Tag: Life In The Studio

Studio updates and other fun and random things that have happened lately…

The big news is that I got the entire outside of the studio primed for painting and as of this posting one wall done with color. It’s funny because the color is so close to the concrete color, it almost seems like a fruitless effort, but it is a little warmer and browner than the concrete, plus of course the walls are sealed and protected. Over the coming days, I’ll slowly get the rest of the walls done. It’s a bit of a frustrating process since the blazing sun and/or whipping winds seem to make it impossible to get the job done and I’ve had to start painting just after sunrise to avoid both of those elements.

I also made my own plaster wedging table for the studio, which if you don’t work in clay, it is used for recycling clay on and as a surface for wedging or kneading your clay. It’s a pretty simple thing, just a low wooden frame with plaster poured into it, but it’s the kind of thing that I generally rely on my husband Nate to help me make and this time I did it all on my own. I’m pretty good with most power tools and making basic stuff but I’m not super confident with using the skillsaw and that was a requirement for this project. So while it’s only a box, I’m pretty proud of myself for this one!
And in other news…

A cow kicked my car door while I was passing it on the road, that was a first! I bought an entire used kitchen cabinet set from a local online buy/sell/trade group and the sweetest couple delivered it to my studio. I fixed up a few rust holes in the roof of one of our shipping containers, only to discover there’s a few more that need my attention, so that’s not great. I had my first Santa Cruz visitor come to the studio; artist Sandy Cherk and her family braved the dirt roads to come say hi and see the studio, we had a very sweet visit. I was gifted some Oregon cheddar cheese (which I’d very much missed!) from my friend Mike and it was delivered courtesy of Sandy. A mouse ate a huge chunk out of one of my crochet projects. I was given fresh cut roses and basil from the woman working the counter in the paint store while I waiting for my paint to be mixed. And I figured out how to ask for a door sweep and plaster at the hardware store in Spanish. Let the adventure continue!

I am very happy to report a huge step forward in the progression of the studio build… WE HAVE DOORS!!!

While I have loved having unobscured open vistas to look out at while I’m working, the ability to lock up the studio, have a safe place to keep the dog while I run errands and a weatherproof/bug-proof area to hang out in is pretty priceless. There is still a lot to do to make this place fully functional and decked out in all it’s creativeness, but this is one giant leap forward and I am stoked.

I had decided from the very beginning of building my new studio that I wanted to include a bottle wall in some aspect of it. I had spent time in buildings in Haiti where bottle walls were used in construction and I’ve always love the look and of course the repurposing aspect of it. Here in Baja, it’s very hard to recycle colored glass, so I wanted to make use of these bottles. The back of our studio faces our road and a neighbors house, so I didn’t want to have big windows on that side but it’s also the side that the sun comes up on, so we designed high long windows for airflow and light while maintaining privacy. Two of those four long windows are going to become bottle windows. I’ve been collecting and had friends collecting green bottles for me for months now. Thought I’d share the process of making the ‘bricks’.

So far I’ve cut about 60 bottles with a tile saw and made 30 bricks that are the same depth as the window opening. I take two cut off bottoms and duct tape them together to create each brick. I just collected another 40 bottles so those are still awaiting processing. I’m estimating that I’ll need about 70 bricks per window. Once I have enough bricks, they will be mortared in place in the window and the ends will be cleaned off to allow the light to shine through. I’ve taped out the size of the window on the floor so I can get an idea of the spacing, the layout of shapes and colors and how many bottles I’ll actually need. It will be a while before this project is finished but it’s been really fun to work on step by step. I’m very excited to eventually see the sun shining through them and casting the colors around the studio. I will definitely share more pics of this project as it progresses.

If you missed it in my February email blast, I wanted to give you an update on life in the studio these days. I’ve started to get back into a routine of being in the studio all day again which feels pretty good.

I’m making some fun projects for the studio like signs and wall sconces for lights but also more Umbel flowers and smaller sculptures. And as for the logistics of the new studio; doors and windows have been ordered, solar bids are coming in, and the septic and the water systems are almost ready to connect, so we’re getting there. I’m taking my time picking out design choices for the bath and mini-kitchen areas so they will be awhile coming but I’d rather take my time and really enjoy the choices than rush just to get it done. I’m also planning on making a sculpture garden trail that will run through the property, so lots of fun projects ahead. Poco a poco…

On the horizon ahead, I’ve been invited by one of my neighbors to make a site specific ephemeral piece responding to their architectural work for an upcoming art event, should be very interesting! I’ve started mocking up some models for that, so we’ll see how it comes together.

And in early spring, I’ve planned to be teaching a hand-building clay class and a weekend workshop at Barro Sur, our local community clay studio. It’s a great space and it will be a great opportunity to engage with the community and meet more creative people.

On a personal note, we officially got our Mexican resident cards and drivers licenses so that feels pretty good. Now we’re learning about tax id numbers, opening bank accounts and getting work permits, not the super fun part, but we’re learning and everyday is a new adventure!

It’s been such a long time since I’ve actually made anything with clay that I thought it was deserving of it’s own blog post!

As I’ve noted in previous posts, my new studio doesn’t have power, water or sewer set up yet or even doors and windows but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t make something with clay. So I dragged out a bag and got started. It’s hard to jump back into making the serious stuff, so I started with a brand new batch of Art Hearts since they were completely sold out at my Open Studios in October. It’s a great was to get my hands dirty without having to think too much about what I’m making.

The best part is that hours flew by and I hardly thought of anything else but the making process. It’s so great to get back into that flow state. I also started a few prototypes for some outdoor lights that I want to make and some signage for around the studio. I’m also thinking about making parts for a gate, which could be really fun if the ideas all work out. So, lots of fun and random projects are starting to brew in the studio and you really can’t beat the view!

Getting a new studio set up and organized is its own exciting and very creative project. But at what point do you need to stop reorganizing your tools and just start using them?

It has literally been months and possibly my longest break from actual art making as I’ve moved the studio. As I get myself geared up for a new rhythm of working in the studio again, I was reminded of the last time that I moved studio spaces, it was documented in an article in Ceramics Monthly magazine kind of by accident. I had been invited to write an article about my studio space and art practice in my home/garage studio space for an upcoming issue, but over the following months, I had the opportunity to move to a much larger warehouse space. So I ended up re-writing the article to talk about the process of moving studios.

I recently re-read that article to see how I thought then about that switch from moving into making again. I also flipped back through my sketch book to look at ideas I’d had brewing before this move started. I’ve started talking with friends about upcoming local art events and possibilities and I have to say, I’m getting very excited to get my hands back into some clay.

Logistically, I’m about a week or two away from actually jumping back into making art again full time and it will still take me a minute to get my kilns up and running. That said, I’m really looking forward to returning you to your regularly scheduled blog posts of new work, art events, successes, failures and all the nuances of life in the studio. In the meantime, please enjoy images of amazing sunsets… and thanks for sticking with me as I transition from one studio and country to another.

Very excited to report that my Santa Cruz studio stuff has officially arrived to our property in Baja Sur. All nine pallets and some random pieces made their way across the border, the 1500 miles journey south with multiple loading and offloading. So far everything we’ve unpacked has been in good shape and it’s all there. Whew!

We’ve been working on painting the inside of the space so we can start to set things in their place. And while we still don’t have power, sewer or water hooked up yet, I’m still thrilled to be able to start to set up my space.

When we’re not working on studio projects, we’ve been enjoying walking and fishing at the beach, eating locally caught fish and freshly made tortillas and watching the whales make their migrations. It’s not to shabby here and we’re soaking it all in!

After nearly a week of travel, we finally arrived at our property in Baja Sur and are so happy to be here! We’re reconnecting with friends and our property, as well as settling in Bowie to Baja life.

One of the most exciting parts was being able to see my studio build in person. For months we have received photos and videos from our builder but it was a whole different feeling to be able to walk through the space ourselves. The main structure is nearly complete and has spectacular views of the ocean & desert. I can’t wait for my supplies and equipment to arrive so I can start being creative in this space. Here’s a few pics of the space…

So the studio is pretty fabulous, but our very empty beach is a pretty sweet spot to start the day with a dog walk too.

It was a very productive week here at the studio. We packed up and palletized all of our large tools and tables, got everything loaded up into a ginormous U-Haul and my husband Nate drove it all to our international shipper at the border. It was a very long day for him, but a relief to finally get our things on their way and get the studio mostly cleared out.

Of course it didn’t stay cleared out for very long, since I still have all of my flower parts for my Feast of Flowers installation that still needed finishing. All six flower heads were moved from the metal yard to the studio and I was able to attach all of the ceramic elements. These will all be stored here until the foundations are ready for installation.

Now, we’re packing up all the little things and getting ready to make our first trip south very soon. Scenes of the desert, cactus and sunsets over the ocean coming soon!