Start of the tour.

One of the things I promised you last week was a guided tour of my studio. If you remember I ran around the studio late one night taking loads of photos of it. I didn't even tidy up, you'll get to see it warts and all. Oh dear eh. Still its a working studio and that's my excuse, lmao.

Anyway today I,m going to start you off in the corridors outside. Those of you who have never visited the studio before and just turn up are always in for a shock. People see us at the shows with our lovely stand and always expect a nice posh place, lol. Inside the studio is fab, but outside , well, lets just say it leaves a lot to be desired.... We are situated on a business park and we are in the scruffiest factory on the estate. All this will be changing over the coming year. The whole building is getting a radical face lift. We are getting a new lift (hallelujah..!!!), and I think I am moving floors to a studio with , wait for it, WINDOWS...... Yayy..!!! Ooh cant wait...

In the meantime , you pull up outside the grotty factory, walk through the loading bay < yes that's right , that's my entrance, open the lift doors, take one look and decide not to bother, lol. It does actually work but looks dodgier than Arkwrights till..!!! So if you haven't turned around and walked out by now, you need to go through the double doors and up the 4 lots of stairs. Yes 4. We run up them now, ha ha .. Just follow the signs. Oh I forgot to tell you that the lights are all on sensors, so it is all in darkness (it just keeps getting better doesn't it?) as soon as you start to walk the lights do come on, honest. So at the top of the stairs you take a right through the double doors and you are there in a little oasis,lol. you have entered the corridor of creativity. The walls are lined with samples and paintings and display boards. Sometimes people stay in the corridor for ages just looking. But be warned the lights only stay on for so long and then you are in darkness again. Don,t worry, just wave your arms and they should come back on again. If not just shout cos we can hear you. That's the other thing ,for some reason when you are in the corridor we can hear you really clearly. Yes..!!!! THAT clearly, lol.. So anyway we start with the corridor, are you sitting comfortably..? Then let the tour commence. That's one of the show stands lurking there, Plus Maisies toy box that Our Tom made her.

The kids have a clothes rack for their painting T-shirts. Most of the paintings on the wall are Jays. The heart one is on wood and I have always loved it. She was commissioned to do a similar one for a spiritual shop, because I wouldn't let that one go,lol.

The opposite wall with display boards.

More T-shirts

The opposite wall still.

Our entrance. This is about a third of the way down the corridor on the right. But loads of people walk straight past it and continue to the end. Cant understand it because there is a massive sign above it. A sign on the door and a big push sign. Aah well..!!

More display boards further down

And more

This is the wall opposite our doors. There is a large screen print of my Dad as a youngster and more displays.

Lots of Jays artwork.

And a great big pile of my custom whiteboard. Well you can never have too much..!! So there you go, and thats all before you even enter the studio.

Hope that's whetted your taste buds a bit. The grand tour will continue another day.

Enjoy xx