New Studio Space

I’ve been working from The Hay Shed for 5 years, and when I say working from The Hay Shed I include the dining table, the kitchen bench, the verandah, the carport, the sewing room………  In other words, a never-ending sprawl of projects and collections.  It was time to get serious about my practice and create a purpose-built space that could handle the myriad of concepts and experimentations. 

So ‘The Studio’ (working title) is underway.  Stage 1 was partitioning off a section of ‘the big yellow shed’ as it’s referred to (when you live on a farm, there are any number of buildings in any manner of repair or disrepair so it’s imperative that they’re named).  This included engaging a builder to install steel beams and walls, and remove an impractical roller door, installing new sheeting and a window for some natural light. 

Next, that damn partition wall needed sealing, so for over 2 weeks I primed and painted.  It’s interesting to note that I had a fear of heights before this job, not so much anymore.  The wall is over 4 metres high, and the first coat had to be painted by brush to get in all the cracks and crevices, so I spent many hours up a very high ladder.  Both sides!  Next was fit out of a sink and installing some shelving and cupboards for storage, and of course fans and better lighting.  The moving in stage went well, at first.  But prep for 3 exhibitions, 2 murals, a workshop in Port Douglas and a large commission for City of Moreton Bay interrupted the flow for the rest of 2025.  I worked around boxes, planks, cobwebs, dust, tubs and Maggie the Maremma to meet deadlines. In February this year (2026) I got our trusty builder back to install some window awnings to make the space ‘all weather’ friendly and cut down on some of the afternoon western sun that Queenslanders know and love.  This has made a huge difference to the studio.  With the cooler weather and a looming Three of Cups visit in April it’s all stations GO to get the space set up.  To be continued…….

Photo acknowledgment: Photos courtesy of the artist