Archive for the ‘Studio Construction’ Category

Comments Off on The Clean-up Marathon Begins

The Clean-up Marathon Begins


2021
05.05

Posted in Skyline Drive Construction, Studio Construction | Comments Off on The Clean-up Marathon Begins

1070-Skyline-2018
2017 Google Street View Capture

When I purchased our three acres in paradise I was aware of the burned-out trailer and a rough attempt to level a small area near the road. The beauty of the acres of towering timber probably blinded me to the several areas across the property that were used by previous owners as their own, private trash dump. The more scrub, brambles, and brush that I have cleared means that a month or so of anticipated clean-up stretched into a marathon of weekends for a couple of years. It is OK, though. This is an environmental disaster clean-up that will benefit the entire area and will make the studio a much friendlier place for flora and fauna. I post this capture from Google Street View from 2017 to remind me just how much the site has changed. I may talk about what happened on the site in 2020…for now, let’s leave it at “it bugs me” to talk about it.

Comments Off on Reflecting on Studio Efficiency – Meet Lori Watts

Reflecting on Studio Efficiency – Meet Lori Watts


2013
01.05

Posted in Artist's Thoughts, Studio Construction | Comments Off on Reflecting on Studio Efficiency – Meet Lori Watts

I have yet to meet a clay artist outside of school settings who claims to have more space than they need to get their work done. Most, including me, have carved out a space somewhere that works just as long as there is some semblance of order. I have written about the work flow in a clay studio before and confess that I tweak that process with some regularity. It is refreshing to read that others face similar struggles and that they stop to reflect on the process occasionally.

Assorted Mugs - Lori Watts

Assorted Mugs – Lori Watts

Lori Watts is a clay artist living/working in Augusta, Maine. Her blog, Fine Mess Pottery, is one that I frequent and one that I recommend to other clay folks as an example of someone doing it right. In a new year’s post, Lori writes about her clean-up and re-organization of her studio workspace…and titled the post, A Work in Progress. It is worth the read if you have ever considered having your own studio. Lori’s focus on efficiency speaks well of her effort to keep her Fine Mess from becoming a Big Mess, a focus that I’ll need to remember. For me, there are points from her post that I will have to address that I have not seriously considered…like a place to process/package orders and where to keep those favorite books so they’ll not get covered in studio dust.

Enjoy A Fine Mess…and bring along a cup of coffee. I’ll stop now, before my coffee gets any colder.

Comments Off on Garagio Planning

Garagio Planning


2012
04.21

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Posted in Studio Construction | Comments Off on Garagio Planning

Garage + Studio = GaragioIf the space in our home  actually housed a vehicle in the last 15 years, I might feel guilty for commandeering the 240 square feet of concrete floor to create a clay studio. It isn’t original, but the concept of garage + studio = garagio certainly applies. It will do until the space is formally named.  I’m considering “The Budget” for a sign on the door.  With that in mind, I could legitimately tell someone on campus, “I’ll be home working on the  budget“ and won’t be (completely) untruthful…just kidding, of course.

The preliminary clean-out is done.  That means that a box full of contractor sized trash bags is just about empty and the city dump is a little less empty.  It also means that there is a POD sitting in my driveway with salvaged treasures that must find a new location once the project is complete. That is a whole different story.

It might sound shocking that this retired architect hasn’t drawn up every little detail for the garagio…that will come in time. For now, I am still relishing the thought of having a dedicated space and I am researching what others have done to optimize small spaces to accommodate the numerous functions associated with the creation of ceramic objects.  There are numerous steps and inter-related functions to a ceramic studio and the workflow diagram that I illustrate here is just my first draft…more detail will be added before it is complete.