Lets have a look at the birth of a studio ....

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For years, the creative process would happen wherever I could carve out space in my home. A spare bedroom, the kitchen table, or even the living room. I would have a designated shelf and closet space that would contain totes, carefully labeled, that would have all the tools needed to work on any given project. As you can imagine, although I tried to stay organized, knowing I had to go through totes and set up for each project, it wasn't really conducive to the creative process. But its what I had to work with for many years. 

Then, with the purchase of my property here, there was finally space for me to create my very own studio. A place where I could have several projects on the go, separate from the hussel and bussel of everyday home life. A place where I can stop mid project without having to pack away to make space for dinner or guests. A space that I could lock myself away for 30 min or 3 hours, and just create. 

So, I began to plan. I sat with our local Mennonite shed builder and came up with a design that would give me just enough space and allow for a ton of beautiful natural light. 

Step 1 was to clear the area where it would sit. By hand (no tractor) I cleared trees and bushes. Then dug trenches so that electrical could be run to my studio. Hired an electrician to come in and set up a podium so that my studio could be easily wired when it was ready...... then I waited for the building to be built.

Step 2 Delivery! It was a cold fall day and we had just gotten a small dump of snow. Being prepared I laid tarps over the pad so that we weren't having to clear snow. Then delivery day finally arrived!

Step 3 Electrical. This was the part of the finishing process that required a professional. I may be able to do many things, but I don't touch plumbing or electrical .... that I leave up to the professionals.

Step 4 Finishes .... this was done over several months. I would carve out time between the busy life of motherhood, teacher, and farmer. Lots of bruised fingers, sore back, maybe a bit of harsh language and a bit of help from extra hands when a stage needed more then my short arms and legs could accomplish alone. Voila... a creative space that I poured my blood, sweat, a tears (literally all three) into. 

This space is where paintings come to life and fiber is processed from start to finish. 

                                                                       

So .... welcome to my studio!