Setting up my own studio

I am in the process of setting up my own studio, and have been
looking to the Orchid Forums for guidance, and the voice
of experience. I work mostly with silver.

Amber, I think it’s very important to have a door. A door that you
can close, perhaps even lock. A door that keeps the crazy world out
and all of the creative ideas in. Yes, I think you need a good door.
That and a good chair. But don’t make the chair too comfy or you
will be too relaxed. Yet not too hard either, because that can be
distracting. Yes, the chair should be just right, preferably
adjustable. You’ll want to think about whether to have a shop dog or
cat. I lean toward shop dogs because they won’t jump up on you bench
and sniff your coffee. Plus dogs worship the ground you walk on,
while a cat rarely demonstrates any real sense of loyalty and on
those rare occasions only because they can sense how needy we humans
are. Yes, I’d go with the good door, the just right chair and the
loyal shop dog.

Hope that helps.
Mark

I can heartily recommend a loyal shop dog breed of Brussels Griffon.
They are the most human-like shop dog I have ever had the privilege
to share my life with and they have enough of a twinkle in their eye
to keep you amused when things do not go right.

Barbara, at the end of a most glorious November day, having watched
an eagle circle overhead this afternoon for over an hour.

Barbara, Nice to have some whimsy on this site from time to time. My
favorite shop dog, and constant companion, is a 13 y/o Maine Coon
Cat! Anyone else, chime-in here…

Gary, in NYC watching my Chinese Elm wearing beautiful orange garments.

Our 20 pound Bengal Cat Bosko is our shop foreman. If we are not in
the studio by 9AM he starts yowling loudly at us to get our a***s
downstairs and to get to work. He like to sleep behind Tim’s back
while he’s at the bench. We call him “Lumbar Support Cat”.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry. With pet hairs attached of
course.

Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com

O.K. Gary, I am happy to chime in. My constant companion in my
studio is my intelligent 10 year old long haired black and white
kitty who moved in= on me one dark and stormy night, a terrified,
skin and bones little kitten, just starved. I opened a can of
albacore tuna which she vacuumed up. I later learned from one of my
neighbors that a car had stopped at the top of my hill, and had
tossed her out to fend for herself. She never leaves my side, has a
special chair in my studio where she sits and watches everything I
do. In fact at this moment she is curled up on my computer desk, busy
supervising the writing of this email.

Alma

Chiming in, my favorite shop dog, is my 2 yr old chocolate Lab, still
chewing on things he shouldn’t & a wild puppy boy, but smartly
adapting to training we’ve started. Thank God, He brought him to
me…in North Central TX where our weather is always full of
surprises…

Sharon Perdasofpy

dogs worship the ground you walk on, while a cat rarely
demonstrates any real sense of loyalty 

Because cats are intelligent enough to recognize worship of a human
as blasphemy. :slight_smile:

Lorraine (with multiple loyal shop cats)

I keep an baby snapping turtle I picked up in September no name yet
:o)

Thank you Sharon!

He sounds wonderful. I’m hoping more people will chime in about their
shop/mascots/protectors. And maybe with pics. We can be whimsical on
this site, can’t we? Does it all have to be so serious? It might even
be spouses!

Gary

Gee, Samuel, why don’t you paint him blue and call him “azure?” Gary

I have a one year-old “kitten” named Olivia who is way too
rambunctious to be in my studio yet; she’d hang from the ceiling and
swing across the room if she could. My last cat, who passed away
about 14 months ago, used to sit on a stool right beside me as I
worked. I have set up a perch for Olivia just outside my French
doors so she can see in and I hope as she gets a bit older she can
join me in the studio.

Tracy

Gary,

He sounds wonderful. I'm hoping more people will chime in about
their shop/mascots/protectors. And maybe with pics. We can be
whimsical on this site, can't we? Does it all have to be so
serious? It might even be spouses! 

Last 2 cats were scared of the basement dungeon. Maybe the new cat
will like it. She likes hiding in the shadows which abound down there
(hence the name of Midnight)

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand

I don’t have a shop but I do have a metal desk in my livingroom.
When I work at my desk my faithful companion is 10 year old
Annebelle. She is a Border Collie and a trained assistance dog. She
has a little cushion at the back under my desk. She is very content
to stay there while I work.

Aileen Parmenter
www.aileensart.com

I don't have a shop but I do have a metal desk in my livingroom.
When I work at my desk my faithful companion is 10 year old
Annebelle. She is a Border Collie and a trained assistance dog.
She has a little cushion at the back under my desk. She is very
content to stay there while I work. 

My first German Shorthair Pointer was a shop dog for me. Dolly
Parton was her name, the litter was named after country western
singers. Dolly was a great dog who loved people and would do anything
I could communicate to her. In a shop where customers were wandering
through on a regular basis, looking around and visiting. Dolly would
meet and greet everyone with a smile and a wag. When I would leave
the bench I would command “Dolly Guard” and she would lay down in her
bed at the bench still being social to all visitors, but DO NOT try
and touch anything on the bench while Dolly was on guard. She knew
the difference between petting the dog and touching things on the
bench. Great dog, great shop companion. Her favorite command was
“Dolly Hunt” which meant she was doing what she was bred for. Can’t
beat the genes.

Frank

All my animals “help” in the studio - thus the “Three Cats and a Dog”
name. Tenzing is the one who “helps” the most. He showed up in the
drive one day as a kitten so small he fit in my hand with room left
over, and grew up in the studio and going to craft shows with me. He
supervises everything I do and is quite sure he should be in the
chair, not me! Scares me to death when I am soldering and get the
feeling I’m being stared at - and realize that right next to me is
Tenzing, intently watching!!! Visions of fried cat85… shudder! So
I am VERY careful about cleaning up after myself and not leaving
anything he might get into that would be dangerous out where it is
accessible.

Nice to have such a loving Boss lol!

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

For 19 years, I worked in a cramped 8’ x 12’ room off the kitchen,
no working outlets, very poor heat, and using a big old 50’s steel
metal desk with rubber top. I was in high school so I just wanted a
place to work and after getting through college, I realized how
inadequate my studio was but lived with it. It was tough in the
winter, with almost no heat, and the nearest outlet was the one the
fridge was plugged into. I’m amazed I haven’t blown the fuses too
much, plugging in space heater and jury-rigged vent. The buffing
room was even worst - down in the dudgeon of a basement, with the
old granite boulders walls, very bad light, no heat. I had to work
up my courage to go down the dark basement.

Now, I’m in a spacious 20’ x 40’ basement studio, excellent heat,
more outlets than I need but I did that on purpose and good
lighting. I know what is exactly behind the walls - having watched
my studio been built. I had everything set to my height so that it
was organized, effficient and easy to work in. As for pets, my two
pet hedgehogs keep me company. They’ll sleep right through the
sounds of hammering, vent going on, belt sander, tumbler, you name
it. However, my dog does not like to hang out in my studio -
probably too noisy for his delicate sensibilities. Makes you
appreciate good working quarters! I know a goldsmith who works in a
room that has to be 6’ x 5’ and I’m amazed he does such detailed god
work.

Joy and the studio hedgehogs