For as long as I can remember, I have dreamt of having my own art studio that people can visit and where I can create all the art I want to.

Having a studio in my garden was amazing - especially when my daughter was tiny and I could create while she napped - but I recently outgrew the space and was ready to be part of a wider community.

Here’s how I made the art studio dream a reality!

Choosing the Studio

Since visiting the Ouseburn Open Studios in 2017, I knew that was where I emanated a studio. Since then, I’ve visited the open studios and scoured every inch of the Ouseburn Valley to see which studios would suit me. As desperate as I was to get a studio, I knew it needed to be the right one.

In Spring 2023, I attended yet another open studios event and found myself in B Box Studios. It was such an inviting space filled with friendly creatives and (it was warm - something my garden studio rarely was).

Straight after that, I contacted The Biscuit Factory Foundation and put my name on the waiting list knowing full well that I couldn’t afford it yet but that studios don’t come up very often.

Six months later, I got an email saying that there were 3 spaces coming up for rent so I went to view them. I cannot express how exciting this was. It was definitely a pinch me moment that made me feel like I was ‘levelling up’ as my coach calls it.

One space was too small, one was an amazing space but too expensive but studio 63 was just right!

I measured up and decided to go for it, putting money aside for 6 month’s rent so that I could enjoy settling in and not thinking about the finances.

The weekend that I moved in felt like the perfect (albeit exhausting) welcome to the community - my first open studios event. Not only were the other studio holders lovely but I got to meet lots of new art lovers too.

Where to Start

Before I even moved anything in, I did a sketch. It helped me figure out what I wanted the main zones of the studio to be (yet it bears little resemblance to how I actually set things up).  More often than not though, you just need to be in the space an moving things around.

There were key pieces of furniture that I needed to have in before the open studios. These were my printing table, my white Kalax shelves, a small shelf unit, a new drawer set (to house my prints) and my rocking chair. Once I had these in, I pretty much had the bare bones of the space mapped out.

Once I’d been in for a week or so, I started playing around with the layout. My print table and inspiration wall moved to the right, I brought in my market table to act as a moveable desk and I organised my bins so that I could make sure I was able to recycle and reuse materials.

I have also now added hooks and string to the walls so that my prints are on display as they dry and not taking up additional floor space on the clothes airer that I used to use.

Personalising the Space

From the minute I chose my studio, I knew I wanted a mural on the wall and what else could it be but a peacock - except you become the peacock as you stand in front of it. Painting that wall was so much fun and it was an action that made the space feel completely mine.

The next element to add was my framed work on the wall. Initially I hung 4 pieces next to the mural but they faded into the white wall with their white frames. To make them pop (and to add some more cool) I painted a blue block behind them and rehung the prints. I absolutely love it!

The inspiration wall is a constantly changing entity in the space. As I create new sketches, work through ideas and mix colours, the papers move around, are replaced or are edited. It’s amazing how moving a sketch from my pad to the wall can help me see it differently and refine the idea into a proper print plan.

Another way I have personalised the space is by adding plants. I can’t say I am particularly green fingered so I choose plants that the experts at The Flower Folk tell me are easy to look after. In the process of moving, they were neglected a little so I am working on reviving them and there’s plenty of natural light throughout the day so they love that.

My rocking chair is a total must have. It’s a great place for me to sit and think, read or enjoy my lunch. Bending over the print table for an extended period of time can be a strain on my back so a comfy chair is definitely required for afterwards. I’m tempted to bring along a yoga mat too but that hasn’t happened yet.

What Next?

I don’t think I’ll ever stop tweaking the space. As I make new art the frames on the wall will change at a minimum. No doubt I’ll need more print drawers in the not too distant future as well.

There are always plans afoot for making new art and I’m currently working on some tidal wave pieces, releasing them one at a time as they are finished.

One massive change in the way I work now is that I will be hosting all of my workshops in the studio rather than renting other spaces. This means I can host them more frequently and add more types of workshops too. Find out more about what’s on offer here.

Stay in Touch

Leave a comment below to let me know what you think and feel free to ask any questions.

You can also book a studio visit here. Use your time to have a nosey, look at my art, pick my brain or have a personal shopping experience.