Studio Spaces

I received the recent update from Crafthaus and one of the articles is about studio spaces. The artists send in photographs of their sanctuaries and we get to peruse their areas.

When Jeri Warhaftig was writing her new book "Creating Glass Beads" we (the focus group) were asked to send in photos of our work areas. Not everyone, it seemed, was terribly cooperative with that endeavor. I get it! My bench is normally a mess. The glass on top of it at the moment is about a half an inch thick. It's not terribly conducive to working - let alone finding things. It definitely needs to be cleaned up. DO I HEAR A VOLUNTEER?

After looking at the Crafthaus benches I decided to look up those photos of mine. Hey, so that is what the work area looks like cleaned - LOL.

Of note - which is why I have posted this - I work on a computer desk. It was a cheapy from one of the big box stores. I put the torch on the keyboard drawer. It lowers it so you are not killing your arms and is below eye level a bit. It makes it easier to see where in the flame you are. You also do not have to use a "high heeled" chair to get yourself up there....better for the legs.

Attached to the table top (with wing nuts and washers) are two long boards to which padding at attached. These can swing in and out to any position I need and hold my elbows are a great position so I can utilize the creation station hand rests to their best advantage. I love them both and will never work without them again.

My favorite tool - what a crack up. What I use more than anything is those plastic handle cheap paring knives you purchase in the cheapo section of the big box stores. They come like 2/$1.00 or something like that. Thin steel blade and great for just about anything. The second most adored tool is one that was altered. It is a heavy pair of tweezers that a fellow Glass Act artist altered during a retreat. He used a grinder and took off the serrated edges and ground the tips to a heavy point. They are heavenly. See what I mean - Fix your tools to suit the job you want to do!

If you have any questions about anything you are seeing on that bench - just ask - I'm a sharer and will be glad to pass it on.