Wendy Bailey is an associate artist at Cuckoo Farm Studios and a member of The Minories Artist Network.
Wendy spent over 20 years making music radio programmes at local radio and then at the BBC Radio 2 in London as a journalist, reporter, and producer, doing interviews, features and documentaries. She has interviewed many musicians from The Pet Shop Boys to Cliff Richard and everyone in between. Wendy lead BBC R2’s Children in Need Appeal on BBC Radio 2 before going on to be Celebrity Coordinator for charities including Save the Children and ActionAid.
When the time came to step away from that role and the twice daily 2 hour commute, she decided to do what she really wanted to do: be an artist. Painting was something she’d always done before, having painted scenery as a Scenic Artist in the theatre. Not having one set style, Wendy’s work is always different. One day she’ll be exploring with contemporary drawing, another, printing, rubbing leaves, Gelli plates. Wendy loves to experiment with her art practice & techniques using a range of materials including charcoal, graphite, Japanese Sumi e ink, watercolours, pastels, acrylics and oils. After 20 years of commuting, Wendy started working from home as a full time artist.
Read more about Wendy’s thoughts on working from home below.
I asked Wendy:
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises offsite? We’ve got a large house, five bedrooms. This room wasn’t spare, by any means, because I had to shift our bed out. We’re in the back now, which is quieter anyway. Peter thought it would be a good idea that I could have this room, so we went for it. Now, I have filled it, and it’s too full, so, I wouldn’t mind a place where I could go, a studio, that I could just be surrounded with a things that I wanted to work with, rather than all of this stuff around me. I don’t need the frames or books in the same room. I would like to have them stored somewhere nearby, in the garden or something, so that I could just work on painting and focus, because it’s quite distracting, I think, with all of the stuff around me. I want a space where I can be quiet. Or loud.
What do you like best about working from home? The coffee’s good! I do like working from home, because I haven’t got to commute. If you remember, as I said, it was hours. I mean, I’d leave here at 7 in the morning and I’d get home at 7 or 8 at night, with the family to cook for and things like that. So to be able to walk across the landing in my slippers is rather compelling for me. I’ve done all that trouble. I never minded it though. I think of commuting as a place to think – or read or chat. I like to find joy in everything I do, no point in moaning. Met lots of really interesting people. The time on the train was a great time to just chill, read, do nothing. Just be. It was very calming. I once had an office, actually, here in Colchester, and the kids were always popping in because they knew I was there. Then my drive home was like, three minutes, and I didn’t have time to myself. But it’s great to actually work from home. We’re so near town, I just love it.
Is there anything you’re not so keen on/are there any other difficulties in working from home? Well, as I say, I think that I need a separate room. We’ve got a guest room, we could say, ‘right, no one can come and stay anymore’, take the bed out, and I have that, but that’s north facing, which I know studios ought to be, but they’re bloody cold. So I don’t know. I like having family or friends to stay.
What is your favourite feature of your workspace? I do like the way I set out these tables, I’ve got such a long run. I can just literally twiddle around on my chair, so I can be here, then on my laptop there. It’s a good space.
Is there anything else about working from home that you’d like to talk about? I recommend it, if you’ve got the space, you can do it. It’s cheaper than having to go pay somewhere, if like me you’re on a very limited income. That’s a hazard of trying to get a studio.
You can learn more about Wendy’s work on Instagram.
Home / Work is a documentary photography project featuring people who work from home/live where they work. I am interested in how people design these spaces and how the lines between home and work are defined or blurred. If you are interested in participating in the project please get in touch.