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.
Angela Godwin is a studio ceramist who focuses on creating beautiful and interesting, functional and sculptural ceramics using life drawing, pareidolia, layering, patterns and mark making as inspiration for making and decorating her pieces. I met Angela at the Cuckoo Farm Studios ‘Presents’ Christmas show, where she is an associate artist.
It was fantastic to visit Angela’s home studio, which is beautifully constructed in what used to be a lean-to parking area, to find out more about her work and see how home and work sit side-by-side for her.
I asked Angela:
When did you start working from home? I started working from home whilst I was studying in 2020 and we had the COVID lockdown. I finished uni in June 2023 and that’s when I started properly working for myself.
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises offsite? I already had the space and studio set up because I couldn’t go into college through COVID, so the space was already there. It’s a small space but it’s big enough for me. Costs were a factor too, it’s easier to have it at home, it meant I could just pop in and out and do what I needed to do, rather than having to go somewhere else and stay there for the whole day.
What do you like best about working from home? I think it’s the freedom to choose when I can work, I can go in and out when I want. Ceramics is something you have to keep an eye on the whole time, make sure they’re not too dry or too wet, or if they need recycling, and that all takes time. You can do it 9-5 Monday to Friday, but if I’ve thrown some mugs in the morning I can pop in in the evening and just turn some work if I feel like it, or I can go and wrap it up and leave it for the next day. Sometimes I won’t work in the afternoon but I can pop in for an hour in the evening, for instance, so I’m free to work when I want, which I like.
What aren’t you so keen on/are there any difficulties in working from home? The difficulty is being distracted, that’s the worst. The other is keeping everything clean, because clay dust is silica, and if you get that in your lungs that’s very bad, so I have to keep everything very, very clean for my family and for me. Also, I have a kiln here in the home so we have to be very careful. There’s always somebody at home when the kiln’s on and I have a fire extinguisher and blanket etc. to make sure we keep everything safe.
What is your favourite feature of your workspace? I like perching at the table for decorating. The whole area at the end where it’s my wheel, my kiln and my special table that I’ve had built is like a cocoon for me, because it’s just mine.
You can find out more about Angela’s work on her website: angelagodwinstudio.uk and connect with her on Instagram: @AngelaGodwinStudio.
Angela is taking part in the Ceramics and Glass Fair at The Minories, Colchester Friday 7 – Sunday 9 February 2025, where you can see and buy her work in person.
Thank you so much to Angela for welcoming me into her beautiful home! Do have a look at her work on her website: angelagodwinstudio.uk and connect with her on Instagram: @AngelaGodwinStudio.
If you work from home and are interested in participating in the Home / Work project please get in touch.
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