A View From the Easel
“I like seeing how my pieces change in the daylight versus the dawn.”
Welcome to the 322nd installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists watch the sunrise as they paint and the sunset as they embroider canvas.
Want to take part? Check out our submission guidelines and share a bit about your studio with us through this form! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio.
Arleene Correa Valencia, Napa, California
How long have you been working in this space?
A year and a half.
Describe an average day in your studio.
My morning begins at 5am with a morning coffee that I share with my husband before we both head out the door for the day. I lift weights at my local gym, come back home for a quick shower and breakfast, and I'm usually in the studio by 11am. The music turns on, usually Carin Leon or a throwback to Joan Sebastian (anything Mexican and emotional really gets me going), and it's GO time! I will be drawing in one work, painting in another, embroidering in a few other ones, and working on large-scale scrolls that are painful and hard on my back.
Because I have herniated discs in my spine, I have to constantly switch what I'm doing to keep the pain at bay. I clock in a ridiculous amount of Spotify listening minutes every month because it helps me focus and stay on track. My studio is at an old elementary school, so you can find me having lunch on the playground or taking a long walk through the vineyard. I typically leave the studio after sunset and need a headlamp to guide myself back to the parking lot. I typically get home around 9pm, exhausted, having survived another day purely on strawberry protein shakes and coffee.
How does the space affect your work?
The studio is surrounded by vineyards on an old back country road, and having this peace and quiet is something I'll never take for granted. I watch the sunset over the vineyards every night and it reminds me just how precious life is. I'm surrounded by squirrels, birds, and the cutest hummingbirds that perch on the apple tree outside my window. Making art here is a dream. It feels like a retreat. I don't know how I ended up here, but I know I wouldn't be able to process my work the same if I were in a more chaotic space.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
Unfortunately there is no art community around me, but there are wineries. I'm close friends with the wonderful folks who make wine in the area and they are amazing! A lot of resilient, hard-working, good people who tend to the land and contribute to the making of beautiful wines in Napa.
What do you love about your studio?
What I love the most about my studio is that it makes me feel safe. In this space, I feel protected and loved. The opportunity to make art here came at a much-needed time and it reminded me that there are good people out there — really good people, who still believe in the power that art has to change the world!
What do you wish were different?
I wish more people could share space with me. I wish everyone could open their studio window and watch the sun set over the vineyards.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Hess Collection at Hess Persson Estates is a hidden gem in the Napa Valley. I was in high school when I was able to see an Andy Goldsworthy in person for the first time, right here in my own hometown! I grew up undocumented, living in poverty, and the opportunity to go to a "real" museum wasn't an option until I was in college, so being able to visit the Hess Collection in my backyard will always be a special memory for me.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I love embroidery. I like that the act of embroidery is both violent and healing. One must make a puncture wound to insert the thread, but when it comes out the other side and sits next to another stitch it can turn into the most intricate work of art. It's proof that healing happens in community and that pain can be beautiful.
Sasha Lynn Roberts, Pupukea, Hawaii
How long have you been working in this space?
Two years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I consider my studio to be both indoors and outdoors. My indoor setup features a desk and a rolling caddy where I keep all my art supplies and work on small-scale pieces. When I work large-scale or I have to prep pieces, I work outside on the grass. When I work inside, I like to consider my process a slumber party. I put on my best pajamas, fix myself a glass of wine, put on my headphones, and relax. When outside, I like to treat my practice like a picnic. I lay out a large blanket and set my materials on one side and a snack pile on the other. Many outdoor cats come and say hi. I often begin my work extremely early in the morning, around 5am or 6am, because I like seeing how my pieces change in the daylight versus the dawn.
How does the space affect your work?
I am an artist whose subject is typically nature, water, and fauna. Being in such a tranquil environment surrounded by fruit trees, songbirds, and chickens really influences the way that I paint. I believe the calmness of my environment directly translates onto canvas.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I currently teach art at Sunset Beach Elementary School, and privately teach art classes with some of the children. This actually started during my studio practice! I was painting outside, and one of my neighbors’ kids came and sat with me. This turned into an entire group of neighborhood kids playing outside while watching me paint. Additionally, in Honolulu, I helped cultivate a growing community of artists called the Curated Art Merge. We host monthly events, including our CNTRL + ALT + SPEAK multidisciplinary open mic that allows you to bring in visual art as well as perform music.
What do you love about your studio?
I love how free and open it is. I was born and raised in New York City, and in the past, my studio has been confined to the walls of my bedroom. This environment not only made large-scale work unavailable to me, but I feel it stifles me, especially when I wanted to pick things like landscapes and serene environments. My current studio is a reflection of all the things I want to depict: calmness, safety, and the feeling of being entrenched in natural beauty.
What do you wish were different?
I wish I had a more practical layout. One of the biggest things missing in my studio is a workbench. As an amateur woodworker, I often have to saw, drill, sand, and prep my wood canvases. This requires a heavy amount of airflow, and it also requires a stable, solid surface clear of debris. Neither my indoor nor outdoor studio can accommodate that at this moment.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Downtown Art Center in Honolulu. Unlike more established museums like the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Downtown Art Center makes a serious effort to display the artwork of local artisans while still curating well-produced, beautiful exhibits.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
I love working with wood! Whether plywood or specialty wood like monkeypod, I enjoy looking at the way the wood warps over time, and learning how different wood absorbs paint in unique ways.
