WELCOME TO MY NEW ART STUDIO!

I am writing this from the brand new art studio of my dreams. This has been a long anticipated goal of mine and I can't actually believe it's real. I get to wake up, roll out of bed, down the hallway and see THIS in the side garden!

From makeshift art studios to a custom built space.

Firstly, let me be clear; I’ve called many places my “studio” since 2015. I never waited for things to be perfect. It was never about that; this new space is the cherry on top.

From a small surfboard shaping bay in Indonesia where I first used resin (Banyu Surfboards) to the bedroom floor of the mouldy wooden jungle shack where Ant and I lived for years (which I nearly set on fire with my blow torch). I've used many kind people’s garages, dusty spare rooms and until recently, my lovely rented studio in my previous neighbours’ garden.

Despite their limitations, I loved each of these makeshift studios, they gave me the freedom to express, experiment and grow as an artist and person.

So as you can imagine, this beautiful custom made space is more than I’ve ever could have dreamt of. I just keep looking at every detail and I can’t believe this is really mine. The matte black cedar, round windows, the view of the garden… And all this space!

I am incredibly thankful for all your support over the years, you've helped me make this happen.

A little backstory...

Last year, when we bought the bungalow (which felt very serendipitous as we were the first to view it and the owners turned out to be old friends of Ant's!) we already knew on the driveway that this had to be our home. The owners and their friends actually built the house with their own hands, and I knew then that I'd want them to build my art studio too.

For the first couple of months of living here, I didn't visit this side of the garden much; it held a mouldy leaking shed and muddy path with the pond and some cool bushes and plants, which we kept of course! The initial plan was to renovate and extend the shed, but after some considerations we decided to knock the whole thing down and start from scratch.

Choosing Forms & Function

As Chris (the carpenter) was busy completing other jobs for a few months, I had to be patient. Luckily I was able to continue working in my old studio around the corner (and see Charlie the dog every day, big bonus). It also gave me some time to really think about the functionality and design, aka the fun part.

Aesthetically, it was important to me that the building would simultaneously stand out and blend in with the main house. I love the matte black wood of the bungalow roof so we applied this style into the velvety cedar cladding all over the studio. A bold choice especially when the raw wood was so gorgeous already, but staining it black was definitely the right decision. Inside, I kept a very neutral and calming blank backdrop for my colourful artwork.

The 70cm porthole windows were an absolute must. For the past 10 years, I've been thinking of these freakin' round windows but I didn't have my own place until last year.

Initially, the studio door entrance would be on the side where the portholes are, but in the end, we swapped it around because I wanted the bigger view of the existing garden and pond - and I'm so glad we did! The sliding doors were reused from one of Chris' renovation projects, I painted them matte black to blend in with the cedar and window frames.

Just like the average millennial I love hunting for vintage, second hand and antiques in obscure shops and on Facebook Marketplace. Instead of using the same trestle table setup that I had before, I wanted a smarter solution with more storage and a bigger worktop. I found this huge, gorgeous, vintage solid wood architects drawer unit from the 1970s as a base for my work bench. To protect the top and create even more space to work on, I used a large leftover section from the flooring plywood and painted it white. Now I have plenty of artwork & panel storage underneath, without losing valuable floor space.

I added some narrow shelving on the wall to display and swap out a selection of my ever-changing series of minis and sculptures.

The plywood flooring was actually a pretty impulsive choice; I wanted something warm and natural looking, but knowing it will get destroyed it had to be easily replaceable in the future. I actually saw this flooring when I got some prints framed at the Mojo Framing workshop in Newquay and knew instantly that's what I wanted to use too. I love the simple wood grain patterns and knots, they kind of remind me of the sea floor. The outdoor decking will be extended once Chris has some free time again.

The studio is fully insulated all throughout the ceiling, walls and floor, with a green living roof as an extra layer and to match the bungalow's roof. Hopefully I'll see some wildflowers peeking over the edges soon!

To keep a consistent temperature all year round (very important when using resin) I invested in a heating & cooling air conditioner so I'll have no excuses when it's too cold or too hot outside. No more super thick or runny resin for me!

I am so excited to be starting this new chapter of inspiration and creation here.

If you enjoy process videos, I just shared a reel on Instagram that summarises a few weeks of hard work from start to finish, in less than 60 seconds. Tap below to watch.

WATCH VIDEO

For in-person artwork viewings, please contact me to make an appointment.