Help Build My Heart Sudio!

I've been making a living for 30 years as an artist. I began in ceramics. I veered away from it, but never lost sight of it. I became an illustrator, then a painter/writer of books and art. I was able to set up a kiln in the old farm, but we then moved across country to our place here in Maine. The 1760 house is too small and unwired for the kiln and venting. Every year, I'd talk about it, but it was daunting at the only really way to do it right would be to build something. I kept putting the needs of the sanctuary first, and each year would try to forget about, accepting it as it was.

But then I had surprise heart surgery and survived, early 2024. One back home, I immediately thought of my clay dream. Life is short. I've always seized the day, but now more than ever I wanted to seize it harder. I had pushed the muses away all those times, but now they were screaming it-"BUILD THE STUDIO"! I think of it as My Heart Studio. My heart hung on so long for me, and I finally helped her. Now I have to reward her and me with this studio to keep making art.

I'm 67 years old. This could very well be my final studio. And it will be the best one.

Artists don't retire, they die. As I age, more than ever I love and value my gift of art for myself, but for what it can give others who respond to it. My art has takena bit of a back burner at times in the last 25 years as I focused n the sanctuary, and I always will. But I wanted to tweak the balance of things. Art is healing as are the animals. I must do this for myself. I'm always putting everything ahead of me, this is FOR MY HEART!

The 24' studio that will also have a small shop space. I can work and still have open hours. When we started out with the idea, it was a different economy...and now tariffs and etc. So the cost could double. I've saved $25,000 but we think it might even double. We have an excellent, fair builder [did our barns] and Martyn will be helping too. There are the costs of a heater unit, electrical, windows, venting and equipment.

I was going to do a Kickstarter, but they take constant attention, and I have my attention on so many faces/animals, and we are building an equine barn addition for the non profit. I was wary of doing a Kick project having done them [2 out of three funded].

So I will see if this is a way for people to help, at a reward level. I'll be sharing progress of the building on IG too.