Handmade Spaces: Panopoly
Taking part in today's handmade spaces feature is the lovely Lynae from Panopoly Creations! Lynae works out of her apartment in San Francisco and aside from a small workroom where her kiln is, she has no actual "dedicated" space to create her wares. She makes most of her items on a portable lap table sitting on her bed, couch, the floor- where ever there's room to spread out! It's a situation most of us can relate to, I think- let's see how she makes it work for her!
What do you create in this space?
I make small stoneware ceramic items like rings, pendants, beads, buttons, little bowls and dishes, and animal sculptures.
Where is it located?
I work out of a San Francisco apartment that I share with two others--my fiance and my good friend. My handmade space is split into three different sections. We have a workroom that houses the small kiln where I fire everything, as well as some larger tools. Then there's one corner of my bedroom, where I store all of my wares, most of my tools, my molds, and all of my glazes. In front of that, I stow the third section: a small portable lap table. I actually make my creations on this--I work sitting on my bed, the couch, or the floor, depending on what I'm doing and where there's room!
My primary tools are my hands, but sometimes they need a little help. I use a lot of different sanders and needle tools, and I make shape and texture impressions using found objects. I also have a few sets of metal letter/number stamps. My biggest, most impressive tool is my slab roller! It's a medieval construction of steel, cable, pulleys and canvas, and takes two people to operate.
What inspirations do you keep nearby?
I draw a lot of my inspiration from my book collection, and I also have an enormous binder full of poetry that I've dutifully copied, handwritten, from books and other sources since I was 12. I like to keep my home filled with interesting sights, sounds and smells. And whenever I'm in a real rut I like to go out and have little adventures in local parks or wilderness areas--or best of all, any kind of abandoned or disused place.
What do you like to listen to/watch while creating?
I'm always watching or listening to something while I work--silence makes it feel like a chore. I have to admit that I watch a fair amount of reality TV while I'm working; it's the only time I do it. I'm really a big film and TV buff, and generally take full advantage of my Netflix subscription. Right now I'm on a big "Star Trek" kick. When I'm in a music mood, I listen to artists like Nick Cave, Neko Case, Tom Waits, Antony and the Johnsons, and Current 93.
How do you feel when you enter your handmade space?
All in all, I guess my handmade space is really just a state of mind for me--the mental place I go when I'm creating wherever I happen to be physically. I usually feel intensely confident and sure of myself while I'm making things--but then once they're drying or in the kiln, I usually go the other direction and worry that nothing I've made is any good. My handmade space is a refuge from the doubts and uncertainties that plague anyone trying to make a living from their craft.
Take a peek at all the lovely little creations that Lynae makes here in the Panopoly Creations shop, and learn more about her and her process on the Panopoly Creations blog!
If you've got a handmade space you'd like to share with Modish readers, email me at jena{at}modishblog.com with the subject "handmade spaces" along with a few photos to share!
very cool! i always love seeing others' studios and workspaces and their works of art in progress! thanks for sharing! great post and pics!
Posted by: missknits | Nov 03, 2008 at 10:58 AM
That is so awesome. I love to see the process and everything.
Posted by: Amaranth | Nov 03, 2008 at 04:20 PM
Wow! I love to see people's creative places. That's amazing that you can do all that in such a small space. I used to live in SF too and had all my craft stuff crammed in my coat closet!
Posted by: christina | Nov 03, 2008 at 07:36 PM
Wow congrats on being featured Lynae! Thanks for sharing your workspace!
Jenniffer
SFEtsy team
Posted by: Jenniffer | Nov 03, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Beautiful place to work, is really inspiring to see your creative process...
Posted by: Susy | Nov 03, 2008 at 11:41 PM
love that water buffalo sculpture!
Posted by: Minnie | Nov 04, 2008 at 07:40 AM
Great feature! I love seeing creative people working on their craft. The process makes the product even more interesting.
Posted by: Sun2Create | Nov 04, 2008 at 07:51 AM