CPS...What is a studio?

To me a studio is somewhere to create your work, store your tools and kit, spend time thinking about your work, eat, sleep and have a space to get on with what you want to achieve. It needs to be a second home, or for some their actual home.
This space needs to suit the style and size you work in and must be a place you feel comfortable in or the work you produce will be highly affected. A sculpture artist may need a much bigger space than a web designer, it all depends on what you intend to produce: the bigger the work, the bigger the space.
Light plays a big part in the choice of a studio space. Lots of natural light is needed but must be controlled. A harsh burst of sunshine straight onto the canvas can dramatically change your final work. Ideally the windows should face the opposite way that the sun shines giving an evenly distributed covering of good light.

We've been told our spaces at DMU need to be used to produce work and not just used as a mini gallery to hang work up that we've produced in our classes and I agree with this fully. Our spaces shouldn't be social hangouts or somewhere to relax between lessons but should be USED to make our art works. I don't mean it should be deadly silent or church-like but a level of respect is needed as it belongs to us all. Each area IS going to get messy but it should be a controlled mess. A lot can be learned in these areas from the people around us. We see new work on the walls every day and this can have a great effect when it comes to inspiration and ideas. Its always good to see what everyone else is doing.

I've visited a few studio belonging to various artists but my favourite was owned by print artist Sue milton who had a small barn converted into a fantastic studio. The place was full of natural objects she'd collected on walks in the area she lived in, skulls, leaves, twigs, grasses etc, and every inch of ceiling had something suspended from it. In the centre she had an antique printing press that was her pride and joy and at the far end stood a glorious wood burning stove, used to heat the large comfy settees. The place was perfect.
Another studio I visited was a little private place in Blakeney, Norfolk. it belonged to a very old artist who painted the seascape and the beaches. it was a total contrast to the print studio. The artist lived amongst his work with bis bed and chair virtually buried under paints and piles of old canvas'. His sink was full of cutlery mixed with huge brushes and pots of different colours. All of the walls were covered in paintings on wood, canvas, paper sketches and all manner of beach finds. What surprised me was the fact that he sold his work in the village for really good prices, almost London prices but he just couldn't move out of the space. I think he thought he'd lose his skills if he left.

The price of hiring spaces in different parts of the country can be massively different. London prices (100 sqm £230 pcm) are almost triple what you would pay in leicester (2.5x2.5 sqm £35 pcm) and anything near the beach or sea is always going to be at the high end of the scale.

The real benefit of working in a group situation is the chance to meet people doing things you can relate to or maybe collaborate with but the downside can be the noise and commotion that comes with it.