JAYNE LLOYD

PHOTOGRAPHER

Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, with a large wooden desk under a window to the left of the frame, with sketch/notebooks, lamps and tools on top. Two wooden chairs are to the right of the table as we look at it, with aprons and fabric draped on them. Awooden table with white legs is partly visible to the right, with a full plastic bag on the top. On the white wall in the background is a print in a framed gold frame, a ceramic bird and 4 printed photographs of plants to the right of that. Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, with a large wooden desk under a window to the left of the frame, with sketch/notebooks, lamps and tools on top. Two wooden chairs are to the right of the table as we look at it, with aprons and fabric draped on them. Awooden table with white legs is partly visible to the right, with a full plastic bag on the top. On the white wall in the background is a print in a framed gold frame, a ceramic bird and 4 printed photographs of plants to the right of that.

HOME / WORK Project: MADI BOYD

Madi Boyd is an installation and ceramic artist who sculpts light and space by combining built environments with projected video and hand builds ceramic homeware and art. I met Madi through Creative Colchester events and it was fantastic to visit her spacious home studio, which is built in a former garage in her house.

I asked Madi:

When did you start working from home? I probably started working from home about 8 years ago. I had a studio where we lived previously, at the top of that house, so I worked there, and we’ve been here for about a year and a half, but this studio was only converted just under a year ago. To be honest, even before that when I had just a little one bed flat by myself I was still doing work from home then, even though it wasn’t a dedicated studio space, just a desk space, so I’ve probably done work from home for quite a few more years.

What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises offsite? Mostly cost, that’s the primary reason. It’s still cheaper to have a slightly bigger space with room to work in it than it is to rent separately. I did do that for a short while, for a couple of years I had a small studio that I rented externally but I’m pretty sure that works out more expensive, especially in the long run, if you know that you’re going to be working from home for potentially decades you can save an awful lot on rent.

What do you like best about working from home? The convenience. It’s lovely having a dedicated room that you don’t have to clear up, it’s not on the kitchen table. It takes you a minute to get into your work room rather than having to travel and I find that so convenient because you can then fit that round your day rather than having to think ‘okay I’ve got to spend this long getting there and if I’ve only got an hour I haven’t got time to get there, settle down, do some work’. Whereas having a studio at your house you can pop in for an hour if that’s what you’ve got, and then leave it without having to worry about leaving it nice for other people. There’s only me and if I leave it messy then I just have to tidy up next time, but that’s fine. Also I can come in here and put the radio on, listen to music and know that I’m not bothering anyone else. I feel very relaxed in the space, very much that this is my space, I can do what I want. Also, when you are externally renting a studio you’re kind of aware of that money every month, so then if you have a couple of weeks where you’re not able to get in and do some work you feel very guilty, you feel like you’re wasting money, whereas when it’s just your own space you’re not paying any extra for it so you don’t have to think about not being able to get in for a couple of weeks if you’re busy.

What aren’t you so keen on/are there any difficulties in working from home? One of the nice things about renting a studio, which I have done before, is the meeting of other artists. When you work from home you don’t have to see other artists so it can be a little bit isolating. To be honest I never feel lonely or isolated, however when I do meet up with other artists I think ‘oh this is really nice!’ and it does feel nice to have that little community, so that’s probably the only thing, not having that interaction with other people as much. I’m lucky that my husband is also an artist though, so I do have that interaction.

What is your favourite feature of your workspace? There’s not really one particular feature, I like that it’s a decent sized space because I tend to have a lot of stuff and things that I need, so I like the fact that I can range things out. I’ve got enough space to put things out and see everything and keep things quite organised, not constantly having to move things. I like having lots of desk space, I’ve got quite a few tables in here and particularly when you’re doing ceramics that’s really nice because you can have your workspace, then a separate glazing area, your drying space and all of that makes the workflow much easier. Apart from that there’s not really one specific feature, I don’t think it’s a particularly beautiful room, it’s just a room, but in some ways I quite like that as well because I don’t have to be precious with it. I quite like making a mess, so I like that I can come in here, do something messy, use materials and that’s what it’s for, I don’t have to feel restrained, that I might ruin something. I like big, messy spaces. But I also like the fact that the way I’ve organised it means it’s not cold, I don’t like working in cold places.

You can find out more about more about Madi’s work on her website: www.madiboyd.com and Instagram: @artbojectsmadi @artmboyd

Madi is taking part in two upcoming ceramics events where you can see and buy her work:
The Granary in Flatford, 31st May-1st June: https://www.facebook.com/bournevalleycrafterscolchester
The Artisan and wellness market in Norwic, 7th June: https://g.co/kgs/mkFh125

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress
Photograph looking through an open door into artist Madi Boyd's studio, with a large wooden desk and chair visible, with sketch/notebooks, lamps and tools on top and a framed print on the white ball behind. In the foreground an entrance area is visible, with a wardrobe draped with scarves and topped with woven boxes to the right, dark tiles on the floor and a wooden-topped shoe rack to the left under a window.
Photograph looking down at the threshold between Madi Boyd's studio (top of frame, light wooden floorboards) and the entrance area (bottom of frame, dark tiles) with a wooden section between with a splash of ceramic/paint to the right.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, with table and sink to the left, closed door in the far corner, table with posters and ceramic works to the left and shelving units along the right of the frame.
Photograph of a torus-shaped ceramic artwork suspended from a thick brown rope, with a droplet-shaped glass vase hanging from that, holding nigella flowers.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, table with posters and ceramic works in the centre and shelving units along the right of the frame.
Madi Boyd's home studio. Photograph by Jayne Lloyd.
Photograph of a ceramic bird hanging on a white wall, with a print in a gold frame out of focus behind.
Photograph of a print in a gold frame, which is blurry as the focus is on the reflection of a house and plants. There is also a ceramic bird hanging on the white wall to the right, also out of focus.
Photograph of a wooden chair with aprons and fabric draped on it, against a white wall.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing a wooden chair with aprons and fabric draped on it. A wooden table with white legs and boxes underneath to the right, with a full plastic bag on the top and metal sink to the right of that. On the white wall behind are 4 printed photographs of plants to the above the chair.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio showing a metal sink with MDF table topped with tools and equipment to the right.
Madi Boyd's home studio. Photograph by Jayne Lloyd.
Photograph looking down at a watermarked MDF tabletop with plastic bags and a painted ceramic dish in focus on top.
Photograph of a red car-shaped sticker on a wooden table with white legs, with a metal sink out of focus behind.
Photograph looking down at a watermarked MDF tabletop with tools used for ceramics and a blue and white bowl on top.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing a wooden shelving unit to the left filled with art materials, framed artworks leaning against a wall in the centre of the frame and a plug socket above with plugs and wires leading off from it. There's an open door to a hallway to the right.
Madi Boyd's home studio. Photograph by Jayne Lloyd.
Photograph of a sponge on a stick in a yogurt pot half-full of water, with brushes and tools out of focus behind.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing three shelving units filled with artworks and materials.
Details of objects on a bookshelf including a used sponge, paper cutouts and a book titled 'LANDSCAPE AND POWER'.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing a detail of a shelving unit displaying ceramic pieces including a vase holding grasses and a framed artwork to the right.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing a detail of a shelving unit displaying a ceramic dish holding pine cones, a painting of a woman in a blue dress, a ceramic carriage, a painting of a couple reclining in a field and a stone.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd's studio, showing a detail of a shelving unit displaying ceramic pieces including a vase holding grasses and a radio to the right.
Phtoograph of a metal and green kiln on a brick floor in a garage. Behind and to the sides are stored household items including bikes and Christmas decorations. The garage door is visible behind.
Phtoograph of a cat sitting on a work desk with work tools and a magnifying lamp to the right, window frame above and white fabric towards the front of the frame.
Photograph of artist Madi Boyd sitting at a wooden desk in her studio. She is smiling into the camera and wearing a black and cream jumper. Behind her is a framed print and ornament hanging on a white wall and on the desk are notebooks, materials and a lamp with built in magnifier.

Thank you so much to Madi for letting me photograph your wonderful studio! Do have a look at her work on her website: www.madiboyd.com and Instagram: @artbojectsmadi @artmboyd

Home / Work is a project documenting people who work from home/live where they work. It’s a project I started in 2016 when I was meeting people running a wide range of fascinating businesses from their homes. I am interested in how people create these workspaces and how the lines between home and work are defined or blurred. If you work from home and are interested in participating in the project please get in touch.

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