So much work has been done this Summer on my new Studio.
Our 1950s wood shed has started to transform into a Studio space. We have gone from this …
to this …
There is still loads of more work to be done, such as flashing and guttering in the New Year. All of my Studio equipment has been in storage since I moved back to Tasmania 4 years ago. The unpacking process has been a trip down memory lane and an exploration of my hoarding!
After using a shared Studio space for a number of years and working with minimal space, I want a clean work environment, uncluttered but not clinical as this is where I will be spending most of my days. Especially in Winter, you need a sense of comfort in the Studio space.
I received a lovely set out pre-loved glass doors, which have just been installed to let in loads of natural light and warmth in Winter.
Check out my next blog post to see the progress of my interior space …
It’s been
4 years since I moved back to Tasmania to start a new chapter. As this
has been a transient period, I have been working from the TCA Studio in
Glenorchy for the last 3 years. This has been an amazing opportunity to
meet a multitude of Tasmanian ceramicists and to give myself some time to
reinvigorate my studio practice.
The time
has come to establish an independent studio at home so I am (+ my wonderful
family members) undertaking the task of building a Studio from scratch, well
almost. In my backyard is an old shed, built in the 1950s which has been
sadly neglected. I have been using it as a storage space since buying my
home, but the time has come to make this into my Studio. I have worked in
so many spaces over the years from a car port/garage, farm shed, a verandah, 2
industrial sheds, a cow bails, a heritage bank building, a TAFE studio, a
University studio, and a few spare rooms here and there. This is the first time
I am creating a space specifically catered to the needs of my practice.
Love my Tasmanian Blue Gum
Built
from Tasmanian hardwood and clad in the Tasmanian style of the era pale yellow
weatherboards, this little building is solid and has withstood the roaring
forties for 69 years. Unfortunately, due to a life by the sea and those
battering winds, most of the weatherboards are now rotten so I am planning to
replace them with a metal cladding. The floor also needs a little repair work,
but I am grateful it is concrete, which is so important for a ceramics
studio.
The beginning of the kiln shed addition at sunrise …
One of
the most important aspects of a studio is the kiln room, so we have started to
add an extension to house my collection of kilns. For a number of
reasons, I have made this a separate room and will be adding a wet area to this
space. This means that I can ventilate this room with a fan extraction
unit and due to the harsh winters here I can also heat my main working space
efficiently.
Over the
Summer I am hoping to make a lot of progress so that it is a comfortable space
to be working in through the Winter of 2020. Fingers crossed all goes to
plan.
Slither of a wateriew from the Studio
If you
are interested in the progress of my little space, please check back here
regularly or SUBSCRIBE to my blog for updates straight to your mailbox.
