Life in the studio during a pandemic

Like most of us, my life before covid was full of external activity.  I was teaching workshops, conducting studio tours, delivering work to galleries, and showing at special events.

So much connection, and I loved every bit of it. Being a full-time potter meant designing, making, decorating, glazing, firing, promoting, selling, packaging and delivering.

But, long stretches of time in the studio were hard to carve out. And now I have them. A gift of the pandemic.

In a beautiful twirl of synchronic timing, I had recently moved my studio from a public working space/gallery on the Main Street of our ocean-side tourist town to a new home studio. All of it - the renovation, installation, moving, settling in - happened before covid hit. Had I made the decision just a few months later, it would have made everything so much harder.

As it is, I have the gift of time that proximity gives me. Everything is within a few steps, making the time-sensitive stages of clay much easier to glide through without pieces getting too dry or forcing pieces into new forms when the clay is too moist.

My "throwing" studio is just steps out my backdoor in a repurposed greenhouse. There, I have one stand-up wheel and one trimming wheel, pegboards full of tools, and clay ready to throw into new forms.

My decorating, glazing and firing space is in converted garage space. It includes a large industrial sink and storage for glazes. 

Truth be told. I've also taken over our dining room table for much of my decorating. I bring pieces upstairs where I can etch and paint while still hanging out with Mike and our pups. Mike often reads to me while I etch, or I listen to audiobooks and music.

More truth, I've also taken over our guest bedroom, creating a photo booth and packaging/shipping area. New pieces are photographed and then packaged for shipping. Having made arrangements with the Postal Service, packages are picked up here for delivery all over the U.S.