I am really lucky, the summer has been wonderful and I have the most lovely 20 minute walk to the studio each morning.
I can either go through Chiswick House Grounds, or walk along the river.  Both are beautiful and provide an uplifting start to my day.

Well, We're in our new studio in an old farm building overlooking the river in Chiswick, West London.  I love it.  I am sharing with three other jewellery makers and it's just about big enough for the four of us.  It's lovely and light as it has two windows which offer fantastic views over Dukes Meadows, the local allotments and the line of trees that mark the Thames towpath.  Perfect.  The other artists here are really nice and we meet up at lunchtime and sit around the table in the communal kitchen which is a great bonus.  

When we moved in the studio looked huge, now filled with our equipment, it seems so much smaller.  It's been great, we've all provided different pieces of kit so set up costs have been minimal and we've got pretty much all we need.

I had one night when the lock to the front door failed and I was locked in (thank goodness we have a fire exit).  Now we have a lovely new lock and not just any old lock - it's a Louboutin lock!   


Pavilion Studios, Market Drive, Chiswick W4 2RX
http://dukesmeadowstrust.org

 

The pavilionstudios.org website has some really interesting information about The Pavilion Building which opened as studios in 2002: "built in a farm building used either as a fruit or grain store belonging to the Grove Park Farm also known as Smiths Farm, which is still standing next to the Pavilion today, it was part of the bigger Grove Farm on land owned by the Duke of Devonshire  Joseph Jessop or a name sake was listed as a market gardener in 1862 and was still at Grove Park Farm in 1887 known as Smiths Farm, it was one of the parish’s 17 agricultural holdings in 1900 and 5 in 1920, presumably the only one of more than 150. The fields had gone by 1930 when there were only 2 smallholdings, but the Grove Park Farmhouse still survives today. 

The Pavilion has changed its use many times since The Duke of Devonshire sold the land (now known as Dukes Meadows) in approximately 1923 to the Chiswick Urban District Council. The Council then built a Recreational ground opened by the Duke of York in 1926, it contained, Football pitches, Cricket pitches, Paddling Pool, Sand Pit, and playground, and there was also a Promenade complete with Bandstand and shelters, so the pavilion became changing rooms for the Football and Cricket teams plus a 3 bedroom flat for the Park Keeper.  When Chiswick Products (Cherry Blossom Boot Polish) factory closed in the seventies the Masonians Bowls Club (named after Dan & Charles Mason) moved to the Pavilion and took up residence on the Ground floor".