Last week I did it, I called Alpine Kilns and ordered a larger kiln. I'm a ConeArt devotee, and I'm going from 3.3 cubic feet of kiln space to 7 cubic feet. When I first posted about wanting a larger kiln, I received a few messages asking if I'd consider selling my current kiln. Here's the thing...my current kiln isn't going anywhere. It's staying in my tiny home studio and will still get plenty of use. The new kiln is going to my new studio!
I've been putting off sharing the news, but as of last week, I officially signed a lease to rent a space to set up as a production studio. It's a little more than double the space I have now and has heat, ac, plumbing, and natural light! All things my current space doesn't have. It will be a one-person working studio, but I am hoping I'll be able to have clients visit by appointment. Details to be come after I see how the space works and subject to approval from my landlords. But as of now, I'm excited to be able to have my slab roller next to my work table next to my drying racks. All which are currently spread out between the studio, garage, and basement.
I'm excited to see how the new space changes my workflow. As I mentioned, the smaller kiln is staying home. Since I often have time to work at night, I want to continue to use the home studio for experimenting and making smaller quantities of pieces. My wheel, which I rarely use, will stay home and will hopefully get some use without is being used as another storage surface. Playing with shapes only possible on the wheel has long been on my to-do list.
This is both exciting and scary. It's going to be a change to how and when I work. It's going to be a short commute to the new space which will make it impossible to multitask on multiple projects. I will adapt and find what works for me and the space. Ultimately I still have plans to build a dedicated studio on my own property, but realize that will take a bit longer than I originally imagined. I see the new studio as a transition space...it will help me learn what I need and what I can do differently to be more efficient. I don't know how long I will be in the space, but that's part of the excitement. It's a new challenge and another step towards being a full-time potter.