As artisans, we are constantly looking for inspiration, and where better to find it than in our own workspaces? Today, two of our team members, Nicolas and Sofie, have been kind enough to give us a mini tour of their beautifully sun-filled studio where they create gorgeous miniatures which can be found in their shops BewilderandPine and BonjourPoupette.
Nicolas and I have always preferred to have our studio space integrated with our home. In our last apartment, we set up our own studios in two separate rooms, but we found that we would always migrate into the same room and ended up happily sharing one very cramped space. When we found our new home, there was no question that the large front room would be our shared studio space.
There is a wall of southern-facing windows which provides tremendous light. We wished to maintain access to all the windows, so we set up our workbenches three feet back. We have a rolling cart with a homemade light box that we can move around for photoshoots. Between the workbenches we have our printers and computers, which are very much integrated into our workday. Our workbenches were set up so that they can be worked at from three different sides and used standing or perched on stools.
Sitting
at desks has always been very uncomfortable for me and this arrangement
has worked very well for long workdays. We set up two individual work
benches supported by shelving and sawhorses that are used to hold all of
our tools and materials. It is important that they can be broken down
and moved around if necessary. We've found that our studio is constantly
evolving, depending on what project we are working on. We also have a
small room in back devoted to shipping and storage.
On the west wall there is a set of shelves for our finished work, a kitchen island that has been converted into a table for conditioning polymer, a set of drawers on wheels, and a large calendar and corkboard to keep track of projects. I have an easel set up behind my workbench for drawing and painting. On the east wall is our sofa, alternately piled with pillows and blankets, guitars, books and our cat. It is the heart of our home and where we begin and end our workday.
Awhile back I pitched an article to Etsy admin about introducing our Artisans Gallery team here on Etsy by using the artisans' own voices and studio photos. It grew to become a piece about what it means to be an artisan and make pieces one at a time, hand by hand.
(photo above, lulubugjewelry)
Look for it Friday on the Etsy blog, The Storque. I'm thrilled that Etsy has been covering other parts of the locavore, handmade movement on the blog - their Eatsy articles are fabulous, some of my favorites. Writing this was fun, and a little nervewracking. We have abundant talent on this team. That's quite an understatement.
What I like most about the article is how each of the featured artists and Artisans Gallery team members offered up a piece of themselves in their photo choice and personal insight into life as an artisan. Some spoke of the passion they have for their art, others linked their skill back to other similar craftspeople from millenia past. One artist carefully explains why she is a designer-artisan, not an industrial designer. Others point to the beauty in the process towards a piece, rather than the end in itself. One poignant comment is about how the artist's work centers her and brings her love, which she then turns around and pours into her pieces.
Many buyers from around the world are seeking out genuinely handcrafted pieces of the highest quality, pieces with an original style and voice made by hand. One at a time. Our team is like a worldwide, vetted gallery. It was a joy and honor for me to write about the work of the team in the Storque. Thank you for letting me tell your stories.
Here are some more beautiful studio photos from artisans on the team.
