Studio Shopping

Coffee in the Los Angeles skyline mug, "Choctaw Bingo" by James McMurtry on iTunes. I hate being sick. All day yesterday my innards let me know they weren't happy and didn't want company so I didn't eat. I also didn't move around much. I did get a couple of loads fired--including an overnight turnaround on a couple of pieces for a local gallery that they'll pick up this morning. Other than that about all I got done was updating the Locations page on my website. This morning, as I am feeling MUCH better (though still not much inclined to eat), I unloaded a kiln, started prepping a shipment, and inventoried all my current work to determine what I need to make for the BMAC. Got to write this quick now and head off for a shower as I'm going studio shopping with my realtor at 10:00. My photographer called last night and none of the pictures he shot on Saturday turned out. First I had the wrong stand to shoot and then nothing I did have turned out. Did I mention the weekend was cursed? I rescheduled the shoot for 8/24--Jessie's first full day of school.

Now a few notes on the studio. We bought our current house with an eye to suitable studio space in it. I have a 30 X 14 (more or less) room in the walk-out basement (it's basement at the front of the house and first floor in the back--we're on a slope). I had it wired for lighting and plenty of outlets, painted the walls white, stained the concrete floor, plumbed a big 3-bin restaurant sink and moved in. Big Bertha (the biggest kiln) won't fit through any house door so she lives in the garage adjacent the studio (the garage is under the living room, all part of the house). As time passed I took over more and more of the garage: The little kiln lives there as does the compressor, the shipping area, extra glass crates for a set-up table by Bertha, all the ceramic mold storage, the etched glassware storage, and all the show booth and art fair display materials (tent, pedestals, lights, carpet, etc.,). There is a little craft room of the studio and it now houses the photography set-up. There is also a bathroom hose bathtub is filled with rolls of bubble-wrap and bags of Styrofoam peanuts (yet more peanuts lurk in the garage).

It's a bit cramped, but it works. What doesn't work so well is the treadmill in the Library (or the guest room if we don't have a long-term guest), the loom in the dining room, and the odds and sods of furniture tucked into inappropriate nooks throughout the house because there is no appropriate space for them (which surprisingly enough does not translate into the furniture itself being inappropriate--we still want it, tits on a bull though it is in the current layout). If we are to remain here, stranded in the south for another nine years (the current plan), we are going to need more room. We *could* build onto the house (with great difficulty), but it makes more sense to buy another piece of property and just separate the studio right out--much better return on investment.

Now off to shower. Tomorrow: What to look for in a studio.

PS--Jester is much better today and they are looking at doing wound-closure surgery tomorrow or Friday, and he might be home for the weekend!