Any time someone invites me to see their studio I jump at the chance. I love to see people’s creative spaces; the way they work, their process, the behind the scenes. It always feels like such a privilege to be invited in, like someone’s sharing a part of themselves that few people get to see. Earlier this year, I spent a morning in Amy Rogers‘ sun-filled studio near the AGO. I left feeling energized. Her creative space –– ribbon, feathers and fabric galore –– is as colourful and exuberant as her ceramic jewellery. In the summer, I popped into photographer and ceramicist, Katherine Holland‘s studio and felt the best kind of envy –– the admiring kind –– for the serene space she’s created for herself. It is so well organized, with equal respect extended to both her disciplines. And this morning, after a chance meeting at our local convenience shop, I spent an hour with painter, Victor Helfand in his eclectic Annex Victorian. The top floor is dedicated to his practice, and it’s a wonderful mess of acrylic paints, glue guns, tree bark and other found objects. Again, I left feeling inspired, and dreaming of the studio I’ll one day have. Everyone needs a room of one’s one, and while the most significant one is the one we create within ourselves, a studio with a window and space to make a mess is high on my wishlist.
