STUDIO EXPANSION

At the beginning of September, I made the decision to take on the recently available adjacent studio to mine, and by combining the two I've given myself a lovely, expansive and naturally sunny place in which to work. It's still a work in progress but arranging the space so there are zones for the different types of media I use has really helped to freshen up how I make my work.

Being a multi-media artist means that I use and store many kinds of equipment, tools and materials for the various types of work I make. The nature of being the kind of artist who gathers and collects things as part of her practice means that a sizable place is required to keep these unusual items too, for when their time to be used emerges through making!

Then there is the space to make the actual work. I now have space to have two extendable tables pushed together to create a generous work bench. I have loosely divided it into ‘wet’ [painting, printing, gluing, staining, dying] and ‘dry’ [pressing, designing, textiles, drawing, paper cutting, laying out, stitching, typing] areas.

A few years ago, I made myself a plan chest of sorts; constructing large shallow boxes to hold the vast quantities of paper-based artwork I generate, and then I built a framework to house them, stacked one on top of another. On top of this I have a huge cutting mat to trim and wrap prints for galleries. I try to keep this surface clear and ready to use at all times, but the temptation to pile stuff onto an empty surface when its not being used sometimes gets the better of me!

I have also created my favourite bit; a cosy nook with an armchair and blanket [and hot water bottle as it gets pretty darn cold in the studio during the winter] as the perfect spot for hand sewing or other ‘lap work’. Here I listen to stories as I sew and am surrounded by objects placed on shelves and images pinned on the walls to inspire me.