Welcome to my blog where I’d love to share with you a bit about myself and the paintings I’m working on. I’d like to begin with the story of my studio. I needed a studio space; I was working in my bedroom which wasn’t in any way practical with the smell of turps and accidentally rubbing my clothes against wet paintings. I visited a studio for rent around the corner from where I live which was fine, a small room in an old industrial building which could have worked. However, I have a large garden and in a light bulb moment decided to ditch the weed infested vegetable patch, borrow the money, and build my own studio so set about applying for the planning permission. Where I live is a designated conservation area (why none of the residents know as we are right next to Wandsworth Road) and the studio had to match the original Victorian building both in character and construction materials. I drew up the architectural drawings myself and after several re-submissions (please provide plan view end wall A) planning consent was granted. I found a builder who gave me a 6-8 week estimate from start to completion. It was only later on that I realised this timescale was completely unrealistic. It was a slow and arduous job, the builder having other jobs on and mine was bottom of his list, and so progress would usually occur over weekends and bank holidays. In the end it took a staggering 12 months to complete but worth the wait, a special place where I love to spend time.
