One of the great features of the new studio are all the doors. When all are open, it feels like an outdoor studio. And doors can be opened or closed in different configurations to change the airflow and view. My favorite door is the Dutch door in front of the wheel (left) which provides an inspiring sky view. The glaze room doors offer a great view too even at night as the moon rises.
Another feature: almost everything is on wheels to make daily mopping easier, periodic deep cleaning less daunting, and reconfiguring the workspace a breeze…storage shelves, glaze carts, file cabinet storing glaze chemicals, desk, chairs. And I keep some mini-dollies on hand to move the potter’s wheel, wedging table, and kilns, so with some help these can be rolled as well. Folding work tables are multifunctional and easy to move. As you can see, as I get older my body reminds me to find ways to make life easier.
I recently visited the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts and toured her modest home and studio in Ojai, California. What an amazing woman and character! She too discovered clay in high school (Hollywood High) but Wood’s introduction was via an Adult Education Class in 1933 (age 40), unlike me in my junior year. Her clay career peaked when she was in her 80’s and 90’s. Clay must have developed into her ultimate passion. She lived 105 years (died 1998) and continued to throw pots into her 104th year. The last pots she threw are still on her wheel, unfired. It feels like she will be back any minute to finish them. I am not sure I want to live to 100. And I am quite sure I will never be more than a curious student of clay. But Wood’s legacy inspires me to keep at it a bit longer.
