“Don't you just love moving?”

I recently moved from Durham to Chapel Hill. It sounds like an easy move as it is not a long distance. It does not really matter the distance, moving is hard. It is one thing to move a house and get settled back in at a new place, but moving a ceramic studio in addition to an entire home is absolutely THE WORST. I have downsized and downsized and it still doesn't fit. There are many hurdles to jump such as putting in a utility sink and running proper electricity for my electric kiln, and creating a flat area to set up my gas kiln for raku, and...and...and...ect. That all being said, I bought this new house with more land so that I can build a new studio separately from the house. The new studio will be much further down the road. I have included a few photos of my first studio at the old house (the one with green walls) and one photo of my new space as it exists today, in the basement utility room.

Although I strongly dislike working in a basement utility room, which where my temporary studio is located at the new house, I am learning to live with it. I am already looking forward to having natural light again. Great artists create no matter what the conditions may be, I want to be like them. I am constantly talking myself back into believing that this was a good move. I DO know that it has encouraged me to branch out. I have applied to the Chatham Artists Guild and will announce whether or not I have joined the guild sometime in January, so stay tuned.

Check out current members of the Chatham Artists Guild here and know that the Chatham Studio Tour is right around the corner! Get that shopping done locally and support your favorite artists and may you find new artists to love along the way.

Happy Touring!

-Ellison