The Studio

The Lead Up

I found and fell in love with ceramics in college. I always knew that art was what I wanted to do with my life, but ceramics was a bit of a surprise. I took a class as an elective and instantly knew that I had to keep in my life forever.

After I graduation I joined a studio 30 minutes away from my apartment. But after having almost everything I made be broken by well meaning studio mates, I knew I had to figure out a way to work at home.

I set up a little studio corner in my one bedroom apartment. I had kiln that was gifted to me a year before just sitting at my parents house. We got it hooked up and, with the help of YouTube and wonderful people in the ceramic world, I learned how to fire it.

For a little over a year, I threw and decorated all my work at my apartment and drove everything to my parents house to fire. It was in no way ideal but it was doable. In 2020, I officially opened my Etsy store.

Later that year, my husband and I bought our first house and I was able to have all my tools in one place for the first time. It made the severe lack of aesthetics in the garage worth it. I worked in that space for two years, saving and dreaming of a beautiful, air conditioned, and well lit studio that would one day be in my backyard.

After a particularly hot, Texas summer in 2022, I knew I couldn’t work in the garage anymore. So I started my scheming in December and my dad and I started making a plan of action in January.

The Work

We started construction in February 2023 with me foolishly thinking we could get it done in 2 months.

ha.

My dad and I were consistently working on the studio for 5 months with my sister, Amy, coming the majority of that time when her schedule allowed it. I learned a lot in this process, from the practical building aspects to appeasing the city’s zoning laws.

I’m so incredibly grateful for my family. Tobias, my husband, did all the wiring for me and was always ready to help when we needed and extra hand. Amy was always ready to add extra magic to my ideas and was there as often as she could be to help. So much of what’s charming about my space was her idea. My dear, wonderful father was at my house almost every day working beside me, teaching me new skills, and putting in so many hours of work for the meager payment of lunch. Once, both my dad and sister worked on the studio without me.