A View From the Easel
“Ink is a simple material, but it’s given me everything I have in my life. It allows precision but demands surrender.”
Welcome to the 260th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists offer their tattoo clients a cup of tea, visit nearby galleries during their breaks, and mentally paint before they pick up a brush.
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.
Gonzalo Hernandez, Miami, Florida
How long have you been working in this space?
Six months.
Describe an average day in your studio.
An average day in my studio typically begins early, around 8:30am or 9am. I like to ease into my practice with some sparkling water, grounding myself before diving into the day’s work. My artistic process starts with a daily practice: I grab a sheet of paper, prepare black or pink paint, and begin working on text pieces. These often explore phrases or ideas drawn from my ongoing readings, which are an essential part of my routine.
I always have a few books in rotation — usually three — reflecting my current interests or research. The book of the week depends on what resonates most with my artistic inquiries at the time. Reading deeply informs my work, providing a conceptual foundation that shapes the themes I explore. After this focused session, I shift the energy by listening to podcasts or watching Art21 videos, which keep me engaged with broader artistic dialogues. Whether it’s a conversation about art, history, or culture, these moments of listening or viewing create a rhythm that balances introspection with external inspiration.
How does the space affect your work?
I was at the Bakehouse Art Complex for three years until last December. I moved to Locust this past June. It’s really a game-changer to have a space available for your practice.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
Interacting with the environment outside my studio is an integral part of my routine. Being situated in Little River, I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a vibrant art community with several galleries nearby. After lunch, I often take time to step out and visit these galleries. Whether it’s seeing a new exhibition, catching up with gallerists, or simply observing how others engage with the work on display, these visits are both inspiring and grounding. These moments away from the studio also provide a refreshing perspective, and I find they often bring new energy or ideas into my own practice. It’s a rhythm that blends solitude with connection, keeping my creative process rooted in both personal exploration and communal engagement.
What do you love about your studio?
That I have a small area outside my studio to rest sometimes. I usually use it to eat lunch but also to read and watch some videos, it’s an annex to my studio so it’s perfect for me. Also, the size of the studio and the natural light that I have are really great.
What do you wish were different?
My commute.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Pérez Art Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Both museums are really always on my list. I used to go to the de La Cruz Collection more often, but it recently closed.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Just a piece of paper and ivory black oil and a brush, that’s it.
Ciara Havishya, Calgary, Canada
How long have you been working in this space?
Nine months.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I start every single day with a cup of hot tea with milk. Usually a good white tea or oolong. I go through some of my library with my clients, and I love getting a moment with my books before going into my day. When my client for the day arrives, I usually make them tea and offer them biscuits, too, and from there we start work on the day’s task. I stay present with my clients until I’m sure they’re comfortable. Then I almost always put on headphones and zone in. I listen to non-lyrical music, and often history podcasts or academic lectures and I find that this is where I do my best work. I tell my clients ahead of time to bring their own entertainment and to be mindful of sensory input. Wearing my headphones while I tattoo blocks out my machine noise and allows me to concentrate at my best. Being alone with one person at a time means that the energy of a session has to be carefully curated to keep the focus on the work.
How does the space affect your work?
My space has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself professionally. I have worked in busy tattoo shops for the better part of a decade, and I strongly believe that this is a necessity in order to develop the skill set necessary to do the kind of large-scale tattooing I practice. I was incredibly overwhelmed and overstimulated for those 10 years and I made a willing sacrifice of my mental wellness to do my best work. After some concentrated mentorship from Doug Fink at Bushido, I finally felt ready to honor my need for quiet and a low-stimulation workspace. I’ve noticed that my energy levels have soared after work. I’ve been able to work on paintings and drawings after work. I’m able to carry on a conversation with my partner after work. I have a fine art practice now. I make perfume now. I’m free to function as a multi-disciplinary artist, and it’s been incredible. I’ve even noticed that some of my longstanding health issues have started to abate. I’m a better person for having this space.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I have a wonderful community around me! I work just above one of my favorite artists, Marigold Santos, I have several friends running businesses in the building. It’s a very unique hub of artisans and independent businesspeople in Calgary. Friends from the building will sometimes stop by while I’m working and have a chat and a cup of tea. I have a very special tattoo community in Calgary as well as internationally, and my travels abroad are primarily how I connect with the tattoo community now. I’m constantly texting mentors and friends for feedback on what I’m doing that day, and I’m lucky to usually have answers within minutes. My local tattoo friends visit me in my studio frequently and we share reference material and new historical art we’re uncovering. It's been a wonderful meeting place.
What do you wish were different?
I wish my view were a little more interesting, but I do get the pleasure of seeing all the office workers from downtown struggle with parallel parking and that is an endless source of entertainment. Sometimes they go the wrong way on the one-way streets and that’s also very fun to watch.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Glenbow! I have been blessed to have a contact there who allowed me on multiple occasions to see their collection behind the scenes. I got to visit Indigenous artifacts and ancient pieces from Asia, and I even got to handle some and take photos for research and inspiration.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Ink! I love working with ink more than anything. I love it in tattooing, and I love painting and drawing with it. I’ve even been making perfume based on ink. Ink is a simple material, but it’s given me everything I have in my life. It allows precision but demands surrender.
Bobby Haag, New York City
How long have you been working in this space?
One and a half years.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I work next to my bed in my bedroom in a shared apartment, so I just work on my painting whenever I have time (before I go to bed/when I wake up/before and after my job/weekends). When I am not painting I am staring at the work, "painting" it in my head. I sit on a small toy chair mostly. I paint for as long as the moment takes me to paint what the painting asks me to do, and sometimes is a chore, sometimes fun, and extremely significant coincidences always happen.
How does the space affect your work?
There is no space. I am limited and restricted. This allows magical occurrences to take place, resulting in only what I can afford to sacrifice for my love of art. I collect unknown sizes of frames to surround or stretch canvas onto, or into, and a dresser full of hundreds of oil paints of every color. I use disposable brushes and experiment with a new set of "rules" to execute each stroke of every painting, resulting in an impossible dream. And then, as I paint, I take pictures and stare at those every chance I get until the painting is done, and I then immediately begin the next one.
What do you love about your studio?
Myself! Color! Memory! Time, space, and money left me here as fate and I deal it my destiny ... best I can.
What do you wish were different?
More time, more space, more money. There is absolutely no sunlight or wind. My window does not open. There is no draft. Outside my window is the next apartment building. I never know what time of day or night it is. It is pitch black the second I turn out the light. It is like a dungeon, but I like it for the time being because it physically forces me to work with my reality and do the best I can do at my age, now. It is awful and beautiful. Only I would put up with and go through what I do for my own artwork — and that to me is the greatest privilege of all time.
