Origin Story of The School House Studio

After a year of hosting Elemental Claycation in my basement studio and the exposure of the highway honour system highway store it became apparent that I needed a stand alone studio specifically for teaching pottery in.  About seven minutes east of my yard, sits a one room school house from the early 1900s that looked perfect for the job.  The Mountain Coulee School House has sat empty for decades with no upkeep and my heart who loves history and heritage thought it would be a fabulous addition to my pottery business.  Unfortunately, the cost to move the school house and remediate the basement would be the same price of building a brand new structure. I accepted that I would have to do a new build, but did not give up on the original thought of a one room school house to teach pottery out of.  But why a one room school house?​
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In the mid 1930s, my Amma (Icelandic for grandma) boarded at our house, while teaching at a one room school house one mile south of our yard.  In 1950, my Amma and Afi, purchased this same house and yard and raised their family and now I am living here raising my family and building my pottery business.  I was an Art and History teacher for 25 years and with my Amma's connection and mine with being a school teacher it seemed fitting for me to own "a school house".  The School House Studio is inspired by history, nostalgia, and practicality.
 
The School House Studio is a one room space with a bathroom in one corner, just like the inspiration school house.   The rule for one room schools in the early 1900s was that when you stood at the front door there was a bank of windows on the left hand side.  So I too have a bank of windows on the left hand side of the building from the front door.  On the right hand side there is a bank of windows letting in the morning light.  In the back of the building is a garden door that opens into the trees, that I hope someday is a secret garden for us to drink tea in while having a break from creating in the studio. 

I will still have my basement studio that will be strictly for my own pottery production, while The School House Studio will be for hosting Elemental Claycations and workshops of various lengths. The hope is that my basement studio has pottery in various stages on all tables and I don't have to tuck everything away to teach a class. 
 
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