Sunday, June 7, 2009

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

11 comments:

Terri said...

Great Studio! Thanks for the tour!

thekathrynwheel said...

Ha ha ha yes, the first time I ever came to your studio I daren't come in! I thought I was in the wrong place - it looked too dark and spooky. But now I just hop and skip my way up the stairs :-))) Anyway, I'm suspicious of tidy art and craft shops. Art and tidy don't go together in the same sentence. Kate

Chris said...

OMG...WHAT an entrance... I wonder anyone makes it inside...lol I would be stuck there nosying for hours. Fabulous.
hugs
Chris xx

sam21ski said...

I've been lucky enough to visit twice up to now this year and OMG it's just fantastic. The photos really don't do it justice. Once you've got your breath back from the 4 flights of stairs you really are in ore of all the fab creations spread all over the walls. If you are ever nearby I would seriously encourage you to call in, you just won't believe how much creativitiy goes on in that factory building block xxxx

Katy said...

Fab tour!! Can't wait to see inside the studio :)

xx

Kim Dellow said...

Oh wow it looks amazing, what a fabulous space and just so much lovelyness to look at. Kim

Sharon said...

Wow Dyan - that corridor is buxxing full of creativity!!
Can't wait to see the guided tour of inside the studio.

I would love to see it in the flesh one day though :-)

Sharon said...

Wow Dyan - that corridor is buxxing full of creativity!!
Can't wait to see the guided tour of inside the studio.

I would love to see it in the flesh one day though :-)

Michelle said...

Hi Dyan,
Was looking forward to the tour.
And you came up trumps. People must spend hours in the corridors just looking at all the wonderful art work.
Can't wait to see the rest of the tour.
Was looking up some Northern Soul on You Tube today, even the baby was jigging around. Great stuff!!!
Hugs,
Michelle xx

Sandra Hall said...

When you craft in a 10ft x 8ft room you appreciate all this space - and that's just your corridor! Its just dream and I for one will have nostalgic feelings when you move....by the way, if you need extra hands when you move upstairs you'll have an army of volunteers! (I'll be number 1!)
big hug x

frizzy said...

Shame you can't get that lovely toffe smell on your blog as you enter the corridor. Sending you hugs from Nuneaton love diane (and mum) x

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