I will be welcoming RTE’s ‘Nationwide’ team in to my home and studio this week which is a fantastic opportunity – I’ll post the screening date on my facebook page as soon as I know about it. With this in mind, I thought I might do a photo tour of my work space for those of you who read this blog..
I converted our guest room in to a work room for myself about four years ago. I had been using the kitchen table before this and clearing up after each session which was often more trouble than it was worth! Creating a space where I can come and go as time allows was the best decision I have made in recent years.
It is a small room as you can see – there was just enough room for a double bed and two bedside lockers in it’s old life. However, it is perfectly suited to my needs at the moment and I feel very lucky to have it.

This is my painting desk (above). It gets great light in the morning, as the window to the left is East facing and this happens to suit my morning work schedule when my daughters are at school. I’ve pinned up some old work, photographs, postcards and things I’ve collected overhead. I change these images around from time to time and add bits and pieces as I find them. Here’s a close up of the board below.

These are my materials – inks, paints, charcoal and my palette which is a flat plastic container with a lid. I am very unfussy about my brushes and I sometimes think the really worn ones make the most interesting marks.

I use this desk (below) which is to the right of my painting desk, for sewing. I keep the materials separate and swivel my chair around if I am using my sewing machine. I do a bit of dress making for pleasure and I also do some machine embroidery from time to time. Perhaps some day I will figure out a way of combining the painting and the sewing..

This last photograph is a storage cupboard that I have covered with more collected imagery and old work.