oldlady

the beginning of a studio. the floor was painted once it was put in place last june, had all summer to dry. now the work begins to turn it into a real studio. insulation, plywood walls and ceiling, electrical and plumbing, everything. found the slab roller almost new on craigslist and brought it down, set it up and modified it with a shelf. only bottom half of walls are covered with OSB so far. lots to do.

one month late. just after getting tiny trailer home and studio placed on new lot, i went home to w.v. june florida heat was intense, i usually leave in late april.

returning for the winter after setting up on new land in june. shed has windows but nothing else. the electrical wires were not up to code so getting power to the kiln and only one 4 outlet box next to the doorway was expensive. since i work alone i can use all four of those 20 amp outlets with tools plugged in off long thick extension cords permanently mounted along walls. 100 amps come from the pole just outside so kiln run is very short. do not use any extra amps while kiln is running because i must leave the space.

the opening to the barrel is covered with screen so no mosquitoes get inside. clay should settle and when there is enough water it will run out through the screen. so far, water is still lower than half of barrel capacity. the old kiln shelves came with the FREE kiln (THANK YOU, RICK) and cannot be saved. the 2 foot deep bumpout for the sink makes a huge difference in a tiny space.

fixed window allows light and second window on side opens a little for air. sink drains into a barrel outside. tall table used outside for spraying glaze. found the sink in corian countertop on craigslist never realizing it was the exact size of the old doorway. putting it in made a huge difference, now i have to leave a stick for the lizards who find their way inside it so they can climb out. still need a bucket inside for first rinsing but it is really nice to just go a short distance to throw that dirty water on the plants outside. mosquitoes would love me to leave the drain hole open. not gonna happen.

tools, forms for slabs, and a work table that can be pulled out if needed. most work done on slab roller or table at the back. big window faces west so it must be covered in the pm. or glare is too much. work table at back set high for comfort. glaze containers tucked at end of this table in rolling rack. wheel is mounted on a wheeled board so i can pull it out when i need it. storage of clay is on wheeled board under the slab roller. kiln shelves on 3/4 inch plywood board hanging from slab roller legs. lots of space if i would just get that other stuff out of here.

kiln has 2 pieces of plywood to protect it and allow it to be a work surface. tablecloth just keeps it clean, can shake it outside. when needed to fire, i roll the kiln out to a marked place on the floor and fire it there. then leave, only coming back to turn up the heat and then waiting for it to cool. slab roller wheel gets stored unless in use. wheel is on wheels. seat adjusted and held with PVC pipe at correct height. chemicals stored alphabetically. lights everywhere.

moving things outside to work on is pleasant and easy in such a small space and mopping the floor takes 2 minutes. fuzzy bathmat inside the door catches most of the leaves that want to blow inside. all the windows were added to the shed once i bought it used and got it home.

it is small but holds more than you would think. i was very lucky to find a zoning reg that permits trailers in this subdivision. moving out of a trailer park to my own land was fabulous. now i can make my OWN rules!

until 2014 the second shed was across the yard. i finally found 10 men who lifted it and moved it across the concrete "porch" which had prevented the shed placement by machine. i built a walkway at the same level and now it is easy to go to the woodworking section from the studio. i would really like to build a large space, like a 2 car garage but that is probably never going to happen.

this bowl is about 3 inches across and just over an inch high. great for dips.

one of my favorite designs.

some of the elderly buyers at the empty bowl supper like flowers so i make them.

i like to make the exterior interesting because bowls spend a lot of time in dish drainers and overhead shelves.

just cannot seem to make what i want for this special order. glaze just will not behave, it is the only recipe i use that is so fussy.

a customer named it the "lovebirds" and liked the color so i made a few of them.

original made with craft foam sheet cut to shape. that was pressed into raku clay and a bisque mold made. this pattern fits several shapes.

these were growing at this house when i bought it. wish i knew their name.

petals carved into thrown bowl. additional petals and details in thick slip added.