A larger studio

1. New 8x10ft space was added on to the existing studio

This week I began working in my new, improved studio. The inside of the studio addition that we started back in April is now finished. There are still a few things to do on the outside, like painting it and building a small deck and some steps. After 16 years of working in a 12ft by 10ft studio, the addition now gives me a 20ft by 10ft space, which to me seems huge!

The first image show the throwing and hand-building area which is now in the new part of the studio. The glazing, decorating, firing area is in the old part of the studio. I know that I will probably be rearranging things for a while as I start working in the new space. I am exhilarated by all the table and shelf space I have now!

2. View from the front door.

After thinking about it for a long while, I decided not to put in additional windows in the new space. Instead, I chose to use the wall space for added shelves. There already is an existing window and we installed a glass door that gives me a view as well as additional light. I might still decide at some point to put in skylights, but for now the lighting is quite good and I'm satisfied.

3. Pugmill and glazing area in the old studio.

Glazing used to involve a delicate dance around buckets as well as placing ware boards over every flat surface to have sufficient space to put down just-glazed pots. Now, I have oodles of table space for glazing, and I purchased dollies for glaze buckets (as well as the clay bin), which makes my life so much easier! 

The other side of the old studio will be for decorating and also the kiln is at the very back.

4. Decorating table

It really took a long time to get to this point. One of the reasons is that we are doing this ourselves (that is, my darling husband is doing it by himself). Another reason is the wet weather we've had (and continue to have) which meant that there were many days when we were unable to work. 

Also, the last month was devoted to watching the World Cup matches: what fun! Fútbol is part of the soul of every Uruguayan and, although I was only 10 when I arrived in the US, I still carry the imprint of La Celeste. As always, watching the games brought memories of going to the stadium with Dad when we still lived in Montevideo. When we came here in the 60s there were no Soccer Moms and no one played fútbol. Dad, however, was determined to listen to the 1966 World Cup. So he bought a short-wave radio and slung a long copper wire up to the tallest tree in our yard to act as an antenna. And we huddled around the radio to listen to the matches and yelled "GOOOOOOOOLLLLLL"

So now, I got my fill of fútbol. I cheered for Uruguay and when we lost to Colombia, I cheered for the US, and finally I cheered for every team because it was a really exciting World Cup. And, I'm back at work in a brand new clean studio. Time to get muddy!