show any of the mess, trust me it’s there, the floors, tables, you name it are covered in mess!
Chae – what a great idea – live chats! I’ll definitely have to stop by when i’ve got some quality time, i’m looking forward to hearing how that’s going!
Mansuetude – sounds beautiful, that sort of calming environment must be so condusive to creative work. Some day when i win the lottery i’d love to build a dream studio out in the woods, with windows everywhere, or maybe i’d be so distracted by the scenery that i’d procrastinate like crazy!
Our shop looks a bit different now, it’s amazing what a paint job & a new floor can do : )