Home Studio

I was lucky enough to go to an Amazing workshop at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan last weekend and what an amazing experience! I stayed with Lynn Batchelder and Alissa Lamarre who are recent graduates from WMU, who also participated in the workshop and they are both making truly exciting work. While staying at their lovely house in Kalamazoo I got a chance to see their studio setup in their home. It's perfect! Its very simple, but it has all the necessary components for making work. Open, flat space to work on, torches and pickle pot (if you work in metal), space to put images of the work that inspires you and natural light. I think its important to show studio spaces that work, especially for someone just coming out of an academia setting where every tool possible is readily available to you. This studio space works because its perfect for the type of work that they are both doing. I think all too often people think they can't make work unless they have all the tools that a full university studio has, which is totally not the case. There are so many places out there that you can shop out processes like casting, laser cutting, and stone setting that having these machines is not necessary. Just grab a torch, get a crock pot from the thrift store and your hand tools that you were using at your bench in school anyways, and see what you can make! Limitations can be very honest and produce beautiful work. Try to enjoy this remarkable period right after school where you are really deciding if making is what you really want to do. You will either make amazing work and push forward, or shift and start doing something else that works better for you. Thanks to Lynn and Alissa for allowing me to share images of their space.