Life in the studio : inspiration and lessons on creativity

“Roll-up-your-sleeves advice on throwing pottery, growing dahlias, cooking her tried-and-true recipes, and everything in between.” —Martha Stewart Living “Guaranteed to, as its title insists, inspire. . . . Demands to be viewed again and again and again.” —Booklist, starred review To step into potter Frances Palmer’s world is to be surrounded by the trappings of a life that has been intentionally—and painstakingly—built to maximize creativity. A light-filled, airy studio in which to make her pottery, with a corner always at the ready for her daily photo shoots. Cutting gardens overflowing with flowers to be snipped as inspiration strikes. Shelves of cookbooks to peruse as she plans the menu of her next dinner party, and museum catalogs and art books to pore over when it’s time to imagine a new vessel. After 30 years as an artist and entrepreneur, Palmer has learned how to cultivate a life that brings out her best. Those years have been at once rewarding and challenging, fruitful and fraught, and through it all, she has discovered the things that matter most: determination, routine, prioritization, perseverance, and perspective. She has distilled these hard-won lessons, and more, into her debut book, a manual for current and aspiring creatives. The book is loosely arranged chronologically, beginning with Palmer’s background in art history and the foundations of her pottery practice through to the day-to-day of running her successful business and tending to her ever-evolving gardens, and culminating in the continuous exploration and collaboration she is engaged in today. Along the way, readers are brought behind the scenes with hundreds of gorgeous photographs (of her ceramics, her beautiful flower arrangements, her gardens, and more), and even step-by-step instructions for her most cherished techniques and recipes. It all adds up to a one-of-a-kind portrait and handbook for a creative life, well-lived. Roll-up-your-sleeves advice on throwing pottery, growing dahlias, cooking her tried-and-true recipes, and everything in between. Martha Stewart Living Suited to any type of creative, offering up lessons on inspiration and creativity that are sure to bring out your inner talent. House Beautiful , Best New Design Books What makes a creative life? For an artist like Frances Palmer, its knitting all of ones passionsall of ones creativityinto the whole of life. And what an inspiration it is. A renowned potter, an entrepreneur, a gardener, a photographer, a cook, a beekeeper, Palmer has over the course of three decades caught the attention not only of the countless people who collect and use her ceramics but also of designers and design lovers, writers, and fellow artists who marvel at her example. Now, in her first book, she finally tells her story, in her own words and images, distilling from her experiences lessons that will inspire a new generation of makers and entrepreneurs. Life in the Studio is as beautiful and unexpected as Palmers pottery, as breathtakingly colorful as her celebrated dahlias, as intimate as the dinners she hosts in her studio for friends and family. There are insights into making potsthe importance of centering, the discovery that clay has a memory. Strategies for how to turn a passion into a businessthe value to be found in collaboration, what it means to persevere, how to develop and stick to a routine that will sustain both enthusiasm and productivity. There are also step-by-step instructions (for throwing her beloved Sabine pot, growing dahlias, building an opulent flower arrangement). Even some of her most tried-and-true recipes. The result is a portrait of a unique artist and a singularly generous manual on how to live a creative life. "To step into potter Frances Palmer's world is to be surrounded by the trappings of a life that has been intentionally-and painstakingly-built to maximize creativity. A light-filled, airy studio in which to make her pottery, with a corner always at the ready for her daily photo shoots. Cutting gardens overflowing with flowers to be snipped as inspiration strikes. Shelves of cookbooks to peruse as she plans the menu of her next dinner party, and museum catalogs and art books to pore over when it's time to imagine a new vessel. After 30 years as an artist and entrepreneur, Palmer has learned how to cultivate a life that brings out her best. Those years have been at once rewarding and challenging, fruitful and fraught, and through it all, she has discovered the things that matter most: determination, routine, prioritization, perseverance, and perspective. She has distilled these hard-won lessons, and more, into her debut book, a manual for current and aspiring creatives. The book is loosely arranged chronologically, beginning with Palmer's background in art history and the foundations of her pottery practice through to the day-to-day of running her successful business and tending to her ever-evolving gardens, and culminating in the continuous exploration and collaboration she is engaged in today. Along the way, readers are brought behind the scenes with hundreds of gorgeous photographs (of her ceramics, her beautiful flower arrangements, her gardens, and more), and even step-by-step instructions for her most cherished techniques and recipes. It all adds up to a one-of-a-kind portrait and handbook for a creative life, well-lived"-- Provided by publisher Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Foreword Introduction Part I: Begin as You Mean to Go On Goat cheese and Leek Tart Fresh Pasta Throwing a Pot, Step-by-Step Building a Pot, Step-by-Step Tarte Tatin Part II: Routine is Everything Essential Equipment Handmade Molds Roasted Tomato Sauce Making Flower Molds, Step-by-Step Honey-Peach Preserves Date-Nut Bread Perfect Roast Chicken Part III: Looking Forward Almond Cake Minestrone Sources Further Reading Acknowledgments Index