The TV shoot! {Hearts in Crafts TV series}

Crew setting up  - Makoto telling cicadas to be quiet!

 On Friday 17th February 2012 at 1pm, Bronwyn, Tim & Makoto (all working for Whitebait TV) arrived at my studio for an afternoon of filming in the new Mudbird Studio. I was fortunate to be chosen to appear in the 13 part TV series called 'Hearts in Crafts' which will be showing on TV 7 in April (TBC). My segment is part of the series called 'Planet Saving Craft' and the intention for the afternoon was to have a chat about my Emerge range which is made from liquefaction silt from the Christchurch earthquakes in 2010-2011.

Tim filming

After Makoto on sound got the cicadas to quieten down in the silver birch tree above my studio, we got on with the interview with TV-Tim behind camera.

Bronwyn checking frame before we started.

Myself and Bronwyn.

 Now normally I'm behind the lens, so when faced with a TV camera trained on me... I froze. More than once and there were plenty of takes, lots of 'sorrys, pulled faces & a few laughs'. My mind went blank more than a few times - darn nerves! But with the relaxed and friendly Bronwyn interviewing me we got there in the end. She promised she'd make me look good! ;-)

Chatting to Bronwyn

Interview time

After the interview we moved inside the studio to move right through the process of making an Emerge bird. We started work on the wet bench, wedging clay, mixing in silt, rolling, cutting, stamping. Then smoothing off and into the kiln (Luckily I had some I had prepared earlier!) Then some glaze work on the other work bench and to top it all off, some creative shots of my Emerge range and other product in my studio.

View through the plants - wedging clay

It was quite a lot of fun after I got past my nervous state. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and I couldn't have asked for better weather. 

My son being camera-man after it all wrapped up.

The studio was light & airy and I felt so fortunate to have such a amazing work space. I've decorated it with many inspirational pieces - my love of old things has certainly had a huge influence, and I like to display some of the old objects I use to make my designs. It's a place I want to be, a place I want to work - which is a good thing.

My husband kindly took the photos of the shoot during the afternoon.

 And I took these ones below before the shoot to give you all a better picture of my space and surroundings. The studio is 10sq m , and we have 1/4 acre section with 100's of native plants and different fruit trees. Our house is a tiny 80sq m so it's heaven being able to work in my studio space uninterrupted. 

Inside looking into our yard.

The business end & creative space for hand-glazing and making jewellery etc.

Wet bench, working with wet clay etc.

View inside

View inside

Garden Space.

Mudbird Studio  - work in progress.

See you next time, Gill