Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Do you remember I promised to clean the studio?


If you were visiting LMAJ two weeks ago, this is what you saw ...



 What follows are photos of how the studio looks today.  Tomorrow may be another matter entirely.  I'm a little bit of a tool junkie. Many times I'll ask for tools for presents: Christmas, birthday, anniversary. One year I asked for a stationary tub for Mother's Day ... !  So, this studio has been acquired over about 15 years.

The studio is in a detached building a few steps from the house.  Here's the view when I walk into the studio. 

Work tables.  Across the continental divide is another set of tables.

5 lb containers of Thompson Enamel.  We're up to over 75 colors!


The packing area ... with the ever-present stereo!

Beads, beads and more beads ... waiting for a little color ... or your color!

3 oz. and 8 oz. jars of enamel waiting to fly off the shelves!

A rolling mill, bench shear, and a hydraulic die press, which I'll use when I get more time!

One of the torch areas with a vent hood!  This torch uses propane and oxygen from an oxygen concentrator. 

A polishing/grinder gizmo with a filter. To the right are two kilns I've never used to fire enamel!

Soldering area with pickle pot.

Bench for working with metal.  I simply turn around and I have dapping blocks at the ready.  

Enamels that David, my son, and I use to add color to our beads.  Right now they're in alphabetical order but don't check back next week!  To the left are plastic bead trays.

What's on my work bench ... some pendants ...

and some hearts waiting for paint and resin!


The studio is very industrial looking.  It will never be in "Where Women Create," but it's my little piece of heaven on earth. :-) 


24 comments:

KristiBowmanDesign said...

It's gorgeous!! I like the industrial look. I'm in the process of making a new space myself but it's right smack in the middle of the house (used to be the living room we never used) so we're trying to make it less industrial. I love you room!!

mairedodd said...

the industrial look is organized and necessary - given the techniques you employ and the myriad media - it seems perfect! that took a lot of work to set up and clean up... have fun in it!

Barbara Lewis said...

Kristi, I'm glad you're making your home work for you instead of you working for your home! In my last house, we had two family rooms and a living room. I annexed the living room to the small kitchen ... what a difference!

Mary Jane, I am determined to keep it organized and to run what I love to do as a business ... instead of an OSHA violation site!

Laura Twiford said...

Oh Barbara, I feel so at home in your studio! What a wonderful space! I love all the different stations, i am in the process of trying to do that as best i can in my studio now. My problem is I have separate spaces, i would LOVE just one big open space like this! have fun, B CRE8F !

Alice said...

Wow, you've got an amazing studio! I love the separate work stations for separate taks. I would love to come play there for a week and watch you work.

Courtney Breul said...

This looks amazing. The space is perfect, you have room for everything. The staions are great. May I come and play? :)

Mª Reyes said...

Tienes un lugar perfecto para trabajar, yo lo hago todo en la cocina y continuamente tengo que recogerlo todo para guisar. Besos

Chris said...

Gorgeous!!! Love the organization and all of the tools! Drool. Thanks for sharing~the progress is fantastic.

EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC said...

AWESOME! I love it. Everything is there and ready for use. How cool is that! Thanks for sharing your work station!

Unknown said...

Can I come live with you???? I love your studio!

beautifullybrokenme said...

Wow! I am so jealous of all your space & tools! Can I come over for a play date? :-)

Susan Marling said...

That's an awesome work site!! It's great that you have different stations for everything. I am with the others - I want to come and play. Thank you for sharing before and after.

TesoriTrovati said...

I prefer your studio to the "Where Women Create"... I would love to live in those studios, like I am pining to live in the Pottery Barn catalog, but I would be deathly afraid of creating there. This is wonderful and gives me a great glimpse into how you create, not just where. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy the day!
Erin

Marsha of Marsha Neal Studio said...

I just had to giggle at the comment about "Where Women Create" because I just picked it up the other day and though to myself: I would love my studio space to be beautiful and inspiring like some of these… But there is no way it could happen since I work with clay and glazes (not that I work "dry and dusty" - I take precautions to work wet as much as possible). I barely find the time to dust my house - none the less the studio…

So I think I will paint as many surfaces as possible with colors that move me and hang artists postcards & pictures for my inspiration. And maybe get my tools and found textured objects into a "less storage" look and into a cool and useful places…

Your studio wants me to visit… it's calling to me… Good thing there are pictures!!! Pshew - now back into my studio...

Brenda said...

Your studio is awesome! Is it still clean? Mine rarely stays clean more than a few hours.

stregata said...

Wonderful studio, Barbara! What I love most about it, is all those big windows. I wish I had more natural light in mine. Fantastic to have so much room. And the tools... droooool - I would love to have a rolling mill. Maybe some day.
Thanks for sharing!

Sharon said...

I see some bare space under the work tables where I can set up my sleeping bag! Myriad tools and colors, streaming sunshine, and music...what more could a girl want?

Meg Schrader said...

Looks great! How well does the oxygen concentrator work to fuel your torches?

Eve Smith said...

How lucky are you, what a magical place to workit would be in my element in your work shop with all those tools.

Barbara Lewis said...

Okay, let's set a date for a slumber party. Pizza and coke for dinner and Milk Duds for dessert! We'll play, laugh, listen to music, maybe dance a little, and play some more! I so want to be there with you ... if not in the tangible realm ... in our imaginary one!

Cindy said...

Barbara, sign me up for your slumber party! I'd love to come over and see it all in person...it is a jewelry designer's playground. :-) What an incredible, functional, absolutely perfect space you have here! It looks like you want for nothing and it is all so organized and well thought out. Just amazing.
Cindy

Carol Dee, CZT said...

It's AWESOME! And you know I think so - since my studio is 6 X 14 with desk and tables, chair and stool and shelves of beads. Can barely turn around in mine. You can dance a jig or do the polka in yours! LOVE IT!

Anonymous said...

Love your studio, Barbara! Thanks for sharing. I'm hoping to take my "studio" out of our spare bedroom & into a backyard studio in the coming year. Would like to be able to set up some permanent stations like yours. I especially love how much natural light you have coming into your space. Thanks for the inspiration!! :) Mari

Leslie Todd said...

Barbara, your studio is awesome. And why can't it ever be in "Where Women Create?" It's certainly inspirational. I love the way you did the work stations.

I'm in Stephanie's class--see you there.

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