Ross Studios
The Mountain Studio
From cattle shed to paradise…
After giving birth to my second daughter in 2000 space in our home became very limited and my studio had to move out. In our garden, which is located in the mountains next to a river, we had a beautifully constructed cattle shed. It was full of straw, snakes and old farm machinery, had a corrugated iron roof, no windows, water or electricity and an earth floor but was beautiful with its hand carved wooden beams and stone supports. With the help of friends and lots of scavenging for windows, gutters, lights etc we slowly transformed the old shed into a paradise for creativity. The floors are now concreted and every room has lights and windows even if they don’t match ! The roof and walls are insulated and the stereo is great. Every window looks out onto greenery and flowing water as butterflies and dragonflies drift in and out along with the occasional toad or bird.
In 2006, there was a huge earthquake in Wajima which brought chaos to the town. Our house next door suffered a lot of damage but nothing even moved in my studio because of its sturdy construction based on ancient wisdom often seen in the building of temples. There are no nails or screws holding the structure together, it all fits together like a giant puzzle with huge curved beams which absorbed the shock waves of the earthquake. The wood used in the construction came from the mountains behind and so is used to bearing the burden of heavy snow. It is so hard than even though insects have burrowed into it over the years, it is still sturdy. The position of each beam was also decided by where the tree had grown on the mountain so southern facing trees were used on the south side of the building to prevent warping. It is a wonderful place to work!
The Wajima Studio and Ross Studios Gallery
In 2016, the stream of visitors to my studio became so constant that it became difficult for me to work there so I decided to open another studio in the heart of Wajima city where I could meet guests, talk with them and show my work.
I have two buildings in the Kobo Nagaya complex at the end of the morning market street, ( Asaichi-dori ) one of which is Ross Studios Gallery where my work is on permanent display and the other, a studio work space next door. Guests are welcome to visit both but a prior appointment would be advisable as its opening hours are dependent on my work schedule.
Access
To view a map and address details please click here.
Parking As Kobo Nagaya has no parking of its own, we ask that you please use the ample free parking in Marine Town next to the Kobo Nagaya complex.
The gallery can be visited upon appointment only. To arrange a visit, please contact us.
