Wild Phlox Pottery Tiny Studio Tour
Welcome to the Wild Phlox Pottery Studio! I have set up my home studio five times in total: twice in two different rental houses, once in a decrepit old factory building with no insulation and a leaky ceiling, once in a rental trailer, and now finally my tiny studio in my RV. I cannot lie, one of the reasons I purchased my camper was because I was tired of setting my stuff back up when I had to move!
It’s been a work in progress for over a year now and I’m still tweaking my set up to make it better, but I cannot begin to express how lovely it is to have a place to work that is just yours, no matter the size!
I worked on top of this platform for a year before I decided I needed more head room. My back wishes I would have come to this conclusion sooner! I've got to be nicer to my body. Replacement parts aren't available for this model, this ain’t Repo the Genetic Opera, y’all. And pottery is hard work!
This was my setup before the latest remodel. Last week I tore out the RV bed platform in the second bedroom. Yes, for a camper, she is pretty big. I have a bedroom, livingroom/kitchen area and another slide room that I can section off from the living spaces with a door. A camper studio has its drawbacks and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. I have an HEPA rated air filter in the studio room and I have to clean up all of my clay mess after each “make session” to keep the dust from getting everywhere. It's a lot of work but it's worth it to be able to keep making art. And hey, cleaning up after yourself is a good studio habit to have!
Also, for anyone thinking of doing this crazy thing, storage space is a constant struggle. I am always making new things so I have to get very creative with my storage solutions. At the moment, the studio is dedicated to all things messy and clay related. Speaking of messes, this is what the studio looks like right now. I've got to add more shelves to my existing storage and build a new cabinet for all the mess you see piled in the “new storage cabinet space.”
Excuse the mess! It's a work in progress! I had to take a break from my remodel to get to work making some more pieces for an exhibition in October.
Cabinets with shelves are the key to making my tiny studio work!
I converted this wardrobe into clay storage thanks to a nifty hack I found on YouTube. No drilling into the crumbly panelling here! Just shere force of will keeping these guys standing….and three pieces of plywood measured and cut to fit snuggly. YAY, SCIENCE!
Where do I put a selves? As long as I have the wood to build them, the answer is: ANYWHERE! More shelves under the cabinets!
My bedroom serves a double purpose as sleeping quarters and textile art studio. I also crochet and sew a lot in the winter months. My current crochet to do list involves a lot of plant hangers to deal with my plant obsession. How many plants is too many, anyway? More than 20? I'm good, I have….Ok, I have too many plants! What can I say, I like throwing and growing stuff! I even have a bowl of lichens I'm trying to keep alive on that purple shelf by the window. Don't judge me. 😅
I also share my space with two black cats, named Lenore and Edna Allen Poe Beans and a pit bull named Phthalo. Two of my babies are angels and the best studio companions ever. Poe Beans, however, is an evil, plant munching, pottery breaking, butthead. Hence all the cabinets and plant hangers. Lol
Anyways, that's my tour. Thanks for dropping by my tiny studio! Keep checking back to see what comes out of here next. It's gonna be big!
