Written by Frances Timbers – 2023

Artists, artisans, and writers all imagine that ideal space to ply their crafts, whether it be a third-floor garret or an expansive glass studio overlooking the ocean. However, the reality is often quite different. When I was a professional weaver, my “studio” space was what a normal person would have used as a living room in my tiny log house in Apsley. No avoiding work to be done when the loom confronts you constantly! Then I put weaving on hold for awhile to pursue a PhD, and the loom went into storage.

After the completion of my degree, I found the time to once again pursue my creative interests. I studied jewellery making at the Haliburton School of Fine Arts and set up another type of studio space. At the time, I was spending four to six months in a little house in Panama. So I packed up all my shiny, new jewellery equipment in a suitcase and took it south. I created a tiny workspace on a ledge that was already in place under the living room window. But other than soldering, most of my jewellery making took place in the back patio area. Then life changed once again and I transported my (now rusty from tropical humidity) equipment into my son’s unheated garage in Peterborough. Another tiny, minimal space served the basic requirements.

Fast forward to September 2022. My long time dream of a “real” studio space finally came to fruition. My son and I built a 12 foot by 8 foot “shed” in the backyard of my Peterborough home. No insulation or electricity yet, but so far I have managed with a propane heater and a battery-powered light.

The moral of the story is that when the creative urge is strong in a person, perseverance is all it takes to find your place!!