A View From the Easel
“The literal environment outside of my studio is the mobile home park I used to play in as a child in the ’80s.”
Welcome to the 350th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, Linda Lay sets up shop in the mobile home she grew up in, collapsing time and tenderly reclaiming the space through her vibrant art practice.
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.
Linda Lay, Marina, California
How long have you been working in this space?
Three years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
An average day in my studio begins around 10 in the morning, as I’m most productive at the start of the day, and although I rise early, I like to first have coffee with my partner at home, which is nearby. In my main working areas I have little “stations” where I keep projects-in-progress, often with supplies close at hand, so that I can get right to it. I allow myself the freedom to start with whatever feels natural in the moment, as I know that will lead me to working on whatever has a deadline.
In art school, one of my professors observed that my “starting routine” for making art is something like what a dog does when they lie down for a nap — how they move around in circles on their bed until it feels right to settle in. I’m still very much that way, figuratively, of course.
The first thing I do when I enter the studio is open the windows for airflow and light. I then walk around to say “hello” to the space and plants, and if I feel the need to, I safely light some sage. I always burn incense as this helps me feel like I'm setting some sort of "intention" for the day. I often listen to podcasts or audiobooks once I get settled into working. (I love Fashion Neurosis by Bella Freud.) When I was busy converting this mobile home, which I was raised in, into my art studio, I was listening more to music from eras of my past that I may have listened to when I was a child and teenager, or what I listened to when I moved away from home at the start of the ’90s.
How does the space affect your work?
