The Croft Studio is the home and creative workspace of the artist John Shaltz. Nestled in a small wood on the side of a hill, the Croft Studio is a peaceful haven in which to work and dream. Situated 13 kilometres from Cahersiveen on the Glencar road, and surrounded by mountains, the Croft Studio provides John the perfect environment in which to capture his muse.

Purchased in 1977 as an empty shell, the Croft has evolved, almost organically, into it's current form, bit by bit over the last quarter-century. John undertook al the rebuilding work himself and guided it's evolution toward the cozy oasis that stands there today.

The Croft is in the townland of Gortatlea, which comes from the Irish "Gort an tSleibhe" which means "field on the mountain". A field is all that was there before John planted a quarter-acre of native tree saplings in 1982. These days the Croft sits in it's own little woodland. From this point forward, the rebuilding work completed, John concentrated his efforts on creating a sanctuary garden around the house. As this endeavour continued John found inspiration coming to him from the surroundings that he was creating. At this point he was gardening and painting furiously... and hasn't stopped since.

If John isn't in the studio he is in the garden, both of which can change radically from week to week. A painting will inspire a section of garden, which will then in-turn animate John in the studio, one passion feeding the other.